Pilot Proficiency

Different airplanes have different charms, but seldom do you get to experience two on the same day. As a Cheyenne turboprop owner and a part-time Learjet pilot, I got to experience these two airplanes with my Learjet captain, Jason Hepner, on a weekend that featured flying at 45,000 feet at 600 mph in the Lear; […]

A 727 was approaching Ketchikan, Alaska, high and fast. Despite several warnings from the copilot, the captain elected to continue the visual approach. The airplane landed long and fast on the slush-covered runway, and the captain quickly deployed the spoilers and thrust reversers and applied maximum braking. Then, when it appeared they would not be […]

In our FBO Spotlight series, we’re highlighting FBOs around the country that have received rave reviews from our readers. This latest Spotlight is brought to you by Marc Lattoni, who recently flew into W.K. Kellogg Airport in a Diamond DA-40. Here’s what he has to say about the airport’s FBO, Duncan Aviation. Duncan Aviation (KHUT)_ […]

Three longtime Civil Air Patrol members were killed on Tuesday after their Piper Cherokee Six crashed in a residential neighborhood shortly after taking off from Hawkins Field Airport (HKS) in Jackson, Mississippi. The CAP Mississippi Wing members killed in the crash included Col. John E. Tilton Jr., former member of the Civil Air Patrol’s board […]

Amateur video shot over the weekend captured the dramatic overrun of a Cessna CJ3 trying to land on Runway 35R at Sao Paulo-Congonhas Airport in Brazil. As shown in the footage, the Citation bounced upon reaching the end of the runway before coming to a crashing halt on the perimeter wall that encircles the airport. […]

PC flight simulators are excellent for sharpening our skills, but with one glaring exception: The artificial ATC communications included with the software just isn’t up to the task of providing a realistic flight experience. I didn’t really understand how important this was until I recently had the chance to fly X-Plane 10 using something remarkably […]

The NTSB has released its final report on a tragic 2010 helicopter accident in Cave Creek, Arizona, about 30 miles north of Phoenix, in which five people died. The NTSB’s investigation found that the helicopter owner’s five-year-old daughter might have contributed to the cause of the crash by accidentally stepping on the collective. The investigation […]

We all strive for accurate, smooth landings that we can produce predictably each time we fly. One step that will help you to standardize your landings is getting yourself into the best position in the pilot’s seat. You need to be able to comfortably reach the controls, and make sure that the forward picture is […]

Before I walked through the doors of the museum at Boeing Field in Seattle, I scanned the sharp lines of the B-47 perched just outside. The 1947 vintage bomber had really been the catalyst that heralded the beginning of the U.S. commercial jet age. The concept of swept wings was in its infancy, an engineering […]

In our FBO Spotlight series, we’re highlighting FBOs around the country that have received rave reviews from our readers. This latest Spotlight is brought to you by Dennis Moyes, who recently flew into Long Island MacArthur Airport in a Beech Sierra. Here’s what he has to say about the experience. Sheltair (KISP) Islip, New York […]