Pilot Proficiency

The bulk of my flying with our airline for almost two decades has been over water. A good portion of those hours has involved interaction with the oceanic division of the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center. In that regard, when I received an invitation from Mike Golden, Oceanic Airspace and Procedures Support manager, […]

When we think about keeping our landing skills sharp, generally that means going out on days when the wind is blowing straight across the runway to hone our crosswind technique. That makes sense since we never know what the wind might be doing at the destination and we need to be ready for anything. But […]

The NTSB held a fascinating meeting at its Washington headquarters on Tuesday morning that explored in detail the poor safety record of experimental amateur-built aircraft and produced a laundry list of solutions aimed at stemming the problem. The raw data presented in the NTSB’s study of experimental aircraft safety was wholly absorbing in and of […]

Most people don’t like to admit that they have dug themselves into a hole and need help to extricate themselves from their predicament. This is evident in the common tendency people have to minimize their problems when communicating with others, and has led to many adverse outcomes because people who could have helped did not […]

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 Roy Brewer, who recently flew into Blue Ridge Regional Airport in a Rockwell Commander 114. Here’s what he has to say about the airport’s FBO. FBO Spotlight: Blue […]

An unusual display of the usefulness of general aviation airplanes occurred recently when the life of a 20-year-old boater apparently was saved by an overflying seaplane pilot. What could have ended as a tragic drowning turned into a happy day for the young boater. Max Trescott describes in his blog about the incident that the […]

Recently, I was reminded about that “thing” about flying when Bonnier Corp.’s Flying magazine and Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base in Winter Haven, Florida, hosted 12 folks visiting from the Bonnier parent company’s headquarters in Sweden as part of a Live the Brand event. Flying offered up two choices: discovery flights in Cessnas or discovery flights […]

Warn the neighbors and anybody else who will listen: The FAA and FBI are cracking down on people who intentionally point laser lights at aircraft in flight, launching dozens of investigations and charging nearly 30 alleged perpetrators since stepping up enforcement last summer. A new law enacted in February makes doing so a federal crime […]

One of the best lessons I ever received from my flight instructor was a lesson of disorientation. It was fairly early in my flight training. We took off from Santa Monica airport one late afternoon in the early summer. The weather was perfectly clear with light winds, but there was a thick marine layer slightly […]

A Polish oil worker surveying a remote area in Western Egypt recently stumbled upon a surprising find: The remains of a Kittyhawk P-40 that crash-landed in the Sahara Desert seven decades ago. Time and the elements have taken their toll on the aircraft, but aside from some corrosion, as well as damage likely sustained during […]