Pilot Proficiency

With airplanes being as reliable as they are, it’s easy to have a little too much confidence in their ability to keep us flying. But if an engine failure were to rear its ugly face, you’ll be glad you spent some time anticipating its arrival. Always have a plan in mind for an engine failure […]

(February 2011) — Joe Biden came to visit last Memorial Day weekend. I wish he had called first so I could have invited him for an airplane ride. Sunday morning, May 30, was beautiful on eastern Long Island. You could almost see Ireland, and it was as calm as a lobster on lithium. On days […]

(February 2011) — The call I was looking for came through in mid-May, offering me a gig as a stage manager at a big summer stock theater in Dayton, Ohio. This would get me out of the summer heat in Miami and would be a step up from the theater at which I was working. […]

It hasn’t happened very often this winter: For one full day last week, the weather from Maine to Florida was severe VFR. I’d been keeping an eye on the long-range forecast for days in a sincere desire to avoid areas of icing for a planned trip from New Jersey to North Carolina. Never once did […]

When I was first getting my feet wet with instrument flying one of the hardest but most crucial skills was learning how to make things simple. Those of you who are experienced instrument pilots might chuckle at this because doing that is the essence of much of what we do in the single-pilot cockpit. As […]

No doubt you’ve heard by now that Congress has ordered the FAA to add photos and biometric data to all pilot certificates, which would have to be renewed every eight years with a new photo at an out-of-pocket cost to you of $22. Or maybe it’s $50. Or maybe it’s more than that. Nobody’s really […]

While driving back the other day after a particularly challenging horse jump lesson, I realized there are many similarities between horseback riding and flying. It reminded me that – as with any sport – I need to walk before I run. There is a progression of skill, and nothing but experience can advance me to […]

This will be my last week passing along bits of aviation wisdom. It has been an honor for you all to invite me into your email inboxes for the past three years as Flying’s Online Editor. Steve Pope will be taking over the primary responsibilities for the Flying eNewsletter with the next issue, and I […]

It is no wonder Cessna called the revolutionary tricycle landing gear Land-O-Matic when the company introduced it on the Cessna 172 in 1956. Tricycle equipped airplanes are simply easier to land. But that doesn’t mean that tailwheel aircraft are not worth flying. With the increased nose up angle of the fuselage, the propeller is further […]

(February 2011) — How do we get more people to join our ranks as pilots? It’s simple; force them to make a trip on a commercial airline. Frankly, it’s amazing to me that the airline experience hasn’t caused a mass migration to general aviation. Ironically, the solution was driven home to me on my trip […]