Pilot Proficiency

Larry Turley first decided he wanted to be a pilot when he was a teenager, working the line for an FBO in Augusta, Georgia, and the Master’s Golf Tournament came to town. “Arnold Palmer and the other pros landed their jets and pulled out gas credit cards,” Turley remembers with a laugh. “I’d never seen […]

Flying Editor Emeritus Richard Collins once told me he preferred not seeing his airplane all torn apart during its annual inspection. And there is certainly no stauncher advocate of doing maintenance right. He just chose to keep the elbow grease at arm’s length, and it worked just fine for him. Owner participation in the annual […]

Each month, Flying answers questions about the new Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft rule with assistance from the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the authority on the opportunities available within the category commonly known as “Sport Pilot”: Q: Would it be possible to build/rebuild a V-22 homebuilt to meet the Light Sport Aircraft maximum weight of 1,430 […]

It you are one of the pilots who has not yet traded in your old paper certificate for an updated, tamperproof version, you have until March 31 to make the change. After that date, you will be ineligible to exercise your privileges with a paper certificate. When you do make the change, you can also […]

Fly-in communities, where homeowners have access to a runway from hangars on their property, now face a threat from the FAA. Such communities depend on so called “through the fence” (TTF) access, and new security concerns have the FAA challenging airports that already have the practice well established, including clauses written into property deeds and […]

Winter operations involve a lot of adjustments. Just getting to and from the runway becomes more of a factor in our planning, and requires some attention. Taxiways might be icy, leading to reduced steering and braking effectiveness. And just when we have less control where the rubber meets the road, winter winds are often stronger, […]

Humorist (and pilot) Jean Shepherd, of “The Christmas Story” fame, wrote that his family history revolved around which used car “the Old Man” was driving at the time — as in: Aunt Gertie had her gall bladder removed just after we got the Hupmobile. Flying Editor Emeritus Richard Collins similarly records family history in his […]

BLOGBOOK ENTRY 4: To supplement my training during my off weeks, I’m working through the Sporty’s Complete Pilot Course: Private Pilot interactive DVD course, which is part of Sporty’s What You Should Know series. The notebook includes 7 DVDs the first 4 are enough to get you through your recreational pilot training, while the rest […]

Mission: a vacation flight to visit relatives halfway across the country. You’ve updated your navigator’s database; checked weather for winds aloft; carefully planned your fuel stops; double-checked that the FBOs are open; completed a detailed weight-and-balance calculation; etc. ‘Twas the night before flying, and you’re nestled snug in your bed knowing you have all the […]

On a mission over southern Germany during World War II, undisciplined P-51 Mustang ace Ralph Hofer earned his commander’s ire by blurting out over his combat frequency, “Gee! Ain’t the Alps pretty!” The group wasn’t under attack at the time, but the breach of strict radio discipline elicited an immediate rebuke. Unnecessary chatting on the […]