Pilot Proficiency

Nothing ruins a pilot’s day more than landing on the wrong runway, or even worse, touching down on a taxiway the pilot mistakenly thought was the runway. While a slap to the head is certainly in order for anyone who falls prey to a case of mistaken runway identity, there’s also the potential for much […]

Like the late stand-up comic Rodney Dangerfield who never seemed to get enough respect, the people at Gary Airport (GYY) feel as if they’ve been missing the love for many years. Sitting 20 miles south of Chicago along the shore of Lake Michigan, Gary Airport has certainly seen its share of failed airline startups including […]

ELT (emergency locator transmitter). A self-contained radio transmitter that automatically begins transmitting on the emergency frequencies any time it is triggered by a severe impact parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Required by all U.S. civil airplane category aircraft except as provided below [91.207(e) and (f)]. Transmits on 121.5 MHz or the newer […]

Pilots like to fly low, so what can we learn from this 2017 Cessna 172 accident?

Redbird Flight Simulations launched a couple of unique simulator products on display at the EAA AirVenture show grounds for the week. The company introduced a seaplane trainer, specifically designed for Tropic Ocean Airways, which operates Cessna 208 Grand Caravans in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Florida, and the northeastern United States. The simulator is a modified […]

An acquaintance named Mark Burton recently sent me a copy of his book about an airport owned and operated by his family called Brownie’s. A few days later, I met a guy at a party who regaled me (unsolicited) with wild and woolly tales about flying out of a now defunct airport called Brownie’s with […]

If there’s one continuous strand that winds through the motley tapestry of my life, one single word that sums up who I am and what makes me tick, it’s wanderlust. My family, youth, career, marriage and passions for motorcycling, sailing and flying are all tied together by a constant, inveterate urge to head over the […]

When John came to in the hospital a number of years ago after a lapse of consciousness, you will appreciate that the very first concern he expressed was for his aviation medical certificate. Perhaps the most significant and deeply personal touchpoint with the FAA for every pilot is the medical certification process. To a pilot, […]

In the early days of airborne communications, earphones were created to make deciphering radio conversations for pilots easier above the roar of the engines and wind. Some of the first earphones crafted from hard Bakelite used no padding and were extremely uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time. Advances in acoustical research improved the wearing […]

During a recent recurrent training period in our human factors class, the check airman instructor asked for a show of hands for those who had experienced an engine failure during their careers at the airline. The classroom consisted of about 30 well-seasoned pilots. Barely a quarter of the class raised their hands. The same question […]