Solo Flight

Learning plateaus are as much a part of becoming a pilot as making mistakes.

Don’t cut the T-shirt—there’s a new way to commemorate the first solo.

Flight training before graduating high school is an excellent idea for any teenager interested in a flying career, but don’t rush.

At 17 years, 64 days, they’ve nicknamed Mack Rutherford, ‘Mack Solo.’

Federal aviation regulation (FAR) 91.3 states: “The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to the operation of that aircraft.”  It seems pretty straight forward—unless the PIC is a student pilot on a solo flight, and they are flying on the endorsement of their flight instructor. […]

Learning to fly an airplane is not like learning to drive a forklift or a stick shift.

After being grounded in the gold-rushed city of Nome, Alaska, for nearly a month, Zara Rutherford (FlyZolo), the 19-year-old Belgian who is on a quest to become the youngest woman to fly solo around the world, has made it to Russia, reaching the halfway point of her trip. In a short video posted on social […]

Zara Rutherford wants to be the youngest woman to fly around the world solo, as FlyZolo. She has completed the Atlantic crossing, the first major hurdle along the way. The 19-year-old Belgian pilot is flying a Shark Ultralight single-engine airplane approved in the rough European equivalent of the light sport category, with a maximum takeoff […]

One of the most valued intrinsic benefits to having contributed to this publication for almost 15 years has been the opportunity to interact with some special and unique people. Individuals that were the subject matter of this column have remained a fond and integral part of my writing. On most occasions, we part ways with […]

It’s a time-honored aviation tradition that suddenly appears on the brink of elimination. New student pilot application requirements that take effect on April 1 will prevent new pilots from soloing on their 16th birthday. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is asking the FAA to remedy what it calls an “unfortunate consequence” of the new […]