Training

When we talk about flight training safety, we usually refer to the steps an instructor can take to ensure a lesson is not marred by an incident or accident. However, there are also operational considerations that can contribute to flight training safety. I recently had a chance to talk with Dana Siewert, the director of […]

When is the best time for a primary student to do ground-school work? Before starting flying lessons? At the same time? Or after getting the basic skills mastered? Flying asked two nationally recognized flight instructors to weigh in on what they’d recommend regarding ground school. Both agreed that the best option is a syllabus that […]

What really scares pilots and airplane owners? Is it an instrument approach to minimums? Not really. With proper training and a good flight director, nailing the approach is a piece of cake. How about a crosswind landing? They’re tough, but with practice you can learn how to master the technique. Maybe thunderstorms? Nah. Having satellite-delivered […]

In my 45-year flying career I have been fortunate to experience many of the different ways to earn money as a pilot. Occasionally I am asked what the best flying job is. I have to answer, “That depends. … It depends on the kind of person you are, what kind of flying you like to […]

We all have our trepidations about instrument flying. My colleague, Flying contributing editor Tom Benenson once told me he’s most apprehensive when taking off into a low ceiling. It makes sense, with such a high workload — retracting gear and managing power, monitoring engine instruments, making radio calls, switching frequencies, turning to an assigned heading […]

I always look forward to flying with pilots new to the 767/757. These individuals are usually fresh from simulator training at our flight academy. They have suffered the lacerations of being whipped to proficiency. They have spent over a month in the stale and frigid climate of our classrooms and simulators. They are eager to […]

One of the most basic questions any potential flight student has is what kind of school to attend. Some schools advertise their “Part 141” status, but exactly what that means is rarely clarified. The new Airman Certification Standards updated in June 2018 for the private pilot certificate make the choice even more nuanced, as more […]

It’s individuals, not corporations, who dominate orders for new business jets. Many — probably most — of those jets will be flown by professional crews, but increasing numbers will be piloted by their owners at least some of the time. That means hundreds of pilots will transition from some sort of propeller-driven airplane into a […]

I was surprised and disappointed when I read the headline “C-GCC Grounds Flight Majors” in a local newspaper. Almost two months into the semester, school officials at a community college decided to pull the plug on its aviation sciences program. Earlier in the year I had been asked, along with another person (even more qualified […]

In the spring of 1944, Col. Don Blakeslee wanted P-51 Mustangs for his Fourth Fighter Group in England. But it would take weeks to transition the pilots from their huge radial-engine P-47 Thunderbolts into the sleek V-12-powered Mustangs. Blakeslee promised to have his pilots in combat within 24 hours of receiving the Mustangs – and […]