Training

U.S. drone owners preparing to earn the FAA’s Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) required to operate a commercial UAV should find the King Schools’ new Drone Pilot Ground School and Test Prep Course covers everything they need to prepare for the FAA knowledge test. The new course, announced last week, was jointly created with the Association […]

When I was growing up, the glamour of an aviation job was all wrapped up in the thrill of traveling the world. Little did I know that more than half the careers in aviation involve staying in one place. Aviation maintenance used to be one of those careers, but the industry is changing for a […]

If you, like many pilots, have one of Garmin’s latest glass avionics products installed in your panel or are considering an upgrade, you may want to consider a training course to learn the ins and outs of operating the systems. Garmin recently announced dates for in-classroom training programs for its latest panel-mounted equipment at its […]

Both UAV novices and experts are invited to enroll in the upcoming Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) online course created to bring students one step closer to better understanding where a drone, as well as the drone operator, can safely fit into the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). The course begins February 6 and runs through […]

Many instrument procedures, such as ILS approaches, allow you to fly your airplane very close to the ground while in clouds. When the decision altitude or decision height is as low as 100 to 200 feet above the ground, it is particularly critical to know the approach procedure and make sure that your altimeter is […]

After a fitful production start for the A5 light-sport aircraft, Icon Aircraft has regrouped. The company has built a composite factory in Mexico to “improve and control the manufacturing process while simultaneously reducing cost,” says Icon’s founder and CEO, Kirk Hawkins. While the new Tijuana-based composite shop is getting up and running, Icon has opened […]

The pilot’s loss of airplane control,” said the ­National Transportation Safety Board, “was due to his diverted ­attention to the canopy opening in flight.” At what point the canopy opened ­completely is not clear, but several witnesses described the airplane rocking sharply from side to side and oscillating sharply in pitch during the takeoff roll, […]

For many aspiring professional pilots, “becoming an airline captain is the pinnacle of a career,” says Mark Haley, chair of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) Education Committee and first officer for a major airline. Small wonder. “You get a window office, you’re flying airplanes and traveling the world,” says professor Martin Rottler, chair of […]

For many pilots, the only time we’ll ever encounter a DME arc is during instrument training or on a check ride. Still, it’s a good idea to know how to fly one. The good news is that a DME arc is simple once you understand how to execute it. One common misconception many pilots have […]

The RNAV approach is a type of GPS-based procedure that is becoming ubiquitous in general aviation as the FAA continues to roll it out at thousands of airports around the United States. If you’re adept at flying an ILS approach, RNAV LPV procedures (offering “localizer performance with vertical guidance”) should be very familiar to you, […]