Voices Of Flying

On this day of giving thanks, and as I get older, I know what I am grateful for as a pilot.

There is something about human flight that first pushes back against then unchains our imaginations. I’m now the one in that airplane, sitting in the left seat, flying into the sunset.

In a long and storied career, Clay Lacy has notched extraordinary experiences in commercial and business aviation, the military, and air racing.

With my Piper Arrow loaded to its full capacity of four people (including me, two journalists, and an environmental executive director), the Lycoming IO-360 engine decided it no longer wanted to participate at full power.

Having passengers in the back seat gives the learner an opportunity to practice and apply weight-and-balance calculations.

A terminal aerodrome forecast, simply known as a TAF, is perhaps the most difficult forecast any meteorologist will ever make. A TAF is essentially an hour-by-hour forecast for conditions significant to aviation at an airport over the next 24 or 30 hours.

As we have progressed to a digital society, fewer and fewer learners and even instructors know how to use analog tools.

The first NAFI Summit brought together an expert’s round of experts in flight training to the table.

The EAGLE consortium needs to soar to the challenge now that the FAA and industry must move forward on its roadmap.

The ability to divert safely, meaning to a suitable airport with acceptable weather and sufficient fuel is a skill you will be demonstrating during your pilot career, both in training and on a check ride.