Understanding and Practicing Basic Flight Maneuvers
It’s important to understand the purpose behind teach and learning certain basic flight maneuvers. Jennifer Roth With technology continually changing in the aviation world, flying airplanes has become more automated. With glass panel navigation to autopilot controls, the pilot can at times seem ALMOST not necessary. However, we all know that is not true and technology […]
How The Grand Canyon Mid-Air Collision Changed ATC
A retrospective of the tragic Grand Canyon mid-air collision, and how air traffic control and flight safety changed drastically from one event. Shawn Arena I think all of us regardless of profession or interests, can instantly recall dates of certain events in our lifetimes that still resonate many years later: Assassination of President Kennedy (11/22/63), the beginning […]
Using the PAVE Checklist As a Pilot
Using the PAVE checklist is necessary when flying off pavement in Montana’s last, best airspace. Richard G. Wissenbach It’s hard to beat flying from Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. It seems only logical that a state known as the “Last Best Place” would also have some pretty incredible flying. It doesn’t hurt that it borders Idaho, “A Pilot’s […]
How Private Pilots Can Fly Like Airline Pilots
Fly like the big dogs: here are some little things private pilots can do to fly like airline pilots. Vern Weiss Private pilots who fly small aircraft are at a disadvantage when compared to airline pilots engaged in commercial airline flying. When you’re a “solo act,” you do not have the benefit of a large […]
Exploring a Commercial Airline Pilot’s Quality of Life
Starting off as a commercial airline pilot is no easy task. Jennifer Roth To anyone on the outside of aviation, the life of an airline pilot sounds exciting and luxurious. However, that is just not the case, especially in the early years of a pilot’s career. Typically when a pilot begins their career in the […]
The GPS Jammer: Understanding This Aviation Hazard
The FCC Is Cracking Down On GPS Jammer Use Amber Berlin With the ease and affordability of obtaining a GPS jammer on the internet, the average citizen can create chaos, often unaware of the extent of GPS usage and the widespread effect their personal jamming will have. This is bad news for aviation, as many […]
Reviewing Aviation Insurance Options For Pilots
This is the second part of a two-part article exploring the available aircraft and aviation insurance options available to pilots. Click here to read part 1. Dr. Mary Ann O’Grady Approved Use Insurance Approved-Use insurance covers reimbursement by non-owners who use an aircraft. Approved-Use insurance is similar to the approved-pilot clause since no specific premium is […]
I Was a New Private Pilot, Flying Small Aircraft In Busy Airspace
The Night I Flew a “Heavy” … Make that a “Cessna Heavy” Shawn Arena This article is similar in nature to the previous flight experiences that I have documented for you. As a newly minted private pilot, this experience taught me how to successfully navigate the fast-paced ground and air portions of flying small aircraft into one […]
Commercial Flight Training for Jet Aircraft: Details Matter
Modern jet airliners come equipped with a multitude of indicators and switches. Strict attention to detail during commercial flight training facilitates the safe carriage of passengers. Noah Timmins Becoming a commercial pilot, or an airline transport pilot, according to the FAA, requires 1500 hours of flight time. In the context of working, this would take […]
When Did You Know You Wanted To Be a Pilot?
My personal aviation lineage and the first time I knew I wanted to be a pilot trace back to my grandfather. Shawn Arena Those of us who have been fortunate to have received the gift of flight or just the enjoyment of aviation can usually trace back to where that flame to be a pilot was first […]
Aircraft Insurance: What Type Should Pilots Carry?
Dr. Mary Ann O’Grady Your aircraft and flying skills represent wonderful business and personal capabilities, but they may also constitute one of the largest exposures to catastrophes that you can imagine. So, the following summary details a list of the most critical aircraft insurance coverage types and [potential] losses: Aircraft Hull Insurance Aircraft hull insurance […]
Why Pilots Need To Know About The Mesoscale Convective Complex
Beware. The Mesoscale Convective Complex feeds on itself and grows like rapidly-spreading cancer. Vern Weiss It is called the Mesoscale Convective Complex and pilots should be keenly aware of the term when it appears in a weather briefing. Of course, all thunderstorms require caution but what makes the MCC so nasty is that it becomes […]
