Quiz: How Do You Handle Aircraft Radio Communication Problems?
John Peltier You’re ten miles away from your home airport, inbound for landing, and you switch over to the AWOS for a weather check. Nothing. Must not be working. You get closer to the airport and dial up the control tower to inform them of your intentions. No response. After some troubleshooting, you determine that […]
Know the Signs and Symptoms of Hypoxia and Avoid Becoming a Victim
Margie O’Connor Whether just learning to fly or a seasoned aviator, hypoxia does NOT discriminate. It doesn’t care if you have 15 hours of flight time and you’re still aspiring to get your Private Pilot’s License or if you’re a seasoned aviator with 12,000+ hours flying for a major airline. Hypoxia lurks just around the […]
Sport Pilot Training: Everything You Need to Know
John Peltier Want to fly around for simple travel and sightseeing but don’t have the resources to obtain a private pilot’s license? Or perhaps you can’t get the medical certificate for your private pilot but can still safely operate an aircraft. Go through sport pilot training instead! What Can You Do as a Sport Pilot […]
The Cessna Training Program: Flight Training the Cessna Way
Shawn Arena So you have decided to not only begin flight training, but have focused on using Cessna aircraft and their associated Training Program. First a caveat – regardless of the type of aircraft and program selected, the main goal is training you safely, efficiently, (and as in this case) the use of a specific […]
Cessna Flight Training: Why Flight Schools Love Cessnas
Jennifer Roth It may seem odd and almost archaic these days that most initial flight training is done in a small aircraft like a single engine Cessna. Many times, students show up to tour a flight campus and they are often surprised at how small and “simple” the airplanes look. This, however, is an opinion […]
The Questions to Ask When Choosing a Flight School
Early in childhood, most of us were taught these basic types of questions and how to apply them in any given situation. When it comes to choosing a flight school, these old friends will not lead you astray. Selecting where to do your pilot training is a serious endeavor that can be tedious, confusing, and […]
Accelerated Flight Training Versus Regular Flight Training
Dr. Mary Ann O’Grady When considering enrollment in a flight training facility that offers “accelerated flight training” courses that allow you to earn your private pilot’s license or other ratings, such as instrument, commercial or CFI/CFII (flight instructor) within a reduced timeframe [seemingly] in an attempt to save you time and money, reflect upon these […]
6 Must Read Tips for Your First Airplane Flying Lessons
Spencer Martin Your first few airplane flying lessons are some of the most important and memorable you’ll ever have. Here’s how to make the most of your pre-solo airplane flight training. Get Your Hands on the Controls You learned to walk by walking. You learned to drive by driving, and flying is no different. It […]
Smart Phones in Aviation: How Aviation Apps Affect Flying
Toni Mensching Smartphones have only been on the scene for a little over twenty years. That’s less than the average person. Yet, smartphones have changed the world. Aviation’s changing resulting from smartphone capabilities and aviation apps is undeniable. For better or for worse, smartphones are in almost every pilot’s hand. How pilots use this resource […]
What to Expect When Earning Your Airplane Instrument Rating
John Peltier Congratulations, you just got your private pilot airplane license. You want to use this newfound freedom to fly to the family cabin in the next state, but there won’t be any VFR weather between here and there for the next week. Grounded. But what if you had your airplane instrument rating? Reasons for […]
VORs: Avoiding Confusion with the TO / FROM Flag
John Peltier If there’s one area of the Instrument Flying Course where most students struggle, it’s usually on the subject of VORs. For some reason, VORs are very mysterious, and for some reason many students have no motivation to learn them thanks to the capabilities of GPS! VORs are still important to learn – not […]
Flight Simulator Training: Cutting Costs and Improving Skills
Stimulation by Simulation Vern Weiss A long time ago they discovered that training pilots could be done more efficiently if there were a means to duplicate the objectives of instruction given in an aircraft. Not only could pilot training be cheaper but some maneuvers could be accomplished without the window of vulnerability for hazards that […]
