Search Results for: vfr

For some, flying is just braving the traffic pattern or short, local flights. But serious long-distance flying or commercial operations will eventually bring you to the heart of the Great Plains. Meteorology captivated me because of the incredibly turbulent and strange weather in this area. I chased tornadoes for 15 years and forecasted weather for […]

Defensive Flying Excellent article. I want to add that if you are practicing ILS or RNAV approaches at a non-towered airport you have to be very specific about your intentions and location and even more vigilant as many VFR pilots are unfamiliar with IFR procedures. Adib B. Don’t forget that you may have rotorcraft legitimately […]

In addition to publishing the 29th and 30th editions of its Joseph T. Nall Report, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Safety Institute (ASI) has launched a new platform designed to provide “access to more current accident data in near real-time.” According to AOPA, the new platform will allow accident data to be […]

After several weeks of not flying, I had finally found the time and energy to unlimber the Debonair and get some air under its wings. I was out doing some basic maneuvers and just letting the airplane exercise itself before heading off to a nearby non-towered field for some landings and cheap fuel. I had […]

This story originally appeared in KITPLANES. Despite appearances, and what you might logically conclude, the uAvionix AV-30-E (E for Experimental) is not intended to be a head-on competitor for the Garmin G5. Even though you might assume differently from the basic feature sets and price point, the companies have come at developing a small EFIS to […]

By Russ Erb This story originally appeared in KITPLANES. After telling the following story to many other pilots, I came to a conclusion that my flight instructor never told me. For that matter, I’ve never read or heard about it in KITPLANES, EAA, AOPA, AVweb or anywhere else in the aviation press. I know a […]

An airport hath no soul without a pilot lounge … or pilots/pilot’s lounge, depending on possessive plurality issues unspecified in the AIM’s social amenities supplement. Lounge accessories should include: A coffee pot, a bulletin board papered with FAA notices no one reads, a faded copy of Magee’s High Flight (genuflect), and ads for aircraft sold years […]

Some mentor, long ago, explained aviation weather to me: “There are two kinds of weather you never want to fly in no matter the aircraft,” he said. “Icing and thunderstorms.” He wasn’t wrong. But until we gain some experience, sometimes it’s hard to tell when we’ve gotten too close to either weather situation. Put another […]

“Unusual” is a subjective,‭ ‬time-sensitive evaluation inspired by something that is rare or exceptional‭, ‬something not common or usual‭. ‬This certainly describes the maroon two-seat biplane tied down in front of Homebuilt Headquarters at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2019‭. ‬With its negatively staggered wings‭, ‬it was equally exceptional when its designer‭, ‬72-year-old Miles Westfall‭, ‬flew the […]

The first thing that might be on your mind is; “Aren’t there fewer rules if you are IFR?” Well, kind of. The main example is if you are IFR, you need not worry about weather requirements for entering certain airspaces. An IFR clearance in itself provides separation from other aircraft and obstacle clearance in all […]