Features

The Cirrus SR20 wasn’t the first “plastic” airplane, but the composite Cirrus was far enough along the cutting edge to stir up the pilot community. Of course, some loudly asserted that no “real” pilot would want one of those things—it’s got a parachute, for crying out loud. Yet the Cirrus SR20 and its offspring the […]

The Weekender will fly coast to coast on toy-delivery missions while enjoying plenty of Christmas celebrations found on SocialFlight.Casa Grande Municipal in Arizona welcomes all to its first holiday party on Saturday afternoon. Along with food and live music, there will be a toy and food donation drive for the local community.In Lompoc, California, Barnstormers […]

On a particularly stormy day in the Green Mountains of Vermont, I heard the following exchange between a flight on approach to BTV (Burlington, Vermont) and approach control. BTV approach:“NXXXAJ, how was the ride down?” NXXXAJ:“Rougher than a stucco bathtub.” Andrew Walker

The pilot wasn’t having much luck on his flight review. As he and his instructor were about to depart, the airport weather went from a manageable SCT006 to BKN006, requiring an IFR clearance. Since they had planned to depart VFR, they didn’t file an IFR flight plan. To top it off, the part-time tower was […]

Only a small percentage of the controller work force in the system today—or for that matter, in the past—are or have been pilots. Controllers are taught to perform the duties and provide the services that are outlined in the controller’s bible, the FAA Order 7110.65, Air Traffic Control Manual. While they have been made aware […]

Winter has already landed in some states, which means brushing up on cold-weather flying — unless you head west or south. The Weekender found destinations in four different regions onSocialFlight.Join fellow pilots for a fly-in breakfast followed by a free winter flying seminar Saturday in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Airframe icing will be the topic, covering avoidance […]

The maturing support network for LSA models is building at least some confidence in their dispatch reliability. But for owners and flight schools looking for a simple and reliable trainer that’s easily supported on most every maintenance floor, it’s still tough to beat the familiar Cessna 150/152 series. That’s why old 150s are still flying […]

Letter of the Week:Personal Airspace I would register my drone prior to flying it above 200 feet AGL. I think it is clear from U.S. v. Causby (1946) that the FAA has no authority to regulate “the immediate reaches of the enveloping atmosphere” of my property, which in the Causby case is at least 83 […]

Things can go “bump” in the night. Daytime, too. Most of them either have been considered before or encountered by someone, resulting in a section of your AFM/POH labeled “Emergency Procedures.” But not everything that can happen is covered there: Pilots are constantly inventing new ways to screw up, and the aircraft themselves can present […]

The Weekender is on the road after Thanksgiving and found a few places to stop on SocialFlight. All pilots(current and non-current) are invited to share their experience with budding aviators at the St. Louis Science Center, where the Gateway Eagles will host nine simulator stations to introduce visitors to flying the Cessna 172. Volunteer instructors […]