Features

I’ve really only had one landing-gear-related situation in many years of flying retractables. In that event, a brand-new gear motor—installed at annual—failed to extend the gear while airborne after several successful tests on jacks. After an uneventful landing, the motor was repaired and there were no further issues with that airplane or its landing gear […]

The Weekender’s SocialFlight options include a couple of four-day excursions for those who want to start their weekends early. The Clear Lake Splash In, “the oldest and largest seaplane fly-in west of the Mississippi River,” will take place Thursday through Sunday at Lakeport, California. It kicks off with a free barbecue and continues with a […]

Call came in for a fuel order:“Can you send the fuel truck for ship 1 and ship 2?” The reply came back:“I am sorry sir we don”t do boats.” Basilio

The successful completion of an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) combines the knowledge and personality traits of both the instructor and pilot. Contributing editor Joe Shelton undertook the challenge of obtaining an IPC while both he and instructor Ken Maples share their thoughts and observations about the process. This point/counterpoint presentation should help us more fully […]

We’ve long been of the opinion that lower stall speeds are a good thing when it comes to safety of flight. It’s our observation that pilots are less likely to inadvertently stall airplanes that have low stall speeds, and if they do so, having less energy to absorb on impact means more chance of surviving […]

The Weekender’s SocialFlight calendar turned up a new tradition to look forward to if you want to fly to Maine.Belfast Municipal Airport will hold its first fly-in and open house Saturday, offeringpre-orders for lobster at market price for arriving pilots. They’ll have them packed for your return flight. The event also includes RV and other […]

I had dispatched a solo student on his cross-country trip. The route took him over some higher terrain — about 2,000 feet higher than his departure airport. As usual, I was listening on frequency to hear him clear the zone on route when he called flight service. Pilot:“The sky is falling, and I will be […]

Especially when looking at recent accidents involving scheduled airliners, it occurs that some people are still having problems with their landings. Yes, they can be difficult to master, especially when crosswinds or other factors complicate things and distract us. But this shouldn’t be so hard. If you’re having trouble, it may be you’re simply out […]

Whether it’s a long Saturday or a long weekend, The Weekender’s SocialFlight events begin early and go late. At Tampa North Aero Park in Florida, the third annual Festival of Flight is bringing hot air balloons, planes, deltas, kites, helicopters and more in one location starting Friday and through the weekend. All are invited to […]

Talk about IFR holding patterns in a recurrent training setting and your time will most likely be spent discussing entries, maximum speeds and mandatory reports. There is a need created by the realities of the system for ATC to park you somewhere in the sky until it is time to move on. The reasons for […]