Features

Long ago, an instructor explained to me that knowing the various options for using the airplane, the different ways to make it do what’s needed, and the savvy to use those different models as appropriate; differentiated aviating from rote piloting. In the case of using climb abilities to your benefit, the best preparation begins with […]

14 CFR 91.123 says, “When a pilot is uncertain of an ATC clearance, that pilot shall immediately request clarification from ATC.” Complying with the reg seems easy enough, but under pressure of time, heavy weather and busy controllers we are tempted to assume that ATC knows its intentions and to accept a clearance as given. […]

The Weekender’s SocialFlightcalendar includes a variety of choices for pilots pondering a seaplane rating, wondering what NextGen means for them or curious about aerial landmarks over San Francisco. For everything you always wanted to know about getting a seaplane rating, there’s a seminar taking place Saturday hosted byModern Avionics atFlying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, […]

I was on Ground Control at KTUS Sunday, March 8, as the National Guard F-16s were out doing their usual practice. The tower called out to one of them:“Looks like you have an empty seat there.” The pilot in the F-16 radioed back:“Wishful thinking.” Then a guy taking off in a Cessna 182 radioed in:“We […]

Letter of the Week:Altimeter Under Pressure I am a single-engine aircraft owner and private pilot that only flies VFR. So the following question is based on my 2,000 hours of flying over the past 33 years. My Grumman Cheetah is equipped with the standard altimeter, and my airplane has a Mode C transponder. I also […]

Most casual discussions of hand-propping begin and end with the admonition “Don’t.” That’s not bad advice, except when there’s no other way to start the engine. In fact, hand-propping is a time-honored practice, dating to the beginning of heavier-than-air flight. That it’s still employed says as much about the legacy of aviation as it does […]

Over they years whenever I’ve had a chance to talk to folks who worked at Beech and Cessna and the other aircraft companies, I always asked them what time frame they designed these single-engine planes and light twins for. Of course they always tend to not want to be specific, probably since they didn’t really […]

If you’re looking for a ride in something out of the ordinary, say, a Lockheed C-60 or B-17, SocialFlight has a few offerings this weekend. Wings Over Flagler Rockin’ the Runways will take place Friday through Sunday in Palm Coast, Florida, hosting EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast, the Ford Tri-Motor Tin Goose and a variety of […]

ORD TRACON was pretty busy last night, so we had to wait to check in for a couple of minutes. Just ahead of us, we heard TRACON issue an airliner a warning about an unauthorized laser illumination event: TRACON:“Airline XXX, unauthorized laser illumination event at 0035Z, ten miles west of PWK, reported at 7,000 feet […]

While it may be a shallow measuring gauge, the most popular indicator of the success of an aircraft refurb is the paint job. A good one can be used to disguise many ills while a bad one can overwhelm the perfection of the new leather interior and top-of-the-line glass panel. So, in the process of […]