Features

Poor Flight Instructors At the age of 79 and some 61 years of flying and 40 years of instructing before open-heart surgery and two heart attacks years later finally made me stop flying, now I see that the poorly paid flight instructor has to make a logbook entry certifying the pilot he’s flying with is […]

The discussions here in the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport range from prosaic to fairly intense. Last Sunday evening some of the regulars returned from their annual mid-October color tour on a particularly windy day and got into it over speeds to fly on the approach. The group had “ooh”-ed and “aahh”-ed at the […]

While flying IFR between Indianapolis, IN and Columbia, MO my wife and I encountered some mild turbulence at 6000. She’s a nervous flier, so I decided it would be a good idea to find some smoother air. Cessna N12345: Center, Cessna 12345 would like to climb to 8 for smoother air. Center: 345, climb approved. […]

Bushmaster Accident This aircraft was one of only two Bushmaster 2000s built (NewsWire, Sep. 30). I had the pleasure of riding as a passenger on this airplane a few years ago thanks to the kindness of the owner, an airline pilot. It was with considerable sorrow that I viewed the video sequence of the crash. […]

Eager Flyer… A student pilot was on a cross country solo flight to Santa Barbara. Eager to fly “heavy metal” he contacts approach at 5,500 feet for flight following… N12345: …approach, Cessna 12345 checking in at flight level 550. Approach (after a long pause): Roger, Cessna 12345 … you can contact NASA at 368.2 for […]

I don’t get DCA layovers as often as I used to when I flew the MD-88. The 767 doesn’t get to our nation’s capital that often — at least from our base — and I haven’t been in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum for quite a few years.There usually isn’t enough time during a […]

ATC Staffing Pilots have their own agenda while operating an aircraft and that is, or should be, getting to the destination in one piece. My job is to make sure that the folks in that other aircraft, with the same agenda as you’ve got, don’t occupy the same space as you at the same time. […]

You’ve heard it since you were a little kid — we all have. The old saw “practice makes perfect” has been drummed into us by mothers, piano teachers and just about anyone else who was trying to teach us anything. I’d be willing to bet that at some time or another, a flight instructor has […]