Instrument Flight

This article originally appeared in the September 2002 issue of IFR Refresher and is reprinted here by permission. The traditional approach to unusual attitude recovery training has become more of a drill than a lesson. Basically, instructors ask students to close their eyes, take their feet and hands off of the controls and put their […]

I was working the early morning shift at the Air Ambulance Shopwhen I happened to read one of the many articles written aboutcollisions between aircraft on what controllers call movementareas but what pilots know as runways and taxiways. One of those articles mentioned the well-publicized collisionbetween a USAir 737 and Skywest Metroliner in position for […]

This article appeared in the March 2002 issue of IFR Refresher magazine, and is reprinted here by permission. You probably haven’t been called on lately to define the segments along an approach course, but you might remember a time when it would have been handy to know why the designer created such an obstacle course […]

This article appeared in the July 2002 edition of Aviation Safety and is reprinted here by permission. One of the nagging questions that plagues the pilot who doesn’t fly every day is, “Am I really ready for this flight?” The problem is even more serious when contemplating an instrument flight, particularly when the weather is […]

My two previous columns on the subject of attitude dealt with the hazardous attitudes within ourselves that have been identified by the friendly feds. This time we’ll be discussing the attitude of the flying machine itself as it makes its way through the air.What’s wrong with attitude instrument flying? In a word, nothing! That is, […]

This article appeared in the July 2002 edition of IFR Magazine and is reprinted here by permission. Most autopilots are happiest if they intercept the localizer four or five miles outside the marker from a 45-degree intercept. Most pilots are, too. Why then does a certain subspecies of pilot — Canis familiaris nocturnis, a.k.a., a […]

Communications between the various crewmembers aboard military airplanesis typically accomplished by means of interconnected electronic devices.The interphone system is a vital part of the equipment required for efficientand coordinated flight crew operations. Pilots communicate with navigatorsfrequently to assure mutual understanding of headings to fly, time to goand estimates to targets or destinations. Pilots and co-pilots […]

The controller rapped out the approach clearance with the ease of ordering a pizza: “Cross HOLOW at 3000, cleared approach, radar service terminated, change to advisory frequency approved, report canceling IFR this frequency or on the ground with flight service.” The airplane was miles from the airport, and the pilot later said that he “felt […]

Smaller Stadiums Ask For Flyover Bans Its a tough time to be in the banner-towing business. No one wants anything that scary flying over a bunch of crazed, hairy-chested and painted patrons. The FAA recently released a new ruling that said flights would not be allowed over stadiums with more than 30,000 people unless a […]

You probably know when an alternate airport is required for an IFR flight. But if you pick an alternate that is affected by similar weather patterns as your destination, how useful will it really be? When the destination weather is in the toilet, you may have to motor down the airway some distance before you […]