Flight Safety

Of the many tasks that we have to perform as pilots, leaning the engine is one of the simplest. Leaning is vastly easier than shooting a circling approach in low IMC, picking the smoothest route through a cold front or deciding when to overhaul the engine. Yet no subject I know seems to trigger more […]

It was Saturday afternoon at the local flight school and, as I tried to snooze in a lounge chair near the back of the room, I overheared a CFI begin his student’s Aviation as a Foreign Language training:”No,” he said, “it is pronounced ‘eh-luh-ron’ not ‘air-loin.’ “His student tried to repeat after him but still […]

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs Hands down, our latest “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to Columbia Air Services at Southern Vermont Regional Airport (KRUT) in Rutland, Vermont. The Cessna Pilots Society recently held their annual gathering in Rutland, and praise for the FBO has been pouring in to AVweb ever since […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, Aug. 2007. Unless you’re someone like Sean Tucker or Patty Wagstaff, or one of the Blue Angels, you probably spend most of your time in the left seat of an airplane flying it straight and level. I know I do, since I’m usually going somewhere, even if it’s […]

“That’s by far the best Flight Review I’ve ever had.” That’s among the greatest praise a flight instructor can receive. It was even more meaningful given the man who said it has actively flown for decades, and has seen his share of required, recurrent training. I don’t quote his comment to boast; instead, I repeat […]

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb‘s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to Aeroflight xecutive Services at BFI in Seattle, Washington. AVweb reader Andy Couch explained how Aeroflight delivered that all-important personal touch: As I taxied to the FBO, a lineperson came out to meet me and directed me to a tiedown; […]

This article originally appeared in IFR Refresher, July 2006. Throughout more than 8000 hours and 20 years of flying, I have, like most of us, had numerous opportunities to scare myself and marvel at my own incompetence.Flying — and especially instrument flying — is such a complex endeavor that, given enough time, it’s inevitable that […]

“You moron.”Visiting the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport is usually one of the highlights of my day. That greeting, however, caused me to think that this wasn’t going to be one of those days. I’d stopped by to see who was around and found that the column I had written last month about post-war […]

Nominate an FBO |Rules |Tips |Questions |Winning FBOs AVweb‘s “FBO of the Week” ribbon goes to AAR’s location at Will Rogers World Airport (KOKC) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A couple of weeks ago, AVweb reader Mitch Hargrave found himself in the vicinity of Oklahoma City, checking the local weather reports: I checked the weekend weather, […]

This article originally appeared in Aviation Safety, May 2006. One of the few drawbacks to getting and using the Instrument rating is the regulatory and practical need to maintain currency. If you fly a lot and in all kinds of weather, you may be lucky enough to accumulate the required experience in the allotted time. […]