Technique

Flight instructors often note to the student, early in the training cycle, that there are back-up systems in case the primary equipment fails. However, with respect to the single engine purring away on the nose of the aircraft they will often add, “Don’t worry, they hardly ever fail, and if it does, the airplane will […]

As summer arrives and the days get longer, pilots may let their guard down when it comes to weather. Icing and large hail may certainly be less of a factor during the balmy dog days, but the June, 1999 American MD-80 runway excursion and the Delta L-1011 crash in August 1985 are some of the […]

No matter how smooth and enjoyable the flight, your passengers always will remember the landing. Anything other than a single, bounce-free touchdown is ripe for comment and, if your passengers also are pilots, ridicule. While a good landing is a combination of many factors, the last chance you have to affect its outcome is in […]

The pre-flight inspection is something we learn about during our first flight lesson. We poke, prod, uncowl, measure and eyeball various fluids and components while the airplane is still safely on the ramp, all to help decide if it’s safe to fly. Yet, once we take off, we often find we missed something. Hopefully, what […]

Instrument pilots take far more checkrides than their more visually oriented counterparts. In addition to the initial rating check, you occasionally face an instrument competency ride when you are more than six months out of currency. Most times when you add a rating, like a multi-engine ticket, you’ll be expected to show off your gauge […]

Want to start an argument on an online aviation forum or while having a $200 hamburger with your buds? Express an opinion on flap use on landing in a light single. The responses you’ll get are aviation’s form of red states versus blue states. The no-flap or partial-flap crowd points to a number of Owner’s […]

An increasing amount of instrument flying is done using technologically advanced airplanes and sophisticated avionics. Correct use of automation improves safety immensely by giving pilots the time to monitor systems, gather information, and plan ahead. But researchers have found that as a group we do not use automation effectively. Automation presents additional challenges. Over reliance […]

If none of your experience involves a major international airport, it is incomplete. There are times when flying into a big airport is just more convenient, such as for a business meeting at the airport hotel or to pick up a passenger arriving by airline. With a little planning and study, you can handle even […]

AVweb’s Russ Niles went along with Cirrus demo pilot Ivy McIver as she took a brand new SR22 G5 from the factory in Duluth to Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida. Some typical spring weather patterns made it a challenge. view on YouTube

If there is anything that motivates pilots, it’s passion. Their fire to fly imbues every fiber of their beings. You hear it in their speech and see it in their body language anytime the prospect of flight is about. They have looked down upon the hidden waterfall in the wilderness and the circular rainbow around […]