Flight Training

Most instructors these days, when pressed to give an ideal number of hours for a new student to solo, will say it’s 10 hours in the airplane. So, all things being equal, can you do that in a week? Sure. Redbird’s “One Week Ready to Solo” campaign, now four days in at Sun ‘n Fun […]

The company that built its business around automating airplanes is now saying it’s time for airline pilots to brush up on their stick and rudder skills. TheWall Street Journal reportsthat Harry Nelson, the former VP of flight testing and now a product safety executive for Airbus, told the 70th annual meeting of the International Federation […]

As a promotional effort for its emerging flight training technology, Redbird Flight Simulations plans to train three zero-time would-be pilots to solo status during the week of Sun ‘n Fun. The candidates will use a combination of Redbird’s motion-based simulators and its diesel-powered Redhawk Cessna 172 conversions flying out of Plant City, just west of […]

Glasair Aviation’s new Merlin LSA had its first flight this week, launching the in-air test phase for the composite light-sport airplane. The flight departed from Arlington, Washington, on Tuesday and lasted for 57 minutes. Following ground tests including engine run-up, high-speed taxi, and ground roll liftoff, test pilot Grant Smith conducted the flight to evaluate […]

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. […]

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 […]

The AOPA Air Safety Institute released a new online course Friday designed to help pilots transition into unfamiliar aircraft. “Transitioning to Other Airplanes” offers factors to consider when moving up or down in airplane size or complexity, or into one with different avionics. The first ten hours of flight in an unfamiliar airplane pose more […]

When I was a little kid riding in my Dad’s Oldsmobile across the plains of Texas at night, we would spot the lights of Amarillo in the distance and two hours later, we’d get there. An exaggeration of course, but it reminds me of covering the electric airplane industry. We’ve reported periodically about this company […]

A pilot can learn a great deal by stripping his or her flying down to its fundamental roots. Flying an aircraft without an electrical system puts you in touch with the basics of flying by altimeter, whiskey compass, pilotage and pure stick-and-rudder skills. On the mechanical side, it’s a chance to commune with the engine […]