Learn to Fly

Articles

PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Flying Unfamiliar Airplanes: Transition Checklist

“The keys are in the airplane. Just fill it up when you get back.”

⏱ 3 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Fly With The Experts

A Piper Arrow pilot lands without extending the landing gear... A jetliner takes the runway, when the crew…

⏱ 3 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Quirky Oil Quick Drains — Things You Should Know

Oil is the lifeblood of your engine and because about half of all general aviation aircraft hold it…

⏱ 2 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Easier, Better Approaches

There's a lot to consider before beginning your single-pilot approach.

⏱ 1 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

A Riveting Preflight

Rivets will tell you how an airplane has been flown and whether or not it is safe to…

⏱ 2 min read
EMERGENCIES

Conquering Takeoff Fatalities

From 1983 to 2000 there were 230 fatal takeoff accidents among pilots within their first 1,000 hours of…

⏱ 2 min read
EMERGENCIES

Firestone, The Concorde and You

Granted, your plane’s no Concorde or SUV, but a bad set of tires will make every effort to…

⏱ 2 min read
EMERGENCIES

FIRE (Part 1): The Big Jets

To an aircraft -- and whatever is inside of it -- fire is a fast-acting cancer.

⏱ 2 min read
EMERGENCIES

FIRE (Part 2) — Small Plane Survival

If you ever encounter fire in the cockpit, rapid and immediately action is required to save your life.

⏱ 2 min read
EMERGENCIES

IMC With No Gyros (Part II) — Staying Alive

Whether you use a pressure or vacuum system, the loss of your pneumatic system in IFR conditions can…

⏱ 3 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Your Mind, Your Ailerons and Your Life

Looking over the flight controls is one of the important tasks that a pilot performs just prior to…

⏱ 2 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Assume the Position … Carefully

At airports with an operating control tower it is vital that we protect ourselves after being given “position…

⏱ 2 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Rod Ends — The Controlling Links

If you take just about any airplane apart at the joints between control surfaces, you will find movable…

⏱ 2 min read
EMERGENCIES

IMC With No Gyros

On November 26, 1999, about 1053 Eastern Standard Time, a Beechcraft S35, N8992M, was destroyed when it impacted…

⏱ 2 min read
EMERGENCIES

Hot Under the Cowl

Life has a way of throwing problems at you when you least expect them, and having an engine…

⏱ 2 min read
EMERGENCIES

Unexpected Events — Door Ajar!

If you have been flying for any length of time, you know that stuff happens – there is…

⏱ 3 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Check the Shimmy Dampner

One of the most neglected pieces of equipment on most planes is the shimmy dampner.

⏱ 2 min read
EMERGENCIES

Why do bad things happen to good pilots?

You know the old saying: “What can go wrong usually will.” But in reality what can go wrong…

⏱ 2 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Top Preflight Tips: 3

One of the easiest and most important things you can do to keep your aircraft healthy is to…

⏱ 2 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Top Preflight Tips: 2

Never assume the fuel you just purchased is “fine”. Lives and millions of dollars have been lost due…

⏱ 1 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Which Altitude?

As VFR pilots, we should first consider the terrain elevation and then the wind when we select an…

⏱ 1 min read
PRE-FLIGHT ARTICLES

Top Preflight Tips: 1

Do not get lazy. If there is a problem with your fuel, there will be a problem for…

⏱ 1 min read