Airspace questions on knowledge tests are missed often, and pilots frequently violate airspace boundaries -- no wonder, the…
Sad stories like this one don’t turn up very often; fortunately for the rest of us, they leave…
The Space Shuttles have tiles that can resist the terrific heat that is generated during re-entry through the…
Our friend Dick has a friend named Dave. Dave flies a high performance biplane called a Christen Eagle...
Our piston airplane engines are extremely reliable -- but fly enough and you may have an engine problem.
Winter can bring some wonderful things: severe clear, super 'low' density altitudes, great tailwinds if you're headed East,…
When one is at a high latitude, it is well known that a magnetic compass is, at best…
How could a student work with his instructor all the way to the Private Pilot checkride simply to…
This is a true story and like most true stories that end up in print, it doesn't read…
You’re four thousand feet above the ground and having the time of your life... when -- without warning…
The runway at an airport has a specific purpose -- to present a surface amenable to consistent takeoff…
An instrument rating may be the best present a pilot can get (after a brand new airplane), but…
Who was the first airline stewardess?
It's not always easy to get into an advanced / well equipped airplane when your experience is minimal,…
After you have made the big decision to pursue flying lessons one of the first items to accomplish…
Amazing things can spill out of pilots' mouths when they manage a particularly skillful response to an event…
We’ve all been warned to watch out whenever our airspeed enters the yellow arc, and we’ve learned to…
When was the first mid-air refueling accomplished?
No more excuses, no more preparation -- it's time to go up...
Despite all our precautions, problems can occur in the cockpit -- typically when you least expect them, and…
What is the highest altitude to which a non-rocket powered aircraft could ascend?
“I’m on a mission,” wrote an iPilot reader, ”there’s a huge problem lurking on the general aviation horizon...'
With the Sport Pilot proposal right around the corner, a lot of people are anxious to see what…
Type clubs are organizations for owners, pilots and enthusiasts of specific makes and models of airplanes -- today,…
If they're so wonderful, you may be wondering, why don't more people fly the things?
There is a considerable gap between the creativity of people who fly airplanes and the limits set by…
Every now and then a Student Pilot gets lost and never tells their Flight Instructor about it...
Officially, FAR stands for...
When I was a kid I'd wake up from dreams of skimming treetops -- sans aircraft -- often…
Oil leaks and airplanes seem to go together like butter and potatoes, but not all oil leaks are…
A 'first flight' experience can make or break a passenger -- or even a pilot -- for life.
To become a Private Pilot you must have a total of 40 flight hours: 20 with an instructor…
Where will you hear the call signs 'Cactus', 'Tsunami', or 'Cowboy' on ATC frequencies?
People with disabilities must face many barriers in their lives, but learning to fly an airplane isn't necessarily…
The Skyhawk's directional gyro died during vectors for the Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach -- while I was…
If you're a fan of these stories, yes, Dick did it again...
I can still remember the awestruck feeling as I stepped back, mesmerized, away from the whirring Cuisinart that…
Who and what are the Quiet Birdmen?
What was the first aircraft able to break the sound barrier while in level flight?
These days, we've all been boning up on interception procedures, and we've been getting our NOTAMs and checking…
There are two things that are given in aviation: First, the cost to fly will go up each…
When can a simulator replace an airplane and is simulator time logged the same way as flight time?
Boy, it’s been a long time since I’ve done THAT! It feels good to know I still can.
WAAS: No, it's not a name from the Netherlands; it's an acronym -- it stands for Wide Area…
Last week we looked at some 'shared expense' situations involving Private Pilots.
If you think about how the various temporary flight restrictions and outright groundings have affected your ability to…
It’s expensive, it’s dangerous, it takes a lot of time to learn, and even more to stay current…
Two pairs of aircraft are in formation flight. One pair is 10,000 feet, and the other pair is…