When I heard this story, I couldn't believe it. It concerned the owner of a nice Cessna 172,…
Most pilots want two things: to fly fast, and to log as much time as possible -- the…
We all want to save money, and the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) outline the privileges and limitations of…
GPS receivers work because of something navigators have known about for hundreds of years, but what actually goes…
Most of us know what to expect if we were intercepted during the daytime, but what would you…
The regulation that requires recent experience in order to exercise the privileges of an instrument rating mentions the…
You're a fortunate pilot: you own your own airplane, but don't kid yourself, eventually someone is going to…
After a hundred hours, I thought I knew my airplane...
I don't know about you, but most pilots who have never had the opportunity to take off straight…
One of the first passenger jets to enter commercial service was the venerable Boeing 707. What did test…
Since last July, my articles have been about Instrument Flight; the articles are filled with the 'nuts and…
If you want a special N number for your airplane, (even if you don't own one yet or…
It’s too sweet a deal -- your friend says you can fly his/her airplane, but before you jump…
We've all heard that an airfoil develops lift by means of this esoteric thing called Bernoulli's Principle.
Did you ever take a good look at your aircraft’s induction system?
This isn't a story about Dick, but it seems to be about some of his cousins.
'Z' What? IFR pilots already know about those three letter entities that start with a 'Z' (in the…
The Instrument Rating requires more than mastery of instrument procedures and flight skills -- it also requires mastery…
With a little guilt and the same morbid curiosity that prompts viewers to watch footage of the same…
Next to an onboard fire, an electrical power failure in the clouds is the biggest challenge a pilot…
FAA regulations require that you have a Mode C transponder on when flying in all Class A, B…
Keeping your airplane warm and dry has some advantages; let's take a look at your propeller, for example.
America's highest scoring ace during World War II was Richard Bong. Flying the P-38 Lightning in the Pacific,…
Two months ago I could casually jump in an airplane and fly about wherever I wanted...
We have all just lived through a watershed event in our country's history, one that is certain to…
The regulations require that you have a two-way radio communications system in order to fly IFR, but radios…
We all have those experiences as pilots that leave us with marks for life.
If you plan to fly with very young children, you need to be especially careful to protect her…
The world's first airliner was...
A few months ago, I was walking down the flight line, and I noticed that one of my…
Every once in awhile, we make mistakes -- then again, every so often we get treated to the…
A plane slices through thickening fog, the pilot straining to find his destination ahead; another drones over an…
A pilot flying through the clouds on an instrument approach can break out below the clouds and see…
Under what circumstances could a glider actually glide to the visual horizon, without the benefit of a tailwind?
We make landings (hopefully) after every takeoff -- it's a reasonably simple process, once you learn how to…
The night before, Flight Service reported a morning forecast with a 900-foot ceiling, visibility at two miles in…
You can fly an instrument approach through the clouds perfectly; you can break out from under a cloud…
Ever wonder about those flight strips that controllers use?
Night, as defined in CFR14, FAR Part 1, is the time between the end of evening civil twilight…
In our last story about Dick, we found him 'fast-taxiing' (read: flying) down the runway, to his taxiway.
Like most other instrument pilots and instrument students in General Aviation, I must fly instrument approaches with precision...…
Your choice of instructor determines the time it takes to meet your goal -- therefore, how much money…
Your flight has ended -- but not the way you had so meticulously planned.
What is a MOCA, and what is it for?
Our country was defiled, our way of life was visibly threatened, and our citizens were traumatized by an…
Far down on the list of national priorities, but still part of the collateral damage of the 9/11/01…
At the conclusion of any IFR flight, the pilot must determine how to transition from the enroute phase…
Is there a reason why you should ever shut off your aircraft's DME if you're not using it?