Every part on a certified airplane must at some point be approved, but that doesn't mean that the…
What famous Warner Brothers cartoon character has been immortalized on an actual instrument approach procedure?
Here are some facts you may already know, a few that you probably didn't, and one or two…
If you ever fly through a fusillade of hail, whether you get to experience an abrupt cacophony of…
True or False: The first prototype airliner actually flew in the 19th century.
Frankly, when I hear all the hubbub about airport security, I have to laugh...
Some airspace symbols on the sectional chart are not defined on the chart's legend; that's not so helpful,…
Of course, military, law enforcement, and some emergency services and medical pilots have already run this gantlet of…
When the only thing keeping you above an unwelcome encounter with unseen terrain below is a single powerplant,…
If you can break the color code you can 'see' a lot more than the airspace on a…
Just because your lightning detector doesn't see it, that doesn't mean that the Level 5 thunderstorm isn't there.
When was the world's first numerical weather forecast made? (meaning the use of iterative techniques and atmospheric modeling)
Class G, or uncontrolled airspace, is down low... most of the time, and not everywhere.
'I love night flying and, in fact, will be making some night flights out of necessity -- however,…
From student pilots on up, we only see them from a distance now and then, but at the…
This is one you don’t hear about every day, and it concerns something that all piston engine pilots…
An airliner is cruising along at FL 350. The captain announces to the passengers that the outside temperature…
You hadn’t eaten much this morning, but suddenly you’re aware that you’re not hungry any more...
Are the avionics in your airplane yours or someone else's?
Airspace regulations and boundaries are hard enough to get straight under normal conditions -- but when the sun…
A recent purchase reminded me that, as much as things change through avionics upgrades and regulations, the spirit…
What is the best way to combat rust in an aircraft engine?
What unlucky pilot was shot down on May 13, 1917, again on March 13, 1918, and yet again…
When VFR aircraft share airspace with IFR aircraft, the pilots must have three miles visibility so they might…
Many of us pilots (and pilots-in-training) are highly motivated, goal-oriented types, always reaching for the next step.
I was talking with an old friend the other day, and he related a story to me that…
Like most student pilots, I tended to fly with the type of casual touch that my primary instructor…
Is it possible to have a controlled airport operating in uncontrolled airspace?
They say the two most dangerous words in aviation are 'Watch this!' I considered that just as I'd…
Barry, friend and student who is working toward his tailwheel endorsement and the 10 hours of flight instruction…
How many times have you heard this story -- a plane comes out of major maintenance and things…
When Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier on October 4, 1947, he had another pilot on his…
There are still a few control towers in the United States that operate like airfield bonfires did 75…
They say altitude is your friend, but once you get above 10,000 feet, the greatest potential danger isn't…
Barry had endured quite a bit of lecture to help prepare him for his tailwheel checkout -- eventually,…
This story is more for owners than renters, but everyone can learn from this...
The growth of hail stones can continue as long as there are updrafts strong enough to keep them…
If you could see clear air turbulence, what would it look like?
Mirages do not exist only in the domain of the parched desert traveler; they can actually influence your…
Well, it's cold, flu, and who-knows-what-hellish-other-kinds-of-sickness weather season again and that means it's time for a quick review…
While conducting a Biennial Flight Review, I once asked a man to get his chart out and point…
What if I told you that there is more to the graveyard spiral than most people realize?
What’s required, and how does one teach mastery of a “conventional gear” airplane? This weekend, I’ll start checking…
Which extreme measures have actually been taken, with regularity, to dispel fog at airports?
Last week we discussed where Class E (controlled airspace) reached the surface, where it met Class G (uncontrolled…
Barry’s grin was so wide I swear I could see it from the back seat of the Bellanca…
It stands to reason that the goofiest stuff that you will ever experience as a pilot will usually…
With tax time looming at the next fiscal waypoint, it might be a good time to mention Section…