Tips for student pilots : Flight Training Central

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Mastering Approach Lighting Systems: Key Insights for IFR Pilots

March 31, 2025

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Approach lighting systems are critical during low ceiling and low visibility conditions when you must decide whether to continue to land or execute a missed approach. If when reaching the minimum descent altitude or decision altitude on the approach and you have the approach lights in sight, you are permitted to descend to 100 feet above the touchdown zone elevation published for the runway.

Redbird’s 2025 Flight Training Survey: Costs and Completion Time Hold Steady

March 28, 2025

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Each year, the Redbird State of Flight Training Survey provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of flight training, and the 2025 report brings some welcome stability. Despite ongoing discussions about the cost and time required to earn a pilot certificate, this year's data shows that both remain largely unchanged from previous years.

How pilots can use Convective Outlook weather charts to avoid thunderstorms

March 26, 2025

The week's tip looks at the Convective Outlook chart, which provides both short and long-term planning guidance for determining the location and intensity of thunderstorm activity.

Flight Maneuver Spotlight: Traffic Pattern Entry Procedures

March 24, 2025

Standard traffic patterns are established at nontowered airports to provide a smooth flow of traffic from the arrival phase of flight through approach and landing. Here are the steps to follow to safely and efficiently join the pattern and get established on the final approach leg for landing.

Engine Failure After Takeoff—What Would You Do?

March 21, 2025

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A pre-takeoff briefing exists to remove hesitation and doubt from split-second emergency decisions after takeoff. The problem is that most real-world departures present several opportunities to go off script. Some of those improvisations could turn an off-field crash into an uneventful runway landing—or a disaster.

How to calculate airplane weight and balance: Pilot video tutorial

March 19, 2025

Take the time to compute the total weight of the airplane and center of gravity (CG) before every flight, based on the number of occupants, baggage and fuel and where each item is positioned in the airplane. This week's tip takes a look at how to compute a typical weight and balance calculation and how to verify the results are within limits.