Sentry

Flying in a new direction – the case for technology in the cockpit

Technology is taking over our airplane cockpit these days, from portable GPS and weather receivers to sophisticated glass cockpit instrumentation. This can provide challenges to student pilots, who need to balance learning the fundamentals of navigation and situational awareness while still taking advantage of the latest advancements in digital mapping and datalink weather.

Friday photo: Ngierot Edwards-Smith solo flight

The moment: Practice area solo The pilot: Ngierot Edwards-Smith The…

Webinar video: aviation weather fundamentals and strategy

Every pilot must understand weather fundamentals and possess a healthy curiosity of the unknown. In addition to weather theory, never has there been more weather information more readily available to pilots. Broadcast Meteorologist Scott Dimmich and CFI Bret Koebbe goe beyond the basics of weather theory to help you make sound weather decisions.

Video: first airplane out of Oshkosh

Flying into Oshkosh is a lot of fun, but leaving the world's largest air show is part of the experience too. In this video, ride along with JP (aka @the_candourist) as he hitches a ride with legendary air show announcer Rob Reider in an RV-7A with a glass cockpit. There's no better way to get to know a pilot than to go flying with them!

Video tip: takeoffs and landings on grass runways

Taking off and landing on a grass strip requires a modified technique to account for the soft runway surface. You'll typically start practicing these maneuvers after solo, which will also help to improve your technique for normal takeoffs and landings.

Don’t be a fair weather flyer

Any pilot with an available airplane can’t pass up a severe…

Friday photo: back to instructing…MEI checkride

The moment: Multiengine instructor (MEI) checkride The pilot:…

Free webinar: Weather Fundamentals and Strategy with Meteorologist Scott Dimmich

Thursday, July 18 - 8pm ET Flying and weather are inseparable.…

Video: when ATC doesn’t go according to plan

Most of the time, Air Traffic Control works like a well-oiled machine, with ground control moving airplanes to the runway and tower keeping the runways safe. But sometimes, due to traffic or weather, things don't go according to plan at busy airports. In this amusing collection of ATC conversations, listen to airline pilots and controllers go off-script for some unique requests. It's a great reminder that behind every callsign there's a human being.

My scariest moment in an airplane was when…

I narrowly escaped a midair collision. However you may choose to define “luck,” credit this phenomenon with another save because, by the time we saw the other airplane, it was too late for our climbing turn to have prevented an impact if it were meant to be. And by virtue of the other airplane never having taken evasive action, I’m confident they never saw us.