It was his first airplane trip at age seven that made Eric decide to become a pilot. "While boarding the airplane, a flight attendant noticed my interest in the flight deck and urged me to go talk to the pilot. I give a lot of credit to that pilot for my career choice." Eric earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and went on to an airline career. He learned to fly at Sporty’s as part of the University of Cincinnati’s Professional Pilot Program, an initiative he later directed. Eric now manages Sporty’s media network including FlightTrainingCentral.com. In addition, Eric serves as a Captain in a Cincinnati-based corporate flight department.
We want to have a general understanding of obstructions, terrain, airports, landmarks and any type of airspace restrictions or potential weather hazards located within this band all the way from takeoff to landing. One vital element of contingency planning relates to fuel.
FAA has issued a new version of the Pilots’ Role in Collision Avoidance, AC90-48E, with new and recent examples where pilots have failed in this task. This revision to the AC incorporates additional information regarding pilot actions, procedures, Notices to Air Missions (NOTAM), and aircraft technology to mitigate the risk of a pilot causing or being involved in a ground collision, in-flight collision, or NMAC.
Beginning Monday, April 24, the Private Pilot Airplane test time will be reduced from 150 minutes to 120 minutes (2 hours), and the Commercial Pilot Airplane test time will be reduced from 180 minutes to 150 minutes (2.5 hours).
Amid a number of notable and high visibility runway safety events in the last several months, the FAA has issued a new Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO), Safety Call to Action. Six serious runway incursions have occurred since January 2023, including an incident at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York involving a taxiing […]
An instructor and student received a powerful reminder of the dangers of carburetor ice. Carburetor ice occurs due to the effect of fuel vaporization and the decrease in air pressure which causes a sharp temperature drop.
The secret is out…it is sunny and warm in south Florida. And there are a lot of people from the north who would prefer the south Florida weather in the middle of winter for a dose of vitamin D. This winter reality means busy airports, busy airspace, and long security lines. In other words, pack […]
An Arrival Alert Notice (AAN) helps bring attention to higher risk airports and creates situational awareness for pilots by providing a visual graphic of a wrong-surface landing hot spot at airports with a misalignment history.
Aircraft fall into one of five approach categories (A-E) based on the aircraft’s target final approach speed, or reference speed (Vref). If this speed is not published for the aircraft, then a speed of 1.3 times the stall speed.
Applications are now open for the 2023 Southwest Airlines Scholarship – apply by February 28. This scholarship is open to students across the country with a career interest in the airline industry—whether that interest is in frontline operations, maintenance, corporate roles, or the many roles in between. Applicants must be 24 or younger at the […]
During your instrument training, you routinely fly instrument approach procedures to “minimums” under simulated conditions. The more likely scenario when flying under instrument flight rules (IFR) is the option to complete the flight under visual flight rules (VFR), flying a visual approach procedure, or flying an instrument procedure in which you acquire the runway visually well above the charted “minimums.”
Sign up for our FREE email newsletter. Twice a month our team of flight instructors shares advice and video tips to help you become a safer pilot.