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.
Sporty’s Pilot’s Discretion Podcast has new episodes available with guests that include Bruce Williams on flight sims as well as EAA Chairman Jack Pelton, discussing EAA AirVenture and the experimental aircraft boom. The informative and entertaining format features wide-ranging questions with one intriguing guest.
Communication is key to the examiner understanding your thought process and decision making. Checkrides have plenty of emotion and pressure that will hopefully allow you to excel. Don’t bring unnecessary pressure or emotion to the flight by overreaching or trying to do too much. Fly like you’ve trained and be the PIC.
If we didn’t have access to the variety of visual IFR procedures or the option for VFR flight, the system would quite simply be overwhelmed. Where the breakdowns and inefficiencies occur, can often be attributed to a lack of awareness on the part of pilots or failure to take advantage of our options for combining IFR and VFR flight.
Departure procedures are designed primarily to provide obstacle clearance and should be used when published. These procedures come in two varieties: Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODPs) and Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs).
Maximum holding speeds in knots indicated airspeed (KIAS) have been designated for specific altitude ranges. Often pilots can avoid flying a holding pattern or reduce the length of time spent in the holding pattern, by slowing down on the way to the holding fix.
Takeoff power should be applied smoothly while holding the brakes until the maximum obtainable engine power. Once the brakes are released, adjust the airplane’s pitch to attain minimum drag and maximum acceleration. As we reach the recommended roation speed, apply back-elevator pressure until reaching the appropriate Vx attitude.
“Are You Fit for Flight?” discusses the importance of checking in with yourself before each flight to make sure you are nourished, hydrated, rested, and emotionally fit to fly.
Pilots can play an active role in shaping the future of weather products provided by the FAA by participating in this weather survey.
A box around the airport name indicates an airport for which a special air traffic rule has been established.
Soft field techniques can be deployed for landing areas that have soft or rough surfaces such as grass, snow, or even gravel. The objective when landing on these types of surfaces is to touch down as smoothly as possible and at the slowest possible landing speed – minimum controllable airspeed as opposed to a full […]
