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In a perfect world we’d always fly in blue skies with a tailwind, but unfortunately mother nature is an ever-present force that can deliver inclement weather from time to time. This week’s tip takes a look at a few weather forecast products to help you stay away these conditions, like thunderstorms, turbulence, wind shear, icing and other in-flight weather hazards.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is an integral part of the FAA’s Next Generation Air Traffic Control system, and includes a free datalink weather component. This week’s tip looks at the free in-flight ADS-B weather products available to pilots and the portable equipment needed to receive and display the data.
The moment: early morning arrival The place: Near Jacksonville Executive at Craig (KCRG), Jacksonville, FL The aircraft: Cirrus SR22 The pilot: anonymous The memory: Capturing this early morning sunrise over the Atlantic as I’m headed for a long weekend of R&R along the east coat of Florida reminds me how lucky I am to have invested […]
There are nearly endless opportunities after earning a private pilot certificate to build and advance your stick and rudder skills. Many pilots go on to specialized flight schools to learn new flying techniques, like how to fly aerobatics. Join Patty Wagstaff in this week’s video tip to see how much fun flying inverted can be, as she demonstrates how to fly an aileron roll in a Super Decathlon over the beaches of St. Augustine.
The moment: first night flight of the season The place: Cincinnati Municipal Airport – Lunken Field (KLUK), Cincinnati, OH The aircraft: Cessna 172 The pilot: Nick Keene The memory: One positive outcome of the recent time change and early sunset is more time to enjoy the crisp, calm air and spectacular sights of local night […]
A big part of the go/no-go decision relates to your health and well-being as a pilot. This week’s tip takes a look at various personal factors, including illness, fatigue and the effects that medication and alcohol can have on your decision-making before and during a flight.
According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, “Line up and wait is an air traffic control (ATC) procedure designed to position an aircraft onto the runway for an imminent departure. The ATC instruction ‘LINE UP AND WAIT’ is used to instruct a pilot to taxi onto the departure runway and line up and wait.” In earlier […]
Sadly, daylight saving time comes to an end on Sunday, November 1 as the clocks “fall” back one hour. As daylight wanes in the coming months, please consider these helpful reminders: Definitions of Night Aircraft position lights on = sunset to sunrise Logging night = end of evening civil twilight to the beginning of morning […]
The moment: short final The place: Lake Cumberland Regional Airport (KSME), Somerset, KY The aircraft: Piper Seminole The memory: This fall morning is what you’d describe as “glassy”…not a bump in the sky with unrestricted visibility. Now, no excuses after being on speed and on glideslope short final for runway 5. Want to share […]
I remember planning my first cross country flight. There were sectional charts thrown across the floor, highlighters in the dog’s mouth, crumpled flight plan forms in the corner, my aluminum E6B lodged into the drywall from where I chucked it in frustration…those were the days. Much like we’ve graduated from outhouses to indoor plumbing, we […]
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