Keep calm and fly on sign

When all else fails, FTFA!

One of aviation's defining characteristics is its acronyms. FAR, ILS, PTS, WAAS and hundreds more fill our flying conversations, and often confuse new pilots. At the risk of adding to the confusion, I'd like to suggest one more, but it won't be on the Knowledge Test. FTFA, loosely translated to Fly The Freaking Airplane, has come in handy dozens of times over the course of my flying career.

Seven winter weather flying tips

As the season transitions from fall to winter and the temperature…

Fatigue – you may win the battle, but you can’t win the war

I was on the return leg of a two-day trip to Texas last month…

Top 5 mistakes you WILL make during your first 250 hours

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None of us are perfect. I’m probably less perfect than most,…
Pre-flight inspection

The dreaded pre-flight, and how to do it well

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4 Comments
I've never liked the pre-flight inspection. It's like the salad course before a steak dinner--sure, it's good for you, but all it does is prevent you from getting to the good stuff. But if I could give some advice, it would be short and sweet: "Get over it."

The Joy of Soft Fields

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Incorporated into every pilot certificate is the Practical Test…

Flight training and the iPad

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Today, pilots are using tablets to assist with just about every…

Get the most out of the emergency checklist

I recently gave a flight review to an experienced pilot who…
Young Eagle in right seat

After the checkride – making a plan to stay engaged

During flight training, it's natural to focus on the big hurdles: the medical, first solo, knowledge test and checkride. Those are certainly important, and they deserve your attention. But many student pilots get so focused on the training process that they never think about flying after the checkride. That's a mistake.

Managing Emergencies

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As pilots we are taught from early on that managing an emergency…