A Practical Approach to Using an iPad During Flight Training

Many students beginning their training often ask the question…
Air Traffic Control room

Question authority – and ATC

Many new pilots regard Air Traffic Controllers with a mix of respect and fear. So it's only natural that we trust them and want to follow their instructions no matter what. But as Ben Franklin famously said, "It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority."
Kid in airplane

Time to Review

Earlier this week, I was talking to a few students from my Fundamentals…

Non-Towered Airport Ops Briefing

The pending closure of 149 contract control towers as a result…

Keep Learning, Keep Current

All too often I see excited pilots after they've earned their…

You Can Fix Stupid

Comedian Ron White has a famous stand-up routine where he explains…

Top off the airplane fuel tanks? Maybe…

During flight training most pilots get accustomed to filling the fuel tanks all the way up before each flight. As you begin to fly larger airplanes you'll soon learn that topping off the tanks is more the exception than the norm.
scared passenger

Safe isn’t enough–focus on smooth flying

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2 Comments
We all want to be safe pilots--that's emphasized from day one of flight training, and for good reason. But after we've completed our first solo and gained some confidence, it's time to raise the standard beyond just safe flying. What your passengers will judge you on is how smooth you are.
two pilots in cockpit

The value of right seat time

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1 Comment
Most of us will jump at any chance for some left seat time and another entry in the logbook. For better or for worse (mostly for worse I think), we judge pilot ability on total time. But not all your aviation experience shows up in the logbook, and not all your learning takes place in the left seat.

Scenario-Based Training

When I was in high school, I did a project which involved interviewing…