Video tip: How to use a sectional plotter to plan a cross-country flight

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As you enter the cross-country planning phase of your private pilot training, you'll learn the skills required to plan long-distance trips using a VFR sectional, plotter, E6B flight computer and Navlog. This week's tip takes a look at the first phase of this planning process and shows how to use a plotter and sectional to measure the trip distance and determine the exact direction you'll need to fly.

Silent Threat: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Risks for Pilots

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Cold weather can mean better airplane performance and some beautiful winter sunrises, but it can also mean potential danger from the airplane's exhaust manifold heating system. In the small, unpressurized cabins of general aviation aircraft, any CO that enters the cabin can quickly reach a significant and dangerous concentration.

EAA accepting applications for 2025 scholarship program

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More than $1 million dollars in awards is available through the 2024 EAA Scholarship Program and awarded to those who show the greatest potential to be actively engaged in aviation.

Video tip: How to takeoff and land from a short runway

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An advanced skill you’ll learn during flight training is how to achieve the maximum performance from the airplane by operating from shorter runways.

Quiz: ADS-B Rules and Regulations

The rules for transponder requirements changed in 2020, requiring aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B out transponders in most of the same airspace that previously required a Mode C transponder. Take our latest quiz and test your knowledge of the details of ADS-B rules.

Pilot’s Guide to BasicMed—expansion allows for six passengers in aircraft up to 12,500 pounds

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BasicMed is an alternate way for pilots to fly without holding an FAA medical certificate as long as they meet certain requirements. To fly under BasicMed, pilots must print off a FAA Form 8700-2; BasicMed Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (CMEC) and get your physical exam with a state-licensed physician.

Video tip: engine detonation and pre-ignition

What happens when the spark plugs in your engine aren't working properly? Some pretty bad stuff. In our latest video tip, we explain what detonation and pre-ignition are all about, how they happen, and what you can do to prevent them from happening.
class b airspace guide

Class B Airspace—A Pilot’s Guide

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Class B airspace begins at the surface in the area surrounding the primary airport. As you move further from the primary airport, layers or shelves that start above the surface will be found. The shape of the surface area and layers are tailored to the individual airport and the instrument approach corridors to its runways.

FAA Introduces New Rules for CFIs Effective December 1

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Big changes are coming for certified flight instructors on December 1, 2024. While it's been widely publicized that CFIs will no longer have an expiration date associated with their certificate under the new rules, CFIs are required to maintain recent flight instruction activity or participate in a flight instructor refresher course (FIRC) at least every 24 months. Failure to document and apply for recency will have the same effect as a CFI expiring.

Video tip: what kind of cloud is that?

Clouds are often referred to as "sign posts in the sky", and for good reason since they are one of the best visual indicators of what mother nature has planned for the weather. This week's tip takes a look at the various types of clouds, when and where they form and what kind of flying conditions pilots can expect when flying in and around them.