Tips and technique

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.

Are you sometimes frustrated in your flight training? Does it feel like the more landings or instrument approaches you practice, the worse you get? We’ve...

The winter flying season is here in full force. Here are 6 tips to help get pilots ready for the cold and snowy conditions that accompany the winter months.

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.

When I was in high school, I did a project which involved interviewing military veterans. There were four veterans I interviewed - two who...

There are many ways to calculate airplane weight & balance with an iPad, but the best method we've found yet is with the Aviation...

TAFs are a valuable pre-flight planning tool, and they are created by experts who carefully consider a variety of different models and weather reports. But don’t be seduced by the precision of these forecasts. As you conduct your pre-flight weather briefing, consider the TAF a single data point, and nothing more.

You’re in the third hour of a cross-county flight which will push your landing in to the night hours. Your destination is a first time visit and ATC instructions will require a non-standard pattern to the unfamiliar airport. Or perhaps, arriving at a pilot-controlled airport, the temptation to fly a non-standard arrival is too great due to the lack of activity at this late hour. Sound realistic or something that has happened to you ?

When stressed learning to fly approaches, it is very easy to get behind the airplane.  During my IFR training, it was not uncommon for...

I have often written about how to find the best flight school, or choose the right instructor, or how to handle personality conflicts in...