Basic Airmanship – Advanced Pilot Skills Series with Spencer Suderman

In the first episode, Spencer shares some concepts for maintaining positive aircraft control, emphasizing sight picture, and then demonstrates a helpful tip for reducing workload when practicing engine out scenarios.

Video tip: Airman Certification Standards (ACS)

The Airman Certification Standards (ACS) spell out the performance standards that you'll need to meet during your private pilot test. It's important that you take time during your flight training to familiarize yourself with this document and use it to help gauge your progress. This week's tip takes a closer look at a few examples of the specific knowledge, skills, risk management elements and performance metrics found in the Private Pilot ACS.

Video tip: reducing drag in a Citation X and Cirrus SR-22

Airplane manufacturers go to great lengths to design the exterior surfaces to be as aerodynamically clean as possible to maximize performance. This week's tip takes a look at the drag-reducing features found on two of the fastest airplanes in both the jet and piston aviation segments.

Video Tip: Cessna 172 exterior preflight

One of the first things you'll learn as a student pilot is how to perform an aircraft preflight inspection. This week's video tip looks at the step-by-step procedures for the exterior preflight of a Cessna 172.

Video tip: ATC tower communications

Learning to effectively communicate with a control tower often presents a challenge to student pilots, since it requires additional multitasking during an already busy time of flight. One of the best ways to learn is to listen to other pilots on the radio, and this week's tip follows a Cessna 172 pilot as he works with both ground control and the tower to taxi and takeoff from a Class D airport.

Video Tip: Handling Emergencies

During your training, you'll practice a variety of simulated emergencies so that you're prepared in the event the real thing develops in flight. One of the common training scenarios is a simulated engine failure, which will teach you important memory items and how to use the emergency checklist. This week's tip demonstrates best-practices for dealing with this rare situation to help you get safely back on the ground.

Video Tip: Aircraft engine operating tips

Airplane engines are more sensitive than your typical car engine and require extra attention. This week's video tip looks at some tips for basic airplane engine operations to help you get years of trouble-free operation from them.
Aerodynamics AOA

Video tip: What does angle of attack really mean?

You’ve probably heard that “you can stall an airplane at any airspeed and any attitude.” It’s true, but it sure doesn’t make much sense. In our latest video tip of the week, we tackle angle of attack, a critically important but often misunderstood topic. You’ll learn what it really means, how to visualize it in flight and what the new generation of AoA gauges shows.

Video tip: accelerated stalls

Stalls seem pretty straightforward for most pilots, but stalls during a turn can seem quite different. In our latest quick tip, we look at these accelerated stalls. You'll learn why it's called an accelerated stall, how to prevent one, and why load factor is so important.

Video tip: iPads in the cockpit

Paper charts are now a distant memory for many pilots today as digital charts on the iPad have become the preferred method to view aviation data. This week's tip takes a look at the regulations surrounding the use of the iPad in the cockpit and how it should be used along with the traditional methods of preflight planning and navigation during your flight training.