Pilot Skills

Hone your pilot skills with the articles and advice below. Our sport-pilot articles cover topics of interest to novice and advanced general aviation pilots. Trust our ongoing training articles to improve your piloting skills.

Staying Centered

If you’re a pilot, there’s more to staying centered than transcendental meditation

It was 1984, and I was ferrying one of the last of the Cessna 207s to South America. It was a midsummer afternoon in South Texas, and the mushroom cumuli were climbing high into the stratosphere all along the border and south toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Flying The Corridors

VFR flight corridors serve a useful purpose in congested and some not-so-congested airspace

VFR corridors have served an important function in U.S. airspace since the creation of the old TCAs (Terminal Control Areas) and TRSAs (Terminal Radar Service Areas), now less telegraphically renamed Class B and Class C airspace, respectively.

Formation Flying! Part II

The cognitive challenges of flying lead

Formation flying is a dangerous and, for me, compellingly beautiful and engaging experience.

Lowest To Highest

From below sea level to a Colorado high in a light jet

I spent over a year making the transition from piloting a TBM 700 turboprop to becoming a jet pilot; a process that has taken me through an ATP rating, two type ratings, a lot of simulator time, a jet trip to Paris, a bit of mentoring, one or two scary moments, some frustration and piles of cash

You Spin Me Round!

Tutima Academy of Aviation Safety takes the unusual out of unusual attitudes

When I was a student pilot and my instructor would send me on solo flights to practice maneuvers, stalls were always last on my list.

10 Signs Of A Great Pilot

Observations from around the patch

All of us have spent considerable time observing our fellow aviators’ takeoffs, landings, radio communications, preflight inspections and general behavior at (and away from) the airport.

Formation Flying

The risks and rewards of flying wing

I’ve seen few things in my lifetime as beautiful as looking down on other planes in flight while on the top of a wingover. Multiple airplanes acting as one require a significant amount of discipline, dedication and practice. Even after more than 3,000 hours of flying within 20 feet of other airplanes, I know that this is an extremely risky activity that should never be attempted without considerable ground and flight training.

WAAS

GPS Approaches for Every Airport?

The benefits of transitioning from pilotage to dead reckoning, four course ranges, ADF, VORs, Loran and then to GPS have been nothing short of spectacular.

A New License To Learn

Advanced training leads to more than just proficiency; it can also save lives

A few weeks ago, my friend Ray recounted a scary experience he’d had in his high-performance single while on a trip with his wife and daughter in IMC and at night.

First 500 Feet, Part I: Engine Failure!

What to do when the worst thing happens at the worst moment

Engine failure on takeoff is every pilot’s worst nightmare, but there’s one basic rule that applies to all in-flight emergencies, regardless of the situation: Keep your cool (easier said than done) and fly the airplane. Having said that, the most important aspects of survival can be summed up in two words: mental preparation and training/practice. Okay, that’s four words, but you get the point.