Illustration by Barry Ross
Proficiency
Improving or maintaining your flying skills is a goal every pilot should have with each flight. Here are expert opinions on how to apply performance standards to your everyday flying.
Communicate Like a Pro Pilot
In addition to being first through the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager was the originator of that low-key distinctive West …
Pilot Experiences A Blowout Over Booneville
It was a beautiful VFR Thanksgiving Day, and I was en route from Russellville, Arkansas, to McAlester, Oklahoma, in my …
Practice For Inflight Emergencies Like A Pro
Just remember, Preflight Practice Prevents Poor Performance …
Lessons Learned About Flying (and about life): About Alaska
As the Cessna Amphibian I’m flying emerges from the ragged overcast into the fading light of a cool September …
The Art of the Start
Every flight begins with an engine start. Without running engines, airplanes are simply inert objects of beauty, filled with potential …
Airline-Style Checklist Flows For Private Pilots
The way the pros often do it is to let the airplane do the organizing …
How To File A Flight Plan
Filing the flight plan remains a simple process, despite the FAA’s latest best efforts to complicate it. If you …
Is There a Place for VFR Flight Plans
Even if you have all the bells and whistles, filing an old-fashioned flight plan still makes a lot of …
Lessons Learned: Taking Off On Glare Ice With A Crosswind
A clever plan to deal with the ice led to an unexpected, sticky situation …
How To Fly Circle-To-Land Approaches More Safely
A stabilized approach is, without a doubt, more likely to result in a safe landing than one that becomes unstabilized …
