Crew Coordination Briefing and Safety
Posted: 4/30/2014
This article is intended for those of you who fly with a family member or friend or flying buddy. The idea of crew coordination is not limited to airlines or military flying as it can lend to the safety of your flights by using the other person to back you up.
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Posted in: Hangar Talk
It's the Little Things or Good Habits
Posted: 2/5/2014
Good habit patterns when flying may or may not affect the outcome of the flight. If I use good habits, I will safely fly my aircraft and likely land safely and be able to use the aircraft again. Where do we learn these good habits?
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Posted in: Hangar Talk
Get My Drift?
Posted: 11/14/2013
When landing, not only is it hard enough to flare at the right altitude to land on the main wheels (tricycle gear) or all 3 wheels (tailwheel aircraft), but we also have to cancel out that pesky drift as well. Yes, some aircraft have built in cross wind landing gears such as the B-52 bomber and the Cessna 195, but the aircraft you fly most likely does not have this luxury. So, you must stop the drift that results from crosswinds when you land!
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Posted in: Flight Training
You Have Your Private Pilot Certificate: Now What?
Posted: 9/12/2013
You have spent countless hours studying, have been in training for probably months, and have committed a large amount of your time and resources to completing your goal of becoming a pilot. So, now that you have your Private Pilot Certificate, what do you do next?
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Posted in: Hangar Talk
Being In Control
Posted: 6/27/2013
Today, televised sports events include the use of the instant replay in which the action is replayed in slow motion. This gives the viewer time to see those actions that would otherwise be missed when seen at full speed. We sit in our easy chairs thinking that it's so easy to see all the mistakes and remarkable moves made by the players, but not so easy to do. Flying an aircraft under instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) is no easy task either requiring max attention to keeping the aircraft upright, on the proper course, and in control
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Posted in: Flight Training
Use Your Senses to Improve Your Landings
Posted: 6/4/2013
I've read many articles that explain how to improve landings and I note that they tell us it is important to fly stabilized approaches, controlling the airspeed on final, flaring at the correct altitude, and landing on the man wheels in a tricycle aircraft. Although this is good advice, the articles leave out things that I think are difficult to convey which should improve our landings.
So, what is missing? Have any of the articles you’ve read discuss how approaches and landings feel, sound, look, and smell? OK, smelling a landing may not always be a good clue to a good landing, but in a few airplanes I have noted particular "smells" that helped me know that I'm landing at the proper speed.
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Posted in: Flight Training
Aviation Accreditation Board International Pilot Shortage Study
Posted: 5/8/2013
The United States airline industry is estimated to contribute $1.3 trillion to the national economy, 5.2% to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and around 376,000 jobs to the nation's workforce (FAA, August 2011). The industry faces many dynamic and well documented challenges, including high fuel prices, occasionally contemptuous labor disputes, and sensitivity to general economic conditions. While these issues may be well known, obtaining adequate staffing levels amongst employee groups has been the source of both historical and recent speculation. Specifically, the availability of properly trained and qualified pilots has garnered recent interest.
Will the United States airline industry have enough qualified pilots to appropriately staff its aircraft? Several recent forecast efforts have attempted to quantify both the future pilot demand as well as training capacity. When taken in their totality, every forecast indicates there will be an increased worldwide demand for commercial airline pilots. The purpose of this research initiative is to answer a simple question: will the United States experience a future pilot shortage? - AABI 2013 Report
Inside is a link to the full study.
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Posted in: Aviation News
All I Ever Needed to Know About Spins I Learned by Accident
Posted: 4/8/2013
Not entirely true, but I did have an experience that taught me that I must learn everything about an aircraft a maneuver or task before performing it alone.
It was a nice day in July of 1969 and I was home from college teaching at a local Massachusetts flight school. Our dispatcher told me to check myself out in a new student's Aeronca Chief which looks much like the venerable Piper Cub, high wing and fabric covered. The Chief’s cockpit is designed for the pilot and a single passenger to sit side-by-side instead of tandem as in the Champ and has a control wheel instead of a stick. The aircraft was recently purchased and was deemed airworthy.
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Posted in: Flight Training
Foreign Pilots Who Wish to Obtain a US Pilot Certificate
Posted: 3/19/2013
People who are not United States citizens are allowed to make 1 training flight in the US, but they must have completed the appropriate paperwork and received TSA approval prior to any subsequent flights. This article will help with some oversight into the process.
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Posted in: Flight Training
Emergency Descent
Posted: 2/11/2013
The new Private pilot Practical Test Standards dated June 1, 2012, Area of Operation X, Task A (IX Task A in the Commercial PTS dated June 1, 2012) requires applicants to demonstrate their ability to properly perform the Emergency Descent.
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Posted in: Flight Training
Dangers of Winter Flying
Posted: 1/14/2013
Flying in the winter has a number of dangers that need to be addressed. We are going to list with a brief description the major problems that one is likely to encounter during winter flight operations.
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Posted in: Flight Training
Becoming a Naval Aviator
Posted: 10/26/2012
PilotPlanet's co-founder had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Lt. Chris Napoli of the United States Navy to talk about his process to becoming a naval aviator. This article features that discussion and includes the process that Lt. Napoli went through and the advice that he has for those with aspirations to become a naval aviator.
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Posted in: PilotPlanet News
Ask the Designated Pilot Examiner
Posted: 9/18/2012
The team here at PilotPlanet has had the fortune of sitting down with Marc 'Nate' Nathanson (Ret. Lt. Col USAF, CFI, CFII, MEI, Designated Pilot Examiner) and had him answer some of the common questions he comes across as a DPE that beginning student pilots tend to ask about their flight training. Nate's insight and experience as a DPE is invaluable and we thought we'd share some of his knowledge and wisdom with each of you!
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Posted in: Flight Training
Summer Flying Hazards
Posted: 6/20/2012
With summertime here in the United States, the days are longer, the skies seem brighter, and the weather seems to be gentler. Who doesn’t want to go flying on a beautiful, sunny, summer day? Because of this summer has got to be the safest time of year to fly and complete your flight training, right? Well, there are few hazards that pilots need to be aware of that are associated with summer flying. These hazards need to be taken seriously and treated with the respect that they deserve. In this article I’m going to outline and explain some of the most common hazards associated with summer flying in the United States.
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Posted in: Flight Training
Sun N' Fun Pics and Videos
Posted: 4/3/2012
Come check out the photos and videos that PilotPlanet captured showcasing this amazing fly-in and air show event!
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Posted in: Aviation News