Haven’t flown in a while and ready to get back into the cockpit, but aren’t sure what to do? Our expert takes you through the steps to get you back into the sky.
Questions from the Cockpit: How do bugs fly?
Almost nobody on the planet truly understands insect aerodynamics — and the few who do can’t explain it to the rest of us. So in that regard, insect aerodynamics are absolutely identical to airplane aerodynamics. Except for the fact that they are, you know, totally different.
Questions from the Cockpit: Rotate what, exactly?
Riley, a CFI candidate’s non-pilot flying companion from Florida, asks: “So what’s rotating when you say ‘rotate’ during takeoff? It seems to me to be more of a pull-back than a spinning motion.”
Questions From the Cockpit: Who needs to be enlightened?
There are a lot of stumbling blocks in the way of accurately turning on Pilot Controlled Lighting, so it may be time for a refresher on lighting up the night.
Questions from the Cockpit: Going to the dogs
Sandra, a private pilot from Arkansas, writes: As I was flying into a small Class-D airport the other day, I heard the controller tell another airplane to fly a “dog-leg” to the runway. What the heck is that? I can’t find it in the Pilot/Controller Glossary.
Questions from the Cockpit: CarFax for airplanes
When a plane is damaged in a crash, there must be a record of it somewhere, right? Not according to a deep dive into the regulations by Questions From The Cockpit columnist William E. Dubois.
Questions from the Cockpit: Can someone give me a lift?
Truth be told, the four-letter word LIFT is a lot more complex than we are taught in flight training. This, perhaps, is what prompted a retired Naval aircraft hydraulic and pneumatic mechanic to write a two-page letter saying that all the current theories of lift are wrong. Having worked professionally with both fluids and air, he felt that outside of closed environments they “do not behave alike.” He advocates that airflow is irrelevant, and it’s all about pressure.
Emasculating aviation
The FAA’s Inclusive Language Summit combined two of our columnist’s favorite things: Aviation and Language. William E Dubois gives us his take on the agency’s initiative to change crucial words in aviation, such as airman and repairman to more gender-neutral terms because language matters.
Questions from the Cockpit: A colorful question
The cost of a quality airplane paint job borders on the astronomical. But, in fairness to the paint shops, that’s because the work involved in doing it right borders on the astronomical. In an effort to save money, can you paint your own airplane? Here’s what the FAA regulations say.