Who has the right-of-way when several planes are approaching a runway. And should you give priority to another pilot just because they ask for it?
Questions from the Cockpit: Should there be a biennial driving review?
My mother, a student pilot, asked: What do you think of requiring drivers to get a biennial driving review?
Human Factors: A distant fallout
After a two-year investigation by the NTSB, investigators still don’t really know what caused a July 2021 crash in Alaska that killed two pilots. Still, is there anything we can learn from this crash?
Questions from the Cockpit: Burning off the fog
Denise, working on her private ticket in California, writes: Help me out! I’m getting ready to take my written, and I keep mixing up my fog types. Is there any clever way to sort them out?
Human Factors: Sometimes it’s the little things
Post-maintenance is the time to preflight like your life depends on it — because it does as shown in this accident where a veteran pilot is killed in a crash when the trim tabs on his Piper PA-31 are installed incorrectly after the plane’s annual.
Questions from the Cockpit: Buckle up, baby!
Gracie, a private pilot in Montana, writes: I took a flight with a fellow pilot the other day, and he took the time to give me the flight attendant speech. It got me wondering, why the stupid seat belt speech? I mean, I know it’s the law, but — really? — who doesn’t know how to unbuckle a seat belt?
Human Factors: Not your average VFR into IMC
A mother and son die in a tragic accident caused by VFR into IMC. The NTSB investigation reveal he’s a student pilot facing pressure to complete the flight to see his father in the hospital. What can we learn from this accident?
A new flock descends on Redbird Migration
The 12th annual Redbird Migration flight training conference was cutting edge, with new content throughout, including a new conference track for an emerging segment of the flight training industry: K-12 educators in STEM and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
Questions from the Cockpit: What’s so mean about mean sea level?
Cassandra, working on her Sport Pilot ticket on the Florida coast, writes: I’ve just started my flight training, and have learned about the two different ways that altitude is expressed: AGL and MSL. Above Ground Level is self-explanatory, but I’m having a harder time wrapping my head around Mean Sea Level. I mean, I get that it’s the altitude above sea level, but what’s the “mean” all about?