Backcountry Pilot‘s Zane Jacobsen readily admits the inspiration for his latest 1 Minute Film: “In the grip of the wet El Nino winter, dredging up nearly 3-year-old footage from a warmer season can help the seasonal-affective disorder. How about a gaggle of CubCrafters Carbon Cubs playing on some river bars that are currently under several feet […]
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Tip: Addicted to ADS-B
Dan Torres from Baldwin, N.Y., notes that he’s been equipped with ADS-B for almost two years now and admits he’s now “addicted.” I have a Garmin 430W and a Garmin GDL-88. I decided on the GDL 88 about eight months after I had the 430W installed. The cost for the GDL-88 at the time was about […]
Tip: Check that tire pressure
George Gould, an A&P/IA at Scholes Field in Galveston, Texas, noted that the most overlooked preflight item is a tire pressure check. “I tow disabled aircraft every month because of flat tires caused by tire failure from low pressure,” he said. “The tubes chafe and get a leak. Students, instructors, and ATPs all have this problem. Some don’t know […]
Tip: Staying current at 85
Lee Beery from Kelseyville, Calif., sent in this tip: I have a very simple way to stay current that will work for everyone. I have printed on strips of light cardboard “flight tasks” we have all had to do at one time to become licensed pilots. Because I like aerobatics, I have a few of […]
Tips: CFI weighs in on everything from chair flying to motivating students
Jeff Mallory of Rosamond, Calif., recently answered our call for student tips, noting, “Having been a CFI and corporate trainer for eight years, I’ve noticed that most student issues boil down to a few main areas that can be addressed in a straight-forward way. That being said, it’s easier to write these tips than it is to […]
Video: Super Bowl is a No Drone Zone
The FAA is launching a new public service announcement to let people know the airspace around Levi’s Stadium is a No Drone Zone during the Super Bowl. Temporary Flight Restrictions will prohibit certain aircraft operations, including unmanned aircraft operations, within a 32-mile radius of the stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on game day. The restrictions […]
Tip: Help a rusty pilot start ‘Flying Again’
Chances are high you know a rusty pilot. After all, the population of that particular pilot class hovers around 500,000. But, it’s not enough to simply say, “Go get current.” There’s most likely a backstory to why they stopped. Fortunately, they share the “why” with thousands of others. After all, there are only so many […]
Tip: How a retired airline pilot stays current
Dan Albers of Conroe, Texas, sent in this tip: When I retired from the airlines, my flying went from 70 to 80 hours a month, to maybe 50 to 60 a year. How I work on staying current is each time I fly, I pick a different airport about 20 to 30 minutes flying time from my home […]
Tip: Fun flying to stay current
Vicki Danhof, Bozeman, Mont., sent in this pilot tip: I am blessed by flying with my “flying buddy” every Wednesday, barring inclement weather, since 1990. We begin with slow flight, steep turns and impromptu holds. We both are instrument rated, so we continue our “fly day” by the PIC donning a hood and shooting approaches to […]