Dan Vandermeer submits this “simple tip to help keep flight training consistent: I advise student pilots to routinely schedule three lessons ahead. The most common reasons training sessions are cancelled are: The student or CFI has a last minute schedule conflict; The weather is not good; The aircraft has a mechanical/avionics problem. Just a few […]
Feature
Video: Want to go bar hopping?
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 […]
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 […]