Over the course of my career as a flight instructor and aviation advocate, I can’t even count the number of people who have expressed a desire to become a pilot. Flying is cool. Undeniably so. It’s a sexy job. Being a pilot carries an element of panache that many seek, but only a few attain.
Opinion
Human Factors: An unhealthy tango for two
We have a less than ideal airport layout with intersecting runways, view-limiting terrain, and published data ignored by the locals. Why, yes, that does seem like a good recipe for an accident, doesn’t it?
Ask Paul: Question stumps IA — and our expert
I have an interesting problem with my Piper PA28-235 with a Lycoming O-540 B4B5 engine that has my IA stumped.
75 years of the T-28
Three-quarters of a century ago, in September 1949, the North American Aviation XT-28 chugged into the sky, launching a production run of nearly 1,950 of the big single-engine, tricycle-gear trainers that became air show favorites after their military careers were over.
On the intersection of time and decision-making
Pilots are cool. They’re dashing. They’re commonly thought of as adventure seekers. Smarter than the average Jane or Joe on the street. And yet, they are human beings that must by dint of nature go the way of all human beings in the end.
A flight review five years in the making
Regardless of what life throws at me tomorrow, today I’m current.
Questions from the Cockpit: U know it now
Elijia, a student pilot in Florida, writes: I’m confused about how private airports are shown on sectional charts. Most of them just show a circle with the letter R inside — why not the more logical P for private? And others have the more standard symbol, but then after the name of the airport it says (Pvt).
Human Factors: Fuel factors
At the accident site, an Amazon warehouse parking lot in Akron, Ohio, investigators found no fuel in the 1973 Cessna 172M’s tanks, lines, or carburetor bowl — and only trace amounts in the fuel filter.
Plant a seed
I planted a seed, nurtured it for a time with intention and care, then let it grow at its own pace, in its own way. Anyone could do that. In the garden, or at the airport, or with students from your local high school or college.