Staying the path of an eclipse for 74 minutes without the benefit of a magenta line.
Opinion
Good news from California
Oceano County Airport lives to fly another day.
Avoiding self-induced emergencies
While we might like to believe we’re on top of things and fully competent, the truth is well over half of all general aviation accidents are caused by pilot-related issues. Nearly 70%. Which invites the question: Are we really aware of the risks we face?
Questions from the Cockpit: Fake weight
Becky, a student pilot in Florida, writes: I’m fully caffeinated and working my way through Chapter 10 of the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge to get my head around this weight and balance stuff. I just encountered “standard weights.” The good book says that standard weights are “established weights” and “should be used if actual weights are not available.” Then the first thing on the list is gasoline at 6 pounds per gallon. Huh? How can the weight of gas be a mystery? It weighs what it weighs…right?
Someone should do something
For Jim, Scott, and the eight others who stepped up when they heard “someone should do something,” good on ya.
Can you pick a panel for a plane?
Can you look at an instrument panel and tell what airplane it belongs to?
The devil’s advocate
The devil’s advocate in me thinks the better lesson is: “You want to land and takeoff with a headwind whenever possible. However, there will be times when you find you have no choice but to land or takeoff with a tailwind. This is where your PIC judgment comes into play. It’s up to you to decide if you can make that landing or perform that takeoff safely, or whether you need to land somewhere else, or whether you should put off your trip to another day.”
Human Factors: From the frying pan to the fire
What is the takeaway from the Red Bull Plane Swap debacle? While there are many lessons to be learned, a key one is dealing with external pressures.
More pilots in 2023
13,000+ more student pilot certificates were issued in 2023 compared to 2022. That’s a 24% increase.