Reality TV strikes again — this time with Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Job Interview. In the first episode, which aired Friday, Jan. 29, we followed Ron Vargas to South Africa. Ron’s goal is to become a bush pilot. He’s in South Africa to train with Milne “CC” Pocock, owner of Bush Air. The show isn’t just about flight training. […]
Aviation News
Three receive Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Awards
LINCOLN, NEB. — Joe Huffman, Sr., an FAA Certification Engineer with Duncan Aviation, and Bernard Michael, a former long-time technician with Duncan Aviation, were recently honored as recipients of the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. The Nebraska Aviation Mechanics Seminar committee and the FAA presented them with the awards at a banquet Jan. 29. The […]
Upwind Foundation expands youth flight training
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — The Upwind Foundation has added two new programs: A helicopter scholarship and a youth training initiative. Now in its fourth year, Upwind aims to transform a high school student into a private pilot during the summer between their junior and senior year. The new helicopter scholarship does for helicopters what the […]
Student pilot balloons on landing
The solo student pilot reported that he took off with the intent to remain in the airport traffic pattern in Ramona, Calif., and do touch and go takeoffs and landings. During the landing on the second circuit, the Cessna 172 ballooned during the flare. When he continued to attempt the landing, the plane ballooned a […]
Pictures of the day: Sunset over Mexico
Enrique Sanchez sent in this photos, explaining: “Sunset over Tequesquitengo Lake in the state of Morelos, Mexico. I built this Zenith 601HD seven years ago. Now my dear friend Benjamin Eljure (the gentleman with the glasses) is the proud owner of this beautiful aircraft. He is with Roberto Macias, our friend and very skilled pilot […]
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 […]
Praise for pilots
In the spirit the new year brings, I choose to dedicate this month’s column to the pilots and aviation professionals whose teamwork, communication and training helped set things right after things went very wrong. While this column normally offers its readers a chance to learn from other fliers’ mistakes, on this occasion, I’d like to […]
FAA reauthorization bill proposes privatizing air traffic control
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pennsylvania) and Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-New Jersey) have introduced the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act, legislation that establishes an independent, not-for-profit corporation, outside of the federal government, to modernize and provide air traffic control (ATC) services. The AIRR Act (H.R. 4441), […]
Sporty’s partners with Prevailance Aerospace for flight training
Sporty’s has teamed with Prevailance Aerospace to offer flight training to general aviation pilots looking to hone their skills. Two courses are offered, taught by former military aviators, to address leading causes of general aviation accidents while improving basic airmanship skills. “These are TOPGUN pilots – graduates of the Navy Fighter Weapons School,” says Sporty’s Academy […]