Cessna 172

Strong crosswinds offer a lesson in risk management

When I was close enough, I tuned the Crossville ASOS.  Winds were from 320 degrees at 18, gusts to 25.  Another example that the only forecast you can believe is the one you see in the windshield.

From the archives: Richard Collins on general aviation safety

If the only accidents in General Aviation were those attributable to the machine itself we would have a safety record equaled by nothing else that moves. Maybe a better answer to “How safe are the flying machines?" would be that they are absolutely 100% safe. The question is: "How safe is the pilot who runs the flying machine?" and that's up to him.
Radar map

Go Or No Go: skirting a low

General aviation worked its magic for the first half of this trip, with your Piper Saratoga delivering you and your spouse to the Bonnaroo music festival in rural Tennessee in just over two hours compared to the six it would have taken to drive. Now can it work on the way home? Departure time is 1900Z—read the weather reports below and let us know if it's a go or a no go for you.

My first solo flights

I must have landed safely, because off I went, solo!  Holy moley, the airplane took off and climbed a lot quicker with only one person on board, all that weight gone.  Also, there was somewhat less yelling in the cockpit.  I went around the pattern and did touch and goes and then went out north of town to the “practice area.” 

Friday photo: Lake Tyrrell in northwestern Victoria, Australia

Capturing photos of this ancient salt lake which has evidence of indigenous occupation over the last 45,000 years. The lake is host to kangaroos, emus, white-faced chats and an inland gullery.

The mishaps that never happened and valuable words of wisdom

This is where overall pilot knowledge and experience comes in and I believe that a lot of that is distilled into words of wisdom that we sometimes take for granted. Not surprisingly,  I have some personal stories that make the case that our short words of wisdom are valuable assets if we use them.

My checkout in the Waco

There was no activity in the front seat and the airport was in sight. It was becoming clear that I would have to land the airplane with no advice or coaching from the front cockpit. Of course I had made a number of landings under supervision but this was a bit tricky.

IFR holding pattern interactive scenarios

Knowledge of holding procedures tends to fade over time since holding procedures are rarely flown. Refresh your holding entry procedure knowledge with these new interactive scenarios from Sporty's.
Upset

My near miss and partial panel recovery

I applied full left stick and pulled back.  I swear I could hear the engine of the other airplane as it passed the belly of mine.  After I realized that we had missed each other, I looked around and could see only black and no horizon.
Cessna stall

How Not to Lose Control: What We Can Learn from Colgan 3407

The captain of Colgan 3407, when faced with an impending stall while IFR at night and relatively close to the ground, pulled against the Stick Pusher, another safety system designed to help a pilot lower the nose in a stall. The stick pusher, in this case, activated three times, and at each successive activation the FDR indicates a stronger and stronger pull by the captain.

Friday photo: early morning over Sedona, AZ

We left in the early morning to avoid high winds and turbulence associated with winter storm Olive.  The shadows that the rock formations made around Sedona created a gorgeous view of the topography and was highlighted by the airport the rests on top of a mesa by Sedona.

Reflections from a backseat glider pilot

Most powered aircraft do not need a lot of rudder these days. Gliders generate a lot of adverse aileron yaw, and you have to fly with your feet as much as you do the stick.
172 on short final

Don’t damage the pilot brand

All of us pilots are functioning as brand ambassadors of the general aviation (GA) business to the public.  We need to strive to make sure everyone sees our brand in a positive light. Straight up accidents are going to be a consistent part of living life and there is probably nothing we can do about some of those, but the avoidable things are what we really can change.
Gray clouds

Surviving my solo cross-country flight in South Korea

When I arrived at the Sea of Japan coastline, was I supposed to turn south, or was it north? Which way had the winds been blowing me? I did not recognize any landmarks on the chart. So, I turned south, flew for 10 or 15 minutes, and still did not find the expected landmarks.

The U.S. Forest Service Beaver Program in Ely, Minnesota

The program’s primary area of responsibility is the 3 million-acre Superior National Forest in northeast Minnesota. Included entirely within the forest is the 1 million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Three separate Prohibited Areas (P-204,  P-205 and P-206) overly the BWCAW and prohibit aircraft from flying below 4,000 feet MSL.
Cirrus in flight

Cirrus and Bonanzas dominated their eras

No two other airplanes dominated their time as the premier personal piston single. And each succeeded by being different in very fundamental ways.

Friday photo: The Las Vegas Strip

This trip was my first flight into North Las Vegas, and it was busy even after the tower had closed.  I was very focused on flying the departure procedure so I hadn't given any thought to where the procedure would take us relative to the city.

Pilots are not smarter, they are just better prepared

Ask any group of pilots to raise their hands if still a student, and you will be surprised at how many hands go up.  The pace of progress for aviation instruments requires pilots to be lifelong students, and they know it. 
Pilot in cockpit with instructor

The truth about learning to fly

As a community, pilots do a pretty good job of getting kids interested in flying. But I think we do ourselves a great disservice when we tell prospective pilots that learning to fly is all fun and excitement. It’s not, and we know it’s not.
Airline pilots

What it means to fly like a pro: 12 habits

Flying like a professional doesn’t mean you get paid to fly, it doesn’t mean you wear epaulets, and it doesn’t mean you burn Jet A. More than anything, it means you understand the responsibility you have as a pilot and you take pride in how you conduct every flight. Here's how to approach flying with a pro's mindset, and 12 habits for safer flying.