Single pilot IFR is hard, says well-known flight instructor Jason Miller, and the biggest challenge is to stay ahead of the airplane. In this practical video, he offers three tips for managing a flight, from airspeed control to autopilot usage. The goal is for your mind to arrive at the next waypoint before the airplane does.
Nobody likes a bumpy flight, but forecasting turbulence isn’t as easy as forecasting IFR conditions or thunderstorms. In this video tip from Sporty’s Takeoff App, explore common causes of turbulence, plus tips for avoiding the worst rides.
Checking the weather before a flight is a familiar routine for pilots, but it’s not enough to just glance at a few METARs. In this video tip from Sporty’s Takeoff app, you’ll learn why a good weather briefing includes a look at the “big picture.” If you know where the lows are, and where the fronts are moving, you can fit the other details into your own weather hypothesis.
We celebrate the great stick and rudder pilots of aviation history, but in reality, flying is mostly a mental game. Sometimes it can even feel like your mind is working against you in the cockpit. In this month’s video tip, learn about four mental traps that can cause anxiety and even an accident if you’re not careful.
Air Traffic Control is there to help, but for many new pilots, the other side of the radio is a mystery. In this month’s video tip, we go behind the scenes with Air Traffic Control to learn what tools they use, how they see weather on their screens, how transponder codes work, and what services are available for VFR pilots.
Angle of attack is a hot topic in aviation right now, with the FAA promoting new indicators and flight instructors offering courses on how to fly it. But what does this phrase really mean? In this month’s video tip, we explore the essentials of AOA, from the aerodynamics to the avionics.