Last week I decided that a free ebook on how to be a pilot was something I wanted to tackle. I realized that we often lament on the many barriers to becoming a pilot, but we ignore one of the most fundamental challenges – just figuring out how to get started. The ebook, which I…
You’ve lost your engine, now what? What to do in the case of an engine failure? As aviators we know our airplanes are very capable of flying with an engine failure. You will obviously be descending, some airplanes faster than others, but it still flies just fine. What will you do if this fateful day…
Teaching myself aerobatics: Don’t try this at home! Disclaimer: this post is for entertainment only. I do not recommend anyone using the concepts or techniques employed here by the author. Dateline 1992. I was a starving flight instructor flogging my way to a logbook full of flight time in hopes of moving on to the…
Lean times I have been trying to come to grips with proper leaning of my Lycoming IO-360-A1A. It has the stock Bendix injection system and 10:1 pistons so it’s not a standard setup (due to the high compressions pistons). Unlike many of you, I have only recently learned that I should be aggressively leaning on…
Each month I will feature an aviation book that I would recommend you add to your collection. This month I read a really cool book about learning to fly. Titled You Can Fly Now: Your Keys to a Sky Full of Opportunity, by John S. Craparo. This book is a really quick read, but it…
Home Simulation: Part 2 IFR Student / IFR rated by Michael W. Wojcik Getting into the soup. Some of the most enjoyable experiences of using flight simulation at home is when I began working on earning my instrument rating. Most pilots agree this is the most difficult, hence most rewarding when completed. The flight school I…
Home Simulation, when you can’t fly as much as you would like (part 1). by Michael W. Wojcik Like most people, time and budget limit the amount of hours I can normally fly in any given year. For me it’s typically less than a couple dozen. So how can one help their proficiency and stay…
Score one for innovation against the declining pilot population I have to say I am impressed by all the ideas being brought to bear on the “war against the declining pilot population.” Some of the ideas are brand new and some are recycled from the past. A couple of these are pretty clever. Open Airplane provides…
What brought you here? Your journey to General Aviation All of us have a different story of how we came to be involved in general aviation. For some, you are just starting this journey, for others, it has been a life’s quest. Being involved doesn’t mean you have to be a licensed pilot or to…
Spartan Days I was a student at Spartan School of Aeronautics (their new name is Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology) back in 1990. At the time Spartan had a boom of pilots coming through with dreams of airline cockpits in their heads. First, I want to say that Spartan is a great school steeped…