[sc:Top-of-Post ] Test Flying: Operational Check Flight (OCF) In related articles we talked about test flying your homebuilt aircraft on its first flight. In this post we’ll discuss flight test of certified aircraft, both from a regulatory and a practical standpoint. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ― Benjamin Franklin The Regulations 91.407…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] Fall Flight: A short video I shot this video back in October during the height of fall foliage season in Ohio. It’s short and not too dramatic, but I thought I would share it now that we are in the throes of winter and the flying up here is scarce. The video was…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] Getting an Instrument Rating: Perspective One of the guys asked about getting his instrument rating recently, so I provided some guidance that I thought I would share with the rest of you. This is not an all-encompassing treatise on getting your instrument ticket, but it does include some things to think about before…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] Airplane Withdrawals Well I haven’t flown the RV since December 1st and it’s really getting to me. I endeavor to fly weekly even in the winter, but the last month and a half have been tough with work, family, and the weather. I can usually detect the onset of withdrawals. It starts with…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] 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,…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] New Spark Plugs In troubleshooting a bad magneto check, I have found at least one thing that certainly needed to be addressed – my spark plugs. After watching a webinar on the subject over at EAA.org – link here, I learned some interested things about spark plug and their health. After a couple…

[sc:Top-of-Post ]   Security Theatre On the heels of glider pilot Robin Fleming being wrongfully incarcerated in South Carolina, I felt compelled to say a few things about the state of security in the US. Here we have a 70-year-old glider pilot who was such a threat to national security that he was cuffed and…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] 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…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] I was conversing with one of our readers over Facebook and the question came up about first flying job after getting your ratings. I built most of my time flight instructing and if you asked pilots in the US, 90% of them did it this way as well. But what alternates are out…

[sc:Top-of-Post ] 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…