Weather Intelligence

Weather Intelligence

Next generation weather capabilities are among the best assets available to General Aviation pilots, use them. I’ve been doing a fair amount of flying around the Midwest and South over the last few weeks and run into a lot of thunderstorms along the way. These...

Straight in Approach vs. Straight in Landing

What’s the difference?  You make a straight in approach to a straight in landing, right? No so fast.  While these two terms seem to be nearly identical they actually have a completely different meaning. Straight-In Approach:  An instrument approach wherein final...
En-Route Timing

En-Route Timing

How often do you time your flight? Part of any basic Private Pilot cross-country syllabus involves a detailed flight log including estimated time en-route and estimated time of arrival for each leg. Too often once we pass the check ride and start flying on our own we...
Weight and Balance

Weight and Balance

When was the las time you computed a weight and balance before flying? One of my first jobs as a commercial pilot had me flying a near max gross weight airplane around the countryside on a daily basis.  The person I had taken over for never expressed any concern about...
Weather Brief

Weather Brief

It’s always better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground. Before you even think of going out and cranking the engine for a flight, get a thorough weather brief.  This can be accomplished by calling a...