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 are the big storms, tops at 45,000 feet and spanning 80-100 miles in area. While my fancy airliner has an onboard … [Read more...] about Weather Intelligence
safety
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 approach is begun without first having executed a procedure turn Not necessarily completed with a straight-in … [Read more...] about Straight in Approach vs. Straight in Landing
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 the loads, and I never thought to be concerned. I flew the same airplane for 4 months before I ever decided to … [Read more...] about Weight and Balance
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 Flight Service Station on the phone, or by accessing a number of websites which provide weather data. I cannot stress this … [Read more...] about Weather Brief