It was with some frustration that I observed my learner Ed attempting to hold a level altitude in a steep turn. He was carving a scalloped path around the horizon while completing his 360-degree circuit. “Ed,” I said, “ya gotta take...
“What the —!” the learner cried out as we rolled out from landing. Ahead of us some 1,000 feet down the runway there was a bald eagle standing on the centerline, scarfing down the carcass of what looked like a large...
When we talk about flying solo, we’re usually speaking of doing so as the only occupant of an aircraft. And when we talk in a capitalized quote of “My First Solo,” we generally mean the first time we were ever aloft...
Assembling flight training providers, industry members, and numerous federal agency representatives, the Flight School Association of North America (FSANA) conducted the 15th annual Flight School Operators Conference in Las Vegas on February 21-22. More than 300 attendees shared best practices, resources,...
When are pilots the most dangerous? This is a topic of discussion at many flight schools and anytime you get a group of seasoned CFIs together. Based on anecdotal evidence, there appear to be a few times in their aviation careers...
There is a honeymoon phase after the check ride. You have that new certificate or rating in your pocket and it is natural to want to relax and do some fun just-for-you flying, like buying $100 hamburgers, make fly-out camping trips,...
Editor’s note: This article first appeared on FLYING. Skyborne Airline Academy is raising the bar—and pay—for its certificated flight instructors (CFIs), it announced this week during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Vero Beach, Florida-based flight school said it is now...
One of the most polarizing discussions among CFI candidates is the topic of lesson plans. Specifically, should you make your own? Or is it OK to purchase premade lesson plans from a third-party provider? Aeronautical Knowledge for CFIs FAR 61.185 lists...
The flight instructor is the first gatekeeper when it comes to aviation safety. It is incumbent on the CFI to teach and model good habits for mitigating risk—and you can’t do that without understanding where the risk is coming from, and...
Spring is the most fickle season when it comes to weather in the Pacific Northwest. One day it is unseasonably warm, with temps in the 80s, ,and people are wearing short pants and polo shirts. The next day the temperature is...
