Instructors, learner pilots, and DPEs alike will need to brush up on the new Airman Certification Standards (ACS) and a couple of Practical Test Standards (PTS) that went into effect nearly across the board May 31. The two unaffected categories are...
Of all the challenging tasks confronting newcomers to aviation, perhaps the least-appreciated and most difficult to overcome is learning to speak the language of aviation. Our lingua aerial is full of strange new terms unrelated to those of other activities that...
Becoming a pilot can be a daunting dream. How do I start? Where do they teach this stuff? Who is Hobbs? Still, the U.S. is one of the friendliest countries for learning to fly. Knowing which questions to ask is half...
Building an aviation library is a fantastic endeavor for a pilot of any level. In fact, the one thing that all pilots quickly learn is that the education process never really ends in the world of aviation. Therefore, a solid reference...
The FAA has awarded Tecnam full type certification under Part 23 regulations for its P-Mentor trainer, the manufacturer announced. According to Tecnam, the company is now on track to begin deliveries to U.S. flight schools. “The FAA certification of the P-Mentor...
Forty years ago, most new pilots aspired to eventually own a retractable gear airplane. Accordingly, aircraft manufacturers built a plethora of gear-up models, with which transitioning upwardly-mobile buyers could satisfy their urge to go faster, in style. The problem is, those...
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...
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...
Skywings Flight Training has secured a deal for four new Austro Engine jet-fuel powered DA40 NG aircraft from Diamond Aircraft, the school announced at the European Airline Training Symposium (EATS) in Cascais, Portugal. Skywings also purchased a Diamond flight simulator, and...
Piper Aircraft has announced the delivery of Skyborne Airline Academy’s first Pilot 100i, marking a milestone in the long-standing partnership between the aircraft manufacturer and flight school. Skyborne, based in Vero Beach, Florida, signed a multiyear fleet agreement for 11 new...