Student pilot, recreational pilot, and private pilot operations, other than glider and balloon pilots, require a third-class medical certificate or if operating without a medical certificate compliance with 14 CFR Part 68, referred to as BasicMed. The BasicMed privileges apply to persons exercising student, recreational, and private pilot privileges when acting as pilot in command […]
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a Notice of Change to National Policy regarding use of complex airplanes during Commercial Pilot (Single-Engine Land) or Flight Instructor checkrides. A complex airplane is defined as an airplane with flaps, retractable landing gear, and a constant speed propeller. This change in policy will no longer require the use […]
February 15, 2018 – 8:53 am
The FAA February test cycle resulted in few changes or updates to the FAA Airman Knowledge Tests. The FAA Aviation Exam Board continues to work to align questions within the context of a specific Area of Operation/Task as outlined in the various Airman Certification Standards publications. The goal of this boarding process is to ensure […]
January 4, 2018 – 1:31 pm
The first edition of the FAA Safety Briefing for 2018 is now available and includes some great articles. One in particular that I found to be very informative is “Simple?” written by Susan Parsons. This is a great article that discusses getting back to the basics of piloting in an otherwise complex environment. To read […]
October 5, 2017 – 10:28 am
The FAA October test cycle resulted in very few changes or updates to the FAA Airman Knowledge Tests. The FAA Aviation Exam Board continues to work to align questions within the context of a specific Area of Operation/Task as outlined in the various Airman Certification Standards publications. The goal of this boarding process is to […]
August 14, 2017 – 9:01 am
Today, we’ll take a look at NOTAM’s with an excerpt from Bob Gardner’s textbook The Complete Private Pilot (PPT-12). For all of the regulations pertaining to aviation, check out our annual FAR/AIM series. Information that might affect the safety of a flight, such as a runway closure, Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR), NAVAID outage, lighting system […]
What could be better than taking your significant other on a romantic sunset flight around your local airport? I’ll tell you what, taking your significant other on a romantic sunset flight during an absolutely epic sunset! Sounds awesome right, but just how are you suppose to know when an epic sunset is going to happen? […]
The success of a flight depends largely on thorough preparation. In the course of your training, a pattern of regular preflight actions should be developed to ensure that this is the case. This includes planning the flight, and checking the airplane. These preflight actions must be based on the checks found in the pilot’s operating […]
In Monday’s post we were introduced to the student pilot’s first solo flight. Today, we will take a look a little more in depth to understand exactly what the instructor needs to do to prepare his or her student for solo flight. As a student, this will give you a behind the scenes look at […]
You are able to fly solo when the instructor believes, with some confidence, that you can fly safely with a degree of consistency and you have mastered the presolo maneuvers defined in the regulations. Most important is evidence that you are taking control and responsibility for your own actions—that you are walking on your own […]
