I have never met anyone who started learning a new skill with the goal of being mediocre. Usually, when people learn new skills, they are “all in.” That is, they want to learn anything and everything about their newfound skill.   Aviation is no different. People have been getting the

Did you know that piston aircraft engines are only able to convert approximately one-third of the fuel’s energy into useful power? You can think of heat as being the wasted energy of an inefficient engine. If an engine were using 100 percent of the energy contained in the fuel

Fall is my favorite time of the year. From the leaves changing color to the crispness in the air, fall provides wonderful opportunities for those who want to take advantage of all that autumn has to offer. For pilots, it is an amazing opportunity to catch a glimpse of

By  Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot We have all seen “that pilot.” You know the one. The one who has so many different portable electronics in the airplane that they need ten portable charging units and two dozen batteries. The weight of the three tablets, two portable GPS units,

Just about every pilot can remember their first solo cross-country flight. All of the hard work paid off, and they were finally able (and allowed) to fly somewhere alone. From that time, for most pilots, planning cross-country flights becomes rather straightforward. You select a destination, plot a course, and

By Dr. Mike Bliss I believe in the saying, “Experience is the best teacher.” So did my primary instructor who taught me many years ago. One example of his belief in the value of experience comes to mind. He called me at work one day and said that I

By Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot We get it. You are a successful professional and don’t have the time to finish getting your pilot certificate. If you are like the several thousand other students we have, you probably work late during the week and spend your weekends either working

By Andrew Henley I have been passionate about aviation longer than I have been a licensed pilot. Like most people, my passion started when I was a kid. I was fortunate enough to have an uncle that owned a charter company and he had access to an entire fleet

The average age of someone starting flight training is 31. For private pilots, it’s 48. That means the average person in the initial flight training process is probably quite removed from taking standardized written assessments but is very accustomed to practical and real-world evaluations. So, most flight training candidates

By Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot The dictionary actually has a definition for “back-to-basics,” which is “stressing simplicity and adherence to fundamental principles.” Perhaps the most significant and important word in this definition is “simplicity.” As airplanes become more technically advanced and support items such as tablets and phones

By Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot On June 27, 2018, the Government Printing Office distributed “Federal Register Vol. 83, No. 124”. The first item to be presented in this edition is titled: “Regulatory Relief: Aviation Training Devices; Pilot Certification, Training and Pilot Schools; and Other Provisions.” For this article,