By Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot I guess you can say I am a little biased, but who wouldn’t want to work in aviation? Yet most people seem to think that if they aren’t cut out for being a pilot, and they don’t want to be a flight attendant
As children, many of us found ourselves regularly amazed and captivated by the clouds’ ever-changing shapes. I have had a lifelong fascination with clouds, and I could not wait to fly through them when I first began flying. This allure only grew when I opened an airplane window to
I was recently asked what I read to stay updated on the aviation industry. Since I am constantly reading and studying information covering all aspects of our industry, this was a challenging question to answer. I read anything and everything that I can find about our industry because, as
Even in the early days of aviation, the reduction of pilot workload was identified as an important path to increasing safety. As a result, the first autopilot was released in 1912 by the Sperry Corporation, just nine years after the Wright brothers’ first flight. While this 75-pound contraption would
HE WHO SWEATS MORE IN TRAINING BLEEDS LESS IN BATTLE. – GENERAL GEORGE S. PATTON This quote always struck me as the sole justification for training hard. When I started to fly, I realized it was as significant to pilots as to soldiers. You can’t train for everything, but
Luke Byerly – CFI at Scottsdale, AZ (SDL) My favorite part of American Flyers is how friendly and supportive everyone is. No matter the problem, I can always count on someone on the team to help, and if any issues arise, everyone works together to fix the problem. I
Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Taylor Brooks. I am a 22-year-old Southwest Airlines flight attendant and instrument-rated pilot. I currently attend American Flyers out of Conroe. How did you get into flying? I got into the world of aviation because of my family. I am
Staying on course and not giving up on your dreams during flight training is a challenging endeavor that requires determination, passion, and unwavering commitment. As Winston Churchill famously said, “Never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to
LOGAN THRAILKILL JOINED AMERICAN FLYERS IN JULY 2022 as an instructor at our Addison, TX – North location after completing his pilot training and obtaining his certifications from the American Flyers Pompano Beach, Florida location. Originally from Houston, Texas, Logan lived in various parts of the country before kickstarting
TO MAKE CONSISTENTLY GOOD LANDINGS, YOU NEED TO APPLY CONSISTENTLY GOOD PRACTICES. That is easier said than done, especially for less experienced pilots. It’s difficult because there are many variables to address during the landing process, such as airspeed, power, pitch, wind speed and direction, glide path, configuration, runway
A FEW MONTHS AGO, I DECIDED TO BUY A NEW PAIR OF SUNGLASSES. RATHER THAN JUST TRY ON A PAIR AND BUY THEM, I RESEARCHED ALL THE NUMBERS AND ABBREVIATIONS FEATURED ON THE TAGS. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE HIGHLY EDUCATIONAL. HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND SOME INFORMATION I
By Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot Have you ever had that feeling? The one that catches you off guard on a clear day, when the sky seems endless and you watch a hawk soar or a passing plane draw lazy contrails in a sea of blue? When you can’t
Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot An aviation career requires a substantial investment. While some trainees are able to pay for their training with savings, and some can obtain a career loan, there are those for whom the financial burden of flight training stands in the way of their career
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 or with your family. You couldn’t
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
From singles, to twins, to turboprops, and some jets, since 1939, American Flyers has been training pilots in all different makes and models of airplanes. In all of that time, we have learned that the pilot must consider the right airplane for the course that they are considering. Does