BY STEVEN DAUN, NATIONAL CHIEF PILOT Perhaps the most basic question a pilot can ask is: “How do I control an airplane and make it do what I want it to do?” The answer to this question involves a fundamental principle that underlies just about everything a pilot will do, from flying aerobatics to a […]

BY STEVEN DAUN, NATIONAL CHIEF PILOT Webster’s Dictionary defines confidence as: “belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.” If you ask any pilot if they are confident, the vast majority would say yes. Each year, we see many pilots with experience ranging from a day-one Private Pilot student to a 25,000 […]

We are all familiar with the term PIC—Pilot-in-Command. It is the legal term for the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety of flight. It is important to note, however, that there is a difference between being in command and being in control. Being in command means you “ought” […]

By Steven J. Daun, National Chief Pilot 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 became rather straightforward. They selected a destination, plotted […]

Holding patterns while enroute are rare indeed. You’re held for two reasons: traffic or weather. Most spacing now is accomplished through the use of speed reductions and vectors. Occasionally, holds do occur, particularly in a terminal area, so the pilot must be able to comply. What is a holding pattern? Basically, it’s a parking lot […]

By Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot You’ve decided to take a trip for either business or pleasure. You may be using your airplane or one that you’ve rented. Now it’s time to decide on your destination airport. Before the internet, this was a much more challenging task. Information regarding airports was mostly limited to the […]

The air route traffic control center (ARTCC) encompasses the en-route air traffic control system air/ground radio communications that provide safe, expeditious movement of aircraft operating on instrument flight rules (IFR) within the controlled airspace of the center. ARTCCs provide the central authority for issuing IFR clearances and nationwide monitoring of each IFR flight. This applies […]