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.

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

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

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

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

By Chris Webb History is full of famous quotes regarding travel, journeys, and destinations. A Chinese proverb once said, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” Ralph Waldo Emerson was quoted with saying “life is a journey, not a destination.” Both quotes have one thing

By Chris Webb Editor’s Note: Ah, the elusive perfect landing. We have all been there, right? Nice stable approach, airspeed and altitude nailed, no wind and we are lined up with the numbers as precisely as can be. 50 feet, 20 feet, 10 feet, the swish. A small gust

By Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot Winter is here and with it comes significant variation in the weather. It is important to note that when we discuss “winter weather” we are not just speaking about it being cold outside. Winter weather encompasses many different topics. For this article, we

Chapter 2 of the “Single Pilot In the IFR Environment” reviews how an IFR clearance is picked up in different situations, such as a controlled field vs an uncontrolled field and what our options are. We also discuss Flight Planning, IFR Currency as well as PIC responsibilities. FLIGHT PLANNING