If you ask any pilot for flying advice, regardless of their experience, you will most likely get an earful. Some of this advice is based on experience while most is based on hearsay and hangar flying. When we discuss the five rules of thumb for private pilots, we are

By Andrew Henley, Vice President American Flyers 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 that want to take advantage of all that autumn has to offer. For pilots, it is an

By: Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot Every few years, we write an article about what different pilots have or should have in their flight bags. As I looked over some of these past articles, I was amused at how the contents continued to shrink based on technology and new

By: Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot You are 5 years old and sitting in the bleachers at an airshow with your friends or parents. As you look up into the sky, you see the shiny slick airplanes doing amazing tricks in the sky. It doesn’t take long before your

For over 68 years, pilots and aviation enthusiasts have been making the pilgrimage to the EAA Fly-In Convention. First to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then to Rockford, Illinois, and then eventually to its current home of Wittman Field in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. During that one week each year, Wittman Regional Airport becomes

By: Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot Ever imagine what it would be like to hop into your own plane and take off to wherever you wanted? Seems like something that’s only possible for the select few, doesn’t it? The truth is, this reality is closer than you think. If

By: Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot Unlike the flight review, the instrument proficiency check (IPC) is only required if a pilot’s instrument currency lapses; there is no regularly recurring requirement for an IPC. As long as instrument-rated pilots accomplish the approach currency requirements of 14 CFR 61.57, they may

There are few greater feelings than getting to share the joy of flight with a friend or a loved one. It’s our colleagues, co-pilots, and onlookers who make our time in the sky so much more rewarding. So for those who want to give back, these ten gift ideas

By: Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot It is hard to describe to non-pilots the feeling that pilots get while flying. Regardless of what type of flying you do, we all start at the same point. And for most of us, there are certain milestones that we have in common.

By: Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot When you mention aviation to the “nonpilot,” they automatically think of the airlines. This isn’t surprising since that is the only portion of our industry that most people see. It is no different when you discuss “careers in aviation.” Most people automatically think

By Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot At some point during your quest to earn your pilot certificates and ratings, you will most likely, like many other pilots, realize that you need an efficient way to build your hours and experience. Some people fly banners while other fly pipeline patrol

By Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot The majority of a pilot’s flight training is during daytime in VFR conditions. Instructors do this for several obvious reasons, which we aren’t going to discuss in this article. For most students, the excitement comes when they are getting close to doing their