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By Andrew Henley, Vice President Since 1911, March 8th has been marked as a day to recognize women in aviation. Although it’s only October, I felt it was exceptionally important to dedicate this issue of the Pilot’s Digest to the women who have dedicated their lives to the aviation community.
How Do You Know When A Health Scare Affects Your Medical
How Do You Know When A Health Scare Affects Your Medical? “Houston, we have a cold…” On the journey to finding the answer to how to become a commercial pilot, there are many hurdles that some wouldn’t think of. We’re all human beings (demographics show that our vampire readership
American Flyers is thrilled to be celebrating over 80 Years of being the leading school for flight training. “A lot has changed since our founding in 1939, as we have shifted and transitioned with aviation needs, but one thing has remained constant: we continue to provide the American Flyers
By: Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot If you have had the opportunity to take an FAA checkride in the last year or two, you have probably noticed the emphasis placed on scenario-based questions. The new Airmen Certification Standards (ACS) now require that certain tasks, such as operating as PIC,
Although aviation is popular, people rarely talk about the various paths a person can take to achieve the goals of becoming a certificated pilot. There is the Ab Initio academy-style approach, which allows a student with no prior experience in aviation to join a program with a group of
American Flyers has been training and supporting pilots since 1939. Throughout this time, we have trained more instrument pilots than anyone else in the industry. Many years ago, American Flyers condensed this knowledge and experience and published a “how to” guide for instrument pilots. This manual is called “Single
How Flight Simulators Began
By Steven Daun There are countless times in aviation history and the development of a certified flight instructor course when friendship and a handshake formidably changed our industry. In fact, much of what we consider modern-day aviation wouldn’t exist today without these unique “handshakes”. This is a story of
The Logbook
By Chris Webb I’ve seen all sorts of logbooks over the years; big ones, small ones, green ones and orange ones. I’ve heard myths and rumors of what logbooks ought to be. I have seen them with various colors of ink, cross-outs, white-out and even taped in pages. There
By: Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot Weather is usually the weakest subject area that we fund when speaking with pilots. This is regardless of certificate or rating(s) held. The weather seems to be one of those areas that is treated differently than the other topics that we discuss. Why?
The Myth of the Inaccurate Fuel Gauge
By Rick Farmer You don’t need to be in aviation very long, or have completed a certified flight instructor course, to hear the myth that “aircraft fuel gauges are only required to be accurate at empty.” This statement is completely false. I have heard it from pilots, mechanics and
What the Books Don’t Teach
While American Flyers celebrates 75 years of supporting pilots and passing out commercial pilot certificates, I celebrate 50 years of being one… And although I have been dedicated to teaching flying, it has always been interesting to learn from some of my professional pilot friends. “Flying by the book”
By: Captain Richard Hyslop I often get asked what changes I have observed in aviation since my Cessna 140 days in the late 60s. We now fly faster, higher and farther. The yank and bank days have been replaced by flight management systems. The autopilots can fly more accurately and
By: Brad Morrison The best way to learn is to do, and do, and do again. Practice makes perfect are well-known words we all grew up on. And of course, this phrase absolutely applies to flying. I recently ran into an old CFI student of mine from many years ago.
By: Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot There are many different reasons why people become pilots, and likewise, there are many different reasons why pilots become flight instructors. There are few reasons why flight instructors don’t become instrument instructors, however, and that is mainly due to a lack of understanding.
By: Mike Forth Congratulations! You got your PPL (private pilot license). Actually, it’s a certificate, not a license, but that’s a topic for a different discussion. The important thing is you got it! Now you can fly around in almost any single engine aircraft, take passengers and do all
By: Steven Daun, National Chief Pilot The American Flyers that exists today is the result of a combination of two renowned flight schools: Aviation Training Enterprises and American Flyers. Aviation Training Enterprises (ATE) was started by Monty Montgomery which became known as a leader in instrument training for civilian
On October 11, 1990, at a national news conference held at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C., American Flyers announced its funding of a scholarship designed to assist dedicated, female career-oriented pilots. At that time, women represented only 6 percent of America’s certified pilots. Statistics showed that many women
student pilot resources
Pilot’s Digest: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Brystal Duppstadt: I am from Euless, Texas. I graduated from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in May of this year, where I studied mechanical engineering. Apart from flying, I enjoy live music, traveling, hiking and playing the banjo. PD: How did
Dan “His Air-Worthiness” Nodal has been involved in aviation for almost 50 years, 28 with American Flyers. A Vietnam Veteran, Dan joined the United States Air Force in 1970, where he proudly served for six years. I asked Dan, “what do you remember most about your time in the
By: Rick Farmer Every fuel injection system made today requires that a calibrated device be used to accurately deliver a precise amount of fuel to each cylinder at the exact instant fuel is needed for combustion. Automobiles accomplish this by use of computers and modern electronics, but did you know