How can you avoid the stall spin accident? Yaw is as much a culprit in causing these accidents as a stall. We all know that the improper use of rudder is the main cause of yaw. However, there are other causes that every pilot should be aware of. One of the least considered is what [...]

Years ago when I was serving my time with Uncle Sam, a favorite phrase was “there are three ways to do something: the right way, the wrong way, and the Army way.” The more I become involved in flight training, the more I discover this axiom still applies, except now it is “the right way, [...]

The key to any emergency is the Boy Scouts’ motto: Be prepared.
The good multi-engine pilot must be prepared for an engine failure. But what goes into being prepared? And what elements must the pilot consider when faced with an emergency?
TIME
This is an often neglected consideration. Obviously if you are cruising at a reasonably high altitude, [...]

There seems to be ongoing confusion about who can log pilot in command time under the provisions of FAR Part 61. Unfortunately, most of this concern fails to consider the more important definition of pilot in command under FAR 91.3(a), which states very clearly that “the pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible [...]

Recently, a reader asked me to write an article on landing in high and gusty winds, and the time has come to do it. There probably are more ideas, theories and techniques for this than any other operation in flying. I will attempt to explain what I think is the proper technique to get the [...]

As a pilot you have just completed a certification flight test, proficiency training, biennial flight review or evaluation by your favorite flight instructor and have been certified or declared proficient as a pilot.
This process included many maneuvers and operations. Unfortunately, many were done under simulated conditions.
For instance, you may have demonstrated a short field landing [...]