All posts in Flying Tips

Flight Planning in the Internet Era

By | June 18, 2009 | Flying Tips | No comments

Familiarizing yourself with a new airport? Put that Airport / Facility Directory away and fire up YouTube! Is that sectional chart a little too ambiguous? Fold that chart up and “fly” the route with Google Earth. See how modern websites are changing the way tech-savvy pilots plan their flights. In his article, Vincent from PlasticPilot.net evaluates several online tools for flight planning and preparation.

A word of caution: As great as many of these resources are, pilots should stick to official sources as the primary means of flight planning.

Fly the Visual Approach, Backed Up by the ILS

By | March 12, 2009 | Flying Tips | 3 Comments

How often do you shoot an instrument approach? Chances are that it is not very often. Most of us have the good sense to stay out of the weather when conditions are marginal. Furthermore, in most parts of the world, the weather is usually conducive to a visual approach. This is good news for VFR pilots, but it can make the instrument rated aviator more than a bit rusty. Read more…

Mental Math: Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit

By | February 28, 2009 | Flying Tips | 10 Comments

As aviators, we are particularly concerned with temperature. We monitor our EGT or ITT, CHT, OAT, TAT, or SAT. Most of the time we deal with this alphabet soup of temperatures in terms of degrees Celsius. Most Americans however, still think in terms of degrees Fahrenheit. We need  a simple method to convert degrees Celsius from the ATIS report to degrees Fahrenheit. Read more…

Stay Sharp: Practice Deadstick Landings

By | February 26, 2009 | Flying Tips | 2 Comments

Proficient pilots regularly vary their landings by alternating between normal, soft field, and short field landings. However, there is one important landing that is commonly overlooked: the deadstick landing. Think back; when was the last time you chopped the power and glided the airplane all the way to the runway? Do you feel proficient enough to stick it in a small bean field should the engine fail on your next flight? If the answer is no, then it may be prudent to practice those emergency procedures. Read more…

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