http://www.aviationchatter.com Exercise Your License to Learn Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:38:35 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Just about every pilot's operating handbook and airplane flying manual makes mention of the same property: "The fuselage is of a conventional semi monocoque construction..." And that's the last mention of semi monocoque construction anywhere in the book. I'm willing to bet that your training manuals make little to no ... http://www.aviationchatter.com/2010/01/semi-monocoque-mono-what/ [nggallery id=8] Enjoy these photos of some of the most wonderful cloudscapes I've had the pleasure of witnessing this year. From downright terrifying thunderstorms to surreal pictures evoking a sense of being on the edge of space, this is a snippet of the day-to-day life of a pilot. Yes, there's a ... http://www.aviationchatter.com/2010/01/the-view-from-the-top-cloudscapes/ Red Flag is an air combat mock-war fought between the best pilots from countries all over the world. Now you can watch the IMAX documentary in it's entirety on the web - very cool! http://www.aviationchatter.com/2010/01/streaming-documentary-film-fighter-pilot-operation-red-flag/ This is one question I hear echoed throughout flight schools, internet message boards, and anywhere else student pilots can be found, "how do I pass the private pilot written exam?" Here's the deal: the written exam is a game. Plain and simple. Much like the ACT or SAT, it is ... http://www.aviationchatter.com/2010/01/the-best-way-to-study-for-the-private-pilot-written-exam/ [nggallery id=7] The new Cessna Skycatcher marks Cessna's first foray in to the light sport aircraft (LSA) market, and it's making a big buzz at small airports around the country. Will the Skycatcher replace aging Cessna 150's and 152's at flight schools across the country? Can Cessna compete with other LSA ... http://www.aviationchatter.com/2010/01/photo-friday-the-cessna-162-skycatcher/ The following post is a guest post by Jason Schappert of MzeroA.com. Visit Jason's blog for flight training videos and informative articles. What causes airplanes to overshoot runways, clip wingtips, and miss airports entirely? Two words: Pilot Error. The media is very unforgiving when it comes to televising aircraft mishaps, and ... http://www.aviationchatter.com/2010/01/two-easy-ways-to-prevent-pilot-error/ When performed in a safe and controlled environment, stalls are a blast! But being caught off guard by an inadvertent stall can be a terrifying and dangerous experience. That's why stall training is such an important part of the private pilot syllabus. But students are only trained in the methods ... http://www.aviationchatter.com/2010/01/three-ways-to-avoid-stalling-an-airplane/ [nggallery id=6] "Buzzing the Field" by Jim Ginter. All others by Lexie Rogers at Memphis in May Airshow 2009. http://www.aviationchatter.com/2010/01/aviation-photo-friday-aerobatics-airshows/ Visual descent points are handy tools the FAA has included on many GPS approaches to keep you from flying dangerously unstabilized approaches and to prevent pilots from hitting all sorts of obstacles. But there are a number of approaches that don't have these magic little references. Read on to find ... http://www.aviationchatter.com/2009/12/how-to-calculate-a-visual-descent-point/ All instrument rated pilots are familiar with the term "chop it and drop it." If the runway environment comes into sight just as the missed approach point is reached, the pilot can cut the power, enter a slip and drop it like it's hot - or so the theory goes. ... http://www.aviationchatter.com/2009/12/a-normal-rate-of-descent-using-normal-maneuvers/