All posts tagged Navigation

When You Should Use the Autopilot

By | July 28, 2009 | Advanced Flying | 4 Comments

Even after flying for the past thirteen years, I still get a kick out of manually steering the airplane around. But I’ve also come to understand that autopilots can be a life-saver. If you’re like me, you probably hate to relinquish the controls to a machine but there are times when you ought to take full advantage of an autopilot. Read more…

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.

How VORs Really Work

By | March 9, 2009 | Flight Training | 12 Comments

Flight instructors across the nation have been involved in a massive coverup scheme surrounding VOR stations. We’ve all been taught to think of VOR stations as a giant compass rose transmitting radio beams in 360 directions. It is common to refer to a VOR as a giant wheel with 360 spokes representing radials. These are all lies.  Read more…