Pilot's Life Blog

JUNE 18, 2025

A power-off 180 is a critical maneuver that simulates an engine failure on final approach, requiring pilots to glide the aircraft and execute a precise 180-degree turn to a safe landing spot. Maintain the proper approach speed to maximize glide distance, typically the best glide speed for your aircraft.

Pilot

Air Facts

MAY 5, 2025

Our NIFA team of pilots would travel to other colleges and compete in sanctioned competition involving precise navigation, pre-flight inspections, accuracy landings, and simulated bomb drops into a barrel from 100 AGL feet using bean bags as bombs. We refueled and resumed our flight, landing in Fairfield without further incident.

VOR

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 2, 2024

Key Takeaways Power-off stalls mimic a stall during the flight’s approach and landing phase. On final approach, it can be the difference between recovering and crashing. The ACS states that recovery should be completed no lower than 1,500 ft AGL for single-engine aircraft and 3,000 ft AGL for multi-engine aircraft.

Descent

CFI Academy

MARCH 28, 2025

Perform at a safe altitude (typically 3,000 feet AGL or higher) to demonstrate safely. Why It Matters: This mimics a common accident scenario where a pilot overshoots the final approach centerline and tries to “force” the turn with rudder, leading to a stall/spin. 65 knots in a Cessna 172).

Aileron

Pilot Institute

MARCH 6, 2025

AGL Above Ground Level AGL is simply a way to tell the basis from which any given height or altitude is measured. Simply put, 400 feet AGL means that the 400 feet is measured from the underlying ground surface above the specific airspace. This is as opposed to other altitude measurements, such as AMSL or above mean sea level.

Pilot

AV Web

DECEMBER 11, 2024

From that perch, you can eyeball the airport and then execute a circling descent to both lose altitude and set up for the approach and landing. But if you have enough altitude, you have the energy and flexibility to plan and execute a traffic pattern that puts you on final approach in a position from which to land. Are You Nuts?

Runway

Flying Magazine

JULY 16, 2025

Our training for the instrument ticket focused on flying by reference to instruments, how to shoot approaches, holds, etc. Your approach speed is an essential precursor to a good landing, even—or, perhaps, especially—for an instrument pilot. Thus, high-energy approaches continue to be the norm for the GA pilot.

Approach

Air Facts

MAY 10, 2024

Danger lurks in circling approaches Air Facts Journal the circling approach maneuver is designed as a last resort, non-precision approach. The very first question that should pop up into our head during a circling approach is “Why are we circling in the first place”? The n ext one is “What are our other options?”

Approach

Flight Training Central

DECEMBER 4, 2023

The approach for the soft-field landing is similar to the normal approach. The final approach speed for a soft field approach and landing should be the same as is used for a short field technique to minimuze float once you enter ground effect. Execute your soft field approach and landing with these steps: 1.

Approach

iPad Pilot News

JUNE 7, 2024

Last year, the app added Traffic on Runway alerts to notify pilots about potential conflicts between aircraft on final approach with another aircraft on the runway. The visual depiction of the wake provides an aid to situational awareness when approaching wake turbulence. It will not trigger again for at least one minute.

Turbulence

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

This is not an instrument procedure, but rather a way to enter the traffic pattern when approaching from the opposite side of the runway. Again, the AFH has some good advice: “if large or turbine aircraft operate at the airport, it is best to remain 2,000 feet AGL so as not to conflict with their traffic pattern.”

Crosswind

Flying Magazine

MAY 16, 2025

For pilots on their way to enjoy the areas coastline, here is a look at the RNAV GPS Runway 12 approach to get in when the weather isnt quite VFR. Subscribe Now Here’s a step-by-step look at the approach to Vero Beach Regional Airport. Subscribe Now Here’s a step-by-step look at the approach to Vero Beach Regional Airport.

Final Approach

Ask Captain Lim

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

If the adjustment required rapid changes or the aircraft was not properly configured for the new approach, the captain could have requested to continue with the initially cleared runway. The crew was not obligated to accept this runway and could have requested an alternative or allowed more time for a stabilized approach.

Pilot

Fear of Landing

APRIL 19, 2024

At approximately 30-40 feet agl, the spinning stopped and the helicopter appeared to stabilize for a brief moment before continuing a nose-low, forward descent into the grass north of Runway 28. There’s a reference to the first check in the docket which does not appear in the final report.

Torque

Chess In the Air

JULY 4, 2022

If we can wait for the threat to pass this is clearly the best approach; especially when the virga is fairly isolated and the clouds are cycling. Rapidly approaching cold fronts (or other fronts, e.g. sea breeze fronts). In certain conditions blowing dust (a “ haboob “) can make an approaching front easily visible.

Wind Shear

Air Facts

APRIL 24, 2024

But, with a frontal system approaching, the conditions were expected to worsen over the hours subsequent to our passing through, including the chance for moderate to severe turbulence. Then, finally, after several of these episodes, and “staying with it,” we achieved short final, with our airport now filling our windshield.

Turbulence

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 19, 2024

This standard procedure spells out how youll approach, enter, and exit the airspace around the airport. Final approach: This is the straight path leading to your landing. Straight-in approaches or improper entry points often cause conflicts with other aircraft already in the pattern. Runway 21 is likely your best option.

Pilot

Professional Pilot

AUGUST 8, 2024

Challenger 604, G-IV Contributing Writer Pilatus PC-12 on approach at ORL. Air traffic control instructions often lead to unstable approaches. The request to make a short approach or maintain a higher-than-normal speed to the final approach fix is the most common reason pilots don’t meet stable approach criteria.

Approach

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

With nothing to lose, at a little over 1,000 feet agl, I started a turn to the left, looking for a place to land. As I approached the river, the plane started to settle faster than it had. As I approached the center of the river and cliff, suddenly I was below the runway, looking up at the cliff. I flew into it, unaware.

Runway

Air Facts

APRIL 29, 2024

Continued along at 6,000’ I advised ATC that the weather was received and requested the RNAV 24 approach. I was soon cleared to descend to 4,000’ and entered IMC during the descent while I located the approach chart to brief. ATC then informed us we were number two for the approach and to maintain 4,000’. RNAV 24 at KCPC.

Descent

Pilot Institute

JUNE 26, 2024

A bad approach results in a bad landing. A go-around is a maneuver performed to abort or reject a landing on the final approach or once the aircraft has already touched down. Top Reasons for Go-Arounds Unstabilized Approach An aircraft must have a stabilized approach before landing. What Is a Go-Around?

Wind Shear

Chess In the Air

JUNE 24, 2022

Approaching Rifle The last six minutes of Shmulik’s flight are plotted on the following map. He only needed a glide ratio of 14:1 to reach the airfield to arrive at a typical pattern altitude of 1,000 ft AGL. At this point he still had an altitude of 8,275 ft MSL, i.e. 2,739 ft AGL. Shmulik was directly south of midfield.

Pilot