Flying Magazine

MAY 8, 2025

A few months ago, I completed a set of upgrades to my home flight simulator cockpit that I chronicled in FLYING issues 952 and 953 titled Build Your Best Sim (Parts 1 and 2). I shared my primary display with him over Zoom so that he could see exactly what I was doing in my cockpit.

Cockpit

Flying Magazine

MAY 21, 2025

While declaring does not guarantee a way out of a bad situation, it can connect a pilot with more resources such as air traffic control, which because of the nature of the job may have a better grasp of the options available. One accident that comes to mind is the crash of an Air Ambulance King Air 90 in Hawaii in December 2022.

Pilot

Flying Magazine

MAY 13, 2025

I wrote out my expected clearance for the outbound leg, briefed every approach, and walked through all the what-ifs I could imagine. I picked up my clearance, flew the plane, shot the approach, and feltbrieflylike I might just be the worlds newest ace. The cadence of air traffic control (ATC) feels relentless.

Clearance

Air Facts

APRIL 28, 2025

Previously, I had alerted the Atlanta Air Traffic Control facilities that our slow flying airplanes were going to be coming to visit them so they were expecting us, but trying to sequence us into their operation must have caused a lot of clenched jaws and tense moments with Atlanta Approach Control and the Atlanta Hartsfield Tower.

Clearance

Northstar VFR

JULY 6, 2025

For VFR pilots, visibility and cloud clearance are key. K – Known ATC Delays What it is: Published delays or flow restrictions issued by Air Traffic Control. Why it matters: This is more common in controlled or busy airspace, especially near Class B airports or during IFR operations.

NOTAMs

Pilot Institute

JUNE 9, 2025

Traffic Busy airports can only accommodate a certain number of airplanes safely at any one time. The ramp may be busy, or air traffic control may have reached its limit regarding how many airplanes they can safely monitor within their airspace. Preparing the cockpit and cabin. Holding is vital for several reasons.

Airplanes

Aerotime

APRIL 2, 2025

Moreover, the situation was worsened by communication issues between the crew and air traffic control. After discussing the correct frequency with the co-pilot, the captain switched frequencies and successfully reached Vilnius at 03:10:11 local time, receiving clearance to descend.

Cargo

Airspeed Junkie

NOVEMBER 9, 2024

By replacing letters with distinct words like ‘Alpha’ for ‘A’ and ‘Bravo’ for ‘B,’ it ensures clear communication between pilots and air traffic controllers. This clarity is vital not only for pilots and air traffic controllers but also for ground staff, who rely on accurate communication to perform their duties safely.

Air Traffic Control

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 5, 2025

Cockpit Layout and Avionics The cockpit of the Piper Seminole is designed for ease of use and accessibility, with flight instruments arranged for quick scanning. Clear communication with air traffic control (ATC) is essential at this stage to receive landing clearance and avoid conflicts with other aircraft.

Descent

Fear of Landing

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

The controller anticipated a late landing clearance due to this aircraft in front. At night the relationship between airliner and air traffic control changes because less can be seen in the dark, rather like low cloud or fog, but not as serious. We roared briefly into the Heathrow night sky. What could be simpler?

Runway

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 5, 2025

They were descending from cruise altitude to 8,000 feet with a clearance to fly direct to navigation fix TAMMI. Air traffic control, responding to the pilots odd transmission, simplified the clearance, issuing just a heading and an altitude. Among the wreckage pulled up from the depths was a cockpit video recorder.

Clearance

Flying Magazine

JULY 25, 2025

Thankfully, the cockpit is not the only place where pilots can practice. They need to not only understand things like airspace boundaries, cloud clearance requirements, and surface visibility minimums, but must also be able to coordinate their turns, manage their altitudes and headings, and work the radios while putting that knowledge to use.

Cockpit

Fear of Landing

JULY 4, 2025

There was no cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder installed. CCTV footage showed the cockpit lights turn on and then the strobe lights started to flash. The footage showed the helicopter go dark as the strobe lights and the cockpit light were turned off again, again, likely the battery switch turned to off.

Cockpit

Aerotime

JUNE 7, 2024

NTSB releases abstract of final report on 2023 JFK airport runway near-collision: [link] pic.twitter.com/zQnFYLSxBw — NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) June 4, 2024 According to the report, air traffic controllers cleared a Delta Air Lines B-737, with 159 passengers and crew, for takeoff on Runway 4L at JFK in the evening of January 13, 2023.

Air Traffic Control

One Mile at a Time

JULY 20, 2024

Instead, they only increased altitude again after an air traffic controller warned them about a low altitude alert. ATC: “Southwest 425, roger, cancel approach clearance, go around runway 10. First and foremost, the air traffic controller here deserves massive kudos. Tampa’s altimeter is 30.14.”

Air Traffic Control

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

At this point, the pilots will contact ATC for push and start clearance , allowing the plane to be pushed back from its parking position (if applicable, depending on the airport) and to start its engines in sequence. This itself is attached to a thick metal pin, known in the industry as a gear pin or nose gear ground lock.

Cabin Crew

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

Other important measures included agreeing to hire and train up to 3,000 new air traffic controllers; increasing the length of cockpit voice recordings to 25 hours (from two hours); and extending the time frame for airline passengers to redeem travel credits to at least five years.

Air Traffic Control

Ask Captain Lim

AUGUST 18, 2024

The main wreckage, including the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, remains missing. In contrast, the Malaysian Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) recently solved one significant mystery. The cause was a miscommunication between the crew and air traffic control.

Air Traffic Control

Pilot's Life Blog

JULY 10, 2024

Among these tech tools are Air Traffic Controllers who provide ATC clearance as the pilot approaches the landing area. Holding Positions and Their Meanings Another thing to be aware of from the cockpit is the holding positions. Learn Taxiing Alongside Everything That Comes Before and After!

Clearance

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

The two most useful benefits have been ADS-B datalink weather and a real-time traffic display in the cockpit, delivered by the network of ADS-B ground stations in the U.S. Call the controller or a flight service specialist. File one of these routes and you’re almost guaranteed a “cleared as filed” from clearance delivery.

Clearance

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Talking to air traffic control (ATC) while flying IFR is challenging in the beginning, but with time and practice, you can master it! Use the CRAFT acronym to note down departure clearances quickly. You cant rely on visual cues to avoid other traffic – or even navigate accurately. Why Why are you calling?

Approach

Fear of Landing

MAY 30, 2025

The controller cleared the aircraft to 23,000 feet cruising altitude and then, after the pilot read back the clearance, handed the pilot off to another controller at Atlanta Center. The pilot contacted the second controller and advised that the aircraft was maintaining 23,000 feet.

Cockpit

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 6, 2024

CRAFT is a simple way pilots remember their IFR clearance. It helps break down the instructions from air traffic control into clear, easy-to-follow steps. Key Takeaways Use the acronym CRAFT as a helpful guide to break down your IFR clearance. Heres a better way to keep track of your clearances.

Clearance

Pilot Institute

MAY 7, 2025

152 is a helpful shortcut for remembering VFR cloud clearance rules. The 152 part relates to the vertical and horizontal clearance for the cloud. You need 1000 ft of cloud clearance above and below your aircraft. If you tip the E onto its side, it looks like three number 1s, giving you a great clue about the cloud clearance.

Weather

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 19, 2024

Flying at non-towered airports can feel like stepping into a space where youre both the pilot and air traffic controller. youll need to master the basics of situational awareness, traffic patterns, and CTAF communication can make non-towered operations not only manageable but smooth and predictable.

Pilot

Airspeed Junkie

AUGUST 1, 2024

Daily responsibilities include pre-flight checks, weather analysis, creating and filing flight plans, coordination with ground crews and air traffic controllers, and continuous in-flight monitoring and communication. Pilots spend significant time in aircraft cockpits, airport settings, and training facilities.

Pilot

Professional Pilot

APRIL 10, 2024

In reality, FAA has broken its own “sterile cockpit” rule, and unless the mature and experienced voices in the room stand up for reason and the cold, hard rules of aviating, navigating, and communicating, the system will continue its “graveyard spiral” to the inevitable consequences. It’s not a social science laboratory. Andrew Maroney ATP.

Clearance

Photographic Logbook

OCTOBER 10, 2023

When I contacted Rochester Approach, the controller came back with, "Are you looking for your clearance to College Park?" I answered in the affirmative, received my clearance, and was given a climb to 6,000 feet as the rain streaked over my windscreen. My halting readback caught the controller's attention.

Transponder

One Mile at a Time

OCTOBER 8, 2024

The strangest part of that interaction is how the Delta A350 pilot’s defense is that they were taxiing on the centerline, and had been given clearance to go in that direction, as if they did nothing wrong. Right, but when you’re given taxi clearance, that doesn’t mean you can just smash through other planes.

Tail

Aerotime

MARCH 26, 2025

As explained in the subsequent Spanish investigation report, once refueled the KLM flight was told by air traffic control (ATC) to taxi down the main runway to the approach end where it should proceed to backtrack. The KLM crew contacted the control tower, confirming they were ready and waiting for ATC clearance.

Clearance

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 12, 2025

In this definition, the surface designated for the landing and take-off of aircraft refers to the movement area, that part of a towered airport under control by air traffic control (ATC), including runways and taxiways. This deviation could be a vehicle crossing a runway hold marking before receiving ATC clearance.

Runway

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

A pilot deviation happens when you violate an FAA regulation or an instruction from Air Traffic Control (ATC). This could be caused by landing without clearance, straying from an assigned altitude, or any number of other errors. Make sure that you maintain a sterile cockpit during taxiing.

Runway

AV Web

MAY 15, 2024

Other important measures included agreeing to hire and train up to 3,000 new air traffic controllers, increasing the length of cockpit voice recordings to 25 hours (from two hours) and extending the time frame for airline passengers to redeem travel credits to at least five years.

Air Traffic Control

AV Web

MAY 15, 2024

Other important measures included agreeing to hire and train up to 3,000 new air traffic controllers; increasing the length of cockpit voice recordings to 25 hours (from two hours); and extending the time frame for airline passengers to redeem travel credits to at least five years.

Air Traffic Control

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 3, 2024

We departed from Sodus VFR, picked up our IFR clearances in the air, and proceeded direct to St Clair County Airport (KPHN) just on the Michigan side of the border with Canada. A multi-state cross country trip like the one we were taking means a lot of time together in the close confines of an airplane cockpit.

Airplanes

Jetwhine

JULY 1, 2024

If the co-pilot was lucky, the captain might let them work the radios and help with a few navigational duties, but the phrase “Gear up and Shut up” was considered a normal cockpit environment. This finding highlighted the role of communication, decision-making, and leadership in cockpit behavior and the resulting accidents.

Flight Plan

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

However, it has so far been revealed that air traffic control (ATC) at Vilnius Airport had been in contact with the crew of BCS18D throughout its final approach. However, while ATC had transmitted a landing clearance to the crew of BCS18D, no meaningful response was received.

Final Approach