Pilot Institute

MARCH 6, 2025

FAA Federal Aviation Administration The FAA is the US federal government agency in charge of aviation standards, air traffic control, airspace safety, and the certification of personnel and aircraft. In contrast to a control tower, an FSS is not responsible for giving instructions or clearances to aircraft.

Pilot

Pilot Institute

JUNE 27, 2025

The FAA defines controlled airspace as “a generic term that covers the different classifications of airspace (Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E airspace) and defined dimensions within which air traffic control service is provided to IFR and VFR flights.” Aircraft must operate under ATC clearance.

AGL

Aerotime

MARCH 20, 2025

As the aircraft approached Nome, air traffic controllers informed the pilot of flight 445 that Nomes runway was being de-iced and was temporarily closed, and that flight 445 could expect a 10 to 15 minute delay in landing clearance to be given. Indications show that its speed dropped from around 160 knots to 110 knots.

Knot

Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 5, 2025

Approach speeds typically range from 80 to 90 knots depending on weight and flap settings, while full flaps are often used to provide the necessary lift during landing. Clear communication with air traffic control (ATC) is essential at this stage to receive landing clearance and avoid conflicts with other aircraft.

Descent

Aerotime

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

Having received clearance to do so, the plane turned south and began its descent back towards Schiphol. The crew again elected to return to Schiphol and advised air traffic controllers at the airport of a possible high-speed landing due to the flaps not being able to extend.

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. After reaching 100 knots, the aircraft will continue to accelerate to what is referred to as its V1 speed.

Cabin Crew

AV Web

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

The NTSB and FAA are investigating a runway incursion at Nashville International Airport on Thursday in which an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crew rejected its takeoff at about 130 knots when a Southwest 737-700 crossed the far end of the runway it was using. It’s not clear how close the two aircraft got.

Runway

One Mile at a Time

OCTOBER 18, 2024

This isn’t good… air traffic controllers cleared two Southwest jets to use the same runway at the same time. VASAviation has an excellent video with both the air traffic control audio and a depiction of where the jets were located during the incident. San Diego Ground: “Southwest 785, hold position.”

Runway

One Mile at a Time

JULY 29, 2024

So the pilot of the first Delta jet advised air traffic control they’d need a minute to crunch the numbers on takeoff performance: Delta 1304 pilot: “Right now, for Delta 1304, we got four knots too much on the tailwind. Air traffic controller: “Delta 2046, that’s fine… and you have access now?”

Air Traffic Control

Pilot Institute

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

Before entering Class C airspace, pilots must receive clearance from Air Traffic Control (ATC). Class C airports’ speed limits require aircraft within 4 Nautical Miles (NM) of the primary airport and below 2500 feet to maintain an Indicated Airspeed (IAS) of 200 knots or less. Altitude and intentions (e.g.,

Clearance

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. A runway holding position may have solid double lines that indicate the plane must hold short, meaning it cannot move into the runway after aircraft taxiing unless it has received ATC clearance.

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

Photographic Logbook

APRIL 19, 2024

Even though I was likely to be cleared through the outer ring by ATC (air traffic control) while on an instrument flight plan, I filed a route from Sodus to the Williamsport VOR (FQM) that circumvented the TFR entirely. I pulled the power back and set a notch of flaps to establish a 90 knot, 500 foot/minute descent.

Approach

Pilot Institute

AUGUST 9, 2024

Air Traffic Control (ATC) uses these procedures to delay aircraft. For example, if you’re holding at 100 knots and have a 10-knot tailwind on the outbound leg, the outbound leg should be shorter than one minute because you’ll have a headwind on the inbound leg. Time to expect further clearance.

VOR

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

APRIL 9, 2025

Upon receiving clearance to take off from air traffic controllers at the airport at 19:11 local time, the aircraft began its take-off roll. Markus Mainka / Shutterstock At a ground speed of around 56 knots (64 mph/102 kph), the crew realized their error and elected to abort the take-off.

Runway

One Mile at a Time

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

The clearance was issued, and the pilots started their takeoff roll. However, after achieving a speed of over 100 knots, the pilots made the decision to abort the takeoff. This is because the Alaska pilots heard that the Southwest 737 had been given clearance to cross the same runway that the Alaska jet was taking off from.

Air Traffic Control

Photographic Logbook

JANUARY 25, 2025

With as much as 25 knots of tailwind, we made the flight from Sodus to Alton Bay in only two hours. I was anxious about availability of parking on the ice and punished myself by remotely monitoring the veritable swarm of uplinked aircraft traffic in the pattern at Alton Bay. Lake Winnisquam with Lake Winnipesaukee in the distance.

Runway

Jetwhine

JULY 1, 2024

The ATIS indicated the wind was from 170° at 18 knots and gusting to 30 knots,” according to the NTSB’s final report. The Hawker certification limits the aircraft to a tailwind component of no more than 10 knots for landing or takeoff. In addition, the controller provided the “instantaneous” wind, which was from 180° at 10 kts.

Flight Plan

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

However, having descended down the glideslope to 650ft and traveling at 150 knots, the flight data comes to an abrupt stop. 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.

Final Approach