Pilot Institute

JUNE 27, 2025

Mandatory instruction signs mark areas you can’t enter without clearance. Types of Airport Signs The FAA classifies airport signs into six main types: Mandatory Instruction Signs: indicate areas where entry is prohibited without clearance, such as runways or critical areas. Let’s take a look at each in detail.

Runway

AV Web

APRIL 8, 2025

Types of Runway Incursions An incursion results when a pilot crosses a runway-hold marking, takes off, or lands, without clearance. A vehicle deviation occurs if it crosses a runway-hold marking without ATC clearance. The most common incursion is failing to hold short of an assigned clearance limit, especially a runway hold marking.

Runway

Plane and Pilot

MAY 26, 2025

Sure, we fly fast airplanes, but unless theyre on fire, doing anything in a rush creates unneeded risks. Know Your Route When at a towered field, be consistent in copying your taxi clearances. From the FBO ramp at Aero Center, your taxi clearance might go something like this: Cessna 12345, Runway 3R.

Runway

Air Facts

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

Thats especially true for instrument pilots, where Air Traffic Control sounds like they are running the show, the avionics seem to direct the flight along predefined routes, and the autopilot actually flies the airplane. In the cockpit of a modern GA airplane, there is probably only one person to do all of these jobsyou!

Pilot in Command

Pilot Institute

JANUARY 24, 2025

Special VFR is a clearance issued by Air Traffic Control (ATC) that allows pilots to operate in weather conditions below the standard VFR minimums. Lets take a look at special VFR clearances in detail so that you can make an informed decision about using them in the future. Student pilots cannot request Special VFR clearances.

Clearance

Flying Magazine

JUNE 23, 2025

I don’t recall what happened, but the airplane wasn’t flying off the island that afternoon. Controllers on the ground will try to manage things, but they often misidentify airplane types—it’s easy for one low-wing airplane to implement an instruction meant for another low-wing. How can we make sure our skills are up to the task?

Runway

Air Facts

MAY 5, 2025

Flying a single engine airplane, under IFR, in the clouds, in a non-radar environment and without an autopilot, adds a great deal to the pilots work load. With three airplanes, we departed Springfield for Fairfield, Iowa to compete in an NIFA competition against five other schools. This was the situation on Friday, December 1, 1972.

VOR

Flying Magazine

JULY 3, 2025

I fully expected the gauge to fix itself before we landed because that is what old airplanes frequently do (this airframe was about 42 years young). I also advised ATC of our impending total engine failure and asked for clearance to the nearest airfield. I even pulled out my smartphone to video the abnormality for maintenance.

Knot

Flying Magazine

JUNE 24, 2025

As you need at least a private pilot certificate to pursue the instrument rating, you (in theory) already know how to land the airplane—and you have many hours doing it. If you have the time and money to do multiple touch-and-goes (after you have canceled your IFR clearance), go for it. What Else Gets Rusty?

Approach

WayMan

JUNE 16, 2025

Altimeter: Shows the altitude of the aircraft above a designated reference point, essential for flight level assignment and terrain clearance. Heading Indicator (Directional Gyro): Indicates the airplane’s magnetic heading and provides a more stable directional indication than an ordinary magnetic compass.

Omni-Directional Range

Plane and Pilot

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

These tools help the pilots deal with this busy section of the flight replete with numerous checklists, changing clearances, and traffic. We have some of the same checklists, clearances, and traffic, and we have one less pilot to get them all done. Back down here is GA land, we have many of the same concerns.

Descent

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 1, 2025

In Class B airspace, both IFR and VFR traffic require ATC clearance to enter. They all surround busy airports, but they have some key differences. First up is Class B airspace. This airspace surrounds the busiest airports in the country. Thats a major difference from TRSA airspace, where participation in services is optional for VFR pilots.

Visual Flight Rules

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. Write things down when you canespecially clearances and reroutes.

Clearance

Flying Magazine

MAY 21, 2025

Approximately 13 minutes into the flight at an altitude of 13,000 feet, the airplanes vertical gyro failed, which subsequently failed the pilots Electric Attitude Director Indicator (EADI), which then also caused the autopilot to disconnect. This resulted in the pilot having to manually fly the airplane using the copilots EADI.

Pilot

Photographic Logbook

MAY 25, 2025

Flying westbound toward Rochester at 6,000 feet, I traversed a variety of unique cloudscapes, blasting through them with impunity courtesy of an IFR clearance An overcast layer deprived Rochester's cityscape of its fullest color potential. Frederick Douglass / Greater Rochester International Airport. Time was not freezing, the rain was.

OAT

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

The Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and Traffic Advisory System (TAS) provide important information about other airplanes in the vicinity. Pay attention to aircraft clearances, altitude assignments, and position reports, even when they’re not directed to you.

Flight Plan

Pilot Institute

JUNE 12, 2025

They have to absorb and dissipate a lot of kinetic energy to slow the airplane down. They did need lots of room below the engine to allow the big bucket door to swing backward, but that wasn’t much of a problem, given the small engines and ample clearance under the wing. As engines improved over the years, they grew in diameter.

Thrust

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

Air Facts

MAY 7, 2025

With 10 passengers and luggage on board the airplane, it was well under gross weight, but it soon became apparent we could not out climb the ice buildup. I had a good idea what track the airplane was flying relative to this airport. Terrain clearance became my biggest concern with only an estimate of his distance to the east.

Weight-Shift-Control

Pilot Institute

JUNE 19, 2025

If you don’t see a marking at an intersecting taxiway and you’re instructed to hold short, make sure you stop your aircraft at a spot that offers enough clearance from any aircraft on the intersecting taxiway. These markings are placed on taxiways where Air Traffic Control (ATC) needs to hold aircraft short of the intersection.

Runway

Flying Magazine

MAY 8, 2025

With my instructors Zoom screen set up on my second monitor, I had my airplane running on my primary display so that I could follow along in setting up the G1000 avionics in real time. When I needed clarification, we paused and went into greater detail, just like in a real ground lesson conducted in person.

Cockpit

iPad Pilot News

APRIL 3, 2025

This is where you’ll list each piece of equipment on board your airplane for ICAO flight plan requirements ( learn more about ICAO equipment codes here ). If ATC has changes, though, it’s a good time to take note to avoid surprises when calling up for an IFR clearance.

Flight Plan

AV Web

MAY 6, 2025

Lets take a deep dive into what it takes to get an airplane on the ground after a successful instrument approach. The FAA doesnt guarantee terrain clearance at minimums all the way to the next state. But when the chips are down along with the ceilings and visibilities, things arent quite so simple. NM from the end of the runway.

Runway

Airspeed Junkie

NOVEMBER 9, 2024

Associating ‘Alpha’ with ‘Airplane’ can help solidify the connection in your memory. Air traffic controllers use these coded taxiway names to give clearances, ensuring pilots can navigate safely and efficiently. Mnemonic devices, such as vivid images or concepts, can also enhance memorization.

Air Traffic Control

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

Altitude management will make sure you have sufficient terrain clearance, can follow airspace regulations, and maintain safe distances from other aircraft. Misjudging Altitude and Heights As a pilot, maintaining altitude awareness is an important skill for you to develop. What Should You Do To Avoid Misjudging Altitudes?

Pilot

iPad Pilot News

MARCH 11, 2025

There’s also a scratchpad tool to copy clearances as you listen. What can be problematic, though, is that the sounds coming from the iPad’s small speaker are typically drowned out by your airplane’s engine noise.

AGL

Professional Pilot

JULY 7, 2025

However, with no room to navigate up the steep glacial valley, the pilots finessed the airplane over the hurdle with no more than 200 ft of clearance. Doing so assures that aircraft flying in the flight levels, which are actually pressure surfaces rather than fixed altitudes, can maintain separation and obstacle clearance.

Density Altitude

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

These would guide them when they couldn’t see anything outside their airplane. The satellites then send the corrected signals back to your airplane. For example, at Penn Valley airport, airplanes using an LP approach can descend more than 600 feet lower than those using LNAV. Without it, youre limited to LNAV.

Approach

Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 24, 2025

In 1997, Hangar One of the former NAS Wildwood became the home as the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum, which has become a home for over 25 airplanes and helicopters, ranging from the WWII to the Vietnam War eras. After the war, NAS Wildwood was repurposed for civilian air travel as Cap May Airport.

Cockpit

Northstar VFR

JULY 6, 2025

For VFR pilots, visibility and cloud clearance are key. Why it matters: A heavily loaded airplane on a short, high-elevation runway in summer heat may not perform the way you're used to. Why it matters: Weather can dictate your go/no-go decision. You need to check METARs, TAFs, area forecasts, winds aloft, radar, and more.

NOTAMs

Aerotime

MARCH 20, 2025

The wreckage of the airplane was found two days after the crash in which all nine passengers and the sole pilot lost their lives. About that time, the airplanes airspeed began to decrease and was accompanied by a reduction in engine power. At about 15:15, the airplane leveled at 6,000 ft.

Knot

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

Every flight, regardless of the complexity of the airplane or the distance of the trip, is comprised of a continuous series of decisions involving a host of variables that the pilot must make in order to safely get from point A to point B. Something as simple as a disabled aircraft could you force you to an alternate airport.

Ceiling

Aerotime

APRIL 3, 2025

The airplane first struck the ground at a speed of 250 knots about four kilometers short of runway 25L, before bouncing for three seconds and then crashing 500 meters further in a rice paddy field. Later on, the aircrafts rear access door detached and also fell into the sea. Only one aileron and one wing spoiler were operating.

Aileron

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Fussing with the avionics to keep tabs on the weather gave many more knob touches than the airplane itself. I filed IFR , mostly so that I could get the altitude I wanted without having to worry about cloud clearances, and so if some little squirt cumulus popped up, I could blast through it or just nick the side of it.

Weather

Plane and Pilot

JULY 22, 2025

After 800 hours of flying, with almost 50 different types in my logbook, there are several airplanes that I have felt one with—Game Aerospace’s GB1 GameBird , almost any member of the classic and modern day Cub species, and a very specific Cessna 170, just to name a few. Let’s walk through it real quick. Very nice,” Finkbeiner said.

Runway

iPad Pilot News

MAY 23, 2025

This AC also points out that cell phones and LTE-enabled iPads, while prohibited from use in flight by FCC regulations, are allowed to be used in aircraft while on the ground (ie, for picking up a clearance or filing a flight plan). The AC “is intended only to provide clarity.” Our suggestion?

Pilot

Flying Magazine

JUNE 30, 2025

CubCrafters offered to bring FLYING the first of the kitbuilt NXCubs to north Idaho and turn us loose with it for two weeks to fly into the backcountry—introducing pilots of all experience and skill levels to the airplane. CubCrafters said its goal was to build an airplane with a 1,000-pound useful load. That got our attention.

Gross Weight