Flight Training Central

OCTOBER 14, 2024

Pilots should always be evaluating alternate airports. One of the most important skills pilots must continue to hone is sound decision-making. While every IFR flight requires you to file an IFR flight plan and receive an ATC clearance, not every flight is flown in IFR conditions.

Ceiling 98

Ceiling Pilot Weather Approach 98

Pilot Institute

MARCH 6, 2025

Drones have their own language, and its filled with abbreviations and acronyms that can be overwhelming for new drone pilots. Common Drone Acronyms and What They Mean Lets start off with the most basic acronyms that even beginner drone pilots should know. The effect is that the pilot feels like they are flying while inside the drone.

Pilot 52

Pilot Weather Air Traffic Control NOTAMs 52

Flying Magazine

MAY 21, 2025

That holds particularly true in aviation when a pilots failure to identify risk leads to a lack of situational awareness and poor decision making resulting in a fatality. This resulted in the pilot having to manually fly the airplane using the copilots EADI. ATC asked the pilot to verify his heading.

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Pilot Air Traffic Control Cockpit Airplanes 68

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

For an instrument pilot, though, there is one key difference between a smaller, non-towered airport and a larger one with an air traffic control tower: obtaining an IFR clearance. Call for your IFR clearance, including route, altitude, and transponder code. Here are three ways to get a clearance at a non-towered airport.

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Clearance Air Traffic Control Airplanes Transponder 52

Photographic Logbook

MAY 18, 2025

Since participating in my first pancake breakfast as a member in 2014 , I have volunteered as a ride pilot and flown rides for the general public in every one of the club aircraft. 2025 brought cold temperatures, low ceiling, rain, and gusty wind, the latter fortuitously right down the runway. So a took a lot of pictures.

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Ceiling Airplanes Weather Runway 52

Air Facts

MAY 5, 2025

It is intended to be a flying lesson , but only for those pilots who read it with learning as a mindset. Take into consideration that weather reporting, and the dissemination of these reports to pilots, was not as accurate then as it is now. Also, Trial by Ice is not just another flying story.

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VOR Weather Approach Runway 52

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 6, 2024

Maybe it’s the Georgia flying weather, or maybe it’s the ever-increasing emphasis on “old” pilot instead of “bold” pilot, but it seems that flight planning these days is a lot more about if and when than about route and altitude. With my risk profile, IFR really means ignoring crappy VFR and VFR cloud clearance requirements.

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Airplanes Weather Ceiling Turbulence 94

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

The conditions were a mile of visibility and about 500 feet of ragged ceiling, barely enough to maintain orientation by landmarks passing below. A low ceiling absolutely ends a planned flight, though visibility may be the legal determining factor in some situations. Execute the diversion.

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Weather Ceiling Approach Clearance 82

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

Leonardo da Vinci said it best: “Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward…” We have all felt a sense of accomplishment and pride as we slip that freshly printed private pilot certificate into our back pocket. This is a critical juncture where many promising pilots stop flying.

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Pilot Ceiling Clearance Pilot in Command 86

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Weather reporting at the destination isnt required so long as some reliable source says theres at least 1000-foot ceilings and three miles visibly. The pilot can ask for the visual, or ATC can assign it. However, the pilot must have the airport, or the preceding aircraft, in sight. It cant be assigned; the pilot must request it.

Approach 52

Approach Pilot Clearance Runway 52

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

Looking back on both these experiences, the primary difference was that the first was guided by the principle of single-pilot resource management (SRM) and the second by its older sibling, crew resource management (CRM). Both are designed to help pilots make better decisions. I was a Garmin guy and Jim’s Mooney was Avidyne.

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Weather Clearance Pilot Airplanes 91

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

It harkens many to think of some of the most challenging flying pilots do in some of the most challenging conditions. Instrument flying certification and skills can be something that a pilot can use even on good VFR weather flying days. But this isn’t how it has to be. You can file and operate “IFR” even on good weather days.

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Pilot Clearance Weather Approach 52

Flight Training Central

JULY 1, 2024

While Class E airspace is considered controlled airspace, you do not need an ATC clearance to fly in it. Since Class “E” airspace is basically “everywhere”, most of the focus is placed on identifying the ceiling and floor of the airspace. You may also find this video on Class E airspace classification helpful.

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AGL Clearance Ceiling Weather 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 24, 2024

Pilots must meet equipment and certification requirements and have ATC clearance to enter. This central core extends up to around 10,000 feet MSL, the airspace’s ceiling. However, the ceiling for each shelf is the same as the core. Although Class B airspace has a typical ceiling of 10,000 feet MSL, exceptions exist.

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Clearance Ceiling Airspace Classes Transponder 52

Air Facts

MAY 10, 2024

A circling approach is one that, by dwindling numbers and its inherent design, forces the pilot(s) into a seldom used and high-risk evolution–often migrating us to an unexpected and seldom visited zip code of the threat/error management neighborhood. An acceptable meteorological combination of ceiling, visibility, and wind.

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Approach AGL Descent Runway 97

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

An instrument rated pilot, who has not logged any instrument time in 1 year or more, cannot serve as pilot in command under IFR, unless the pilot passes an instrument proficiency check followed by 6 hours and six instrument approaches, 3 of those hours in the category of aircraft involved. When operating in class E airspace.

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Instrument Flight Rules Ceiling Descent Approach 52

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 17, 2024

Pilots are able to discontinue reporting compulsory points when informed by ATC that the aircraft is in “radar contact.” In the timeline below, the pilot will lose instrument currency on September 1st due to the previous six calendar months including four approaches rather than the needed six.

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Instrument Flight Rules AGL Ceiling True Airspeed 52

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

You’re not supposed to feel it like you do the aircraft, but this can make you a better pilot as you will develop instrument scan and interpretation skills. READ MORE: Our Pilots of the Future May Share Sim Stories Partial power loss scenarios—especially at low altitude—are very useful. It’s an ATD. It’s just a few minutes, right?

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Crosswind VOR Airplanes Runway 110

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

The conditions were a mile of visibility and about 500 feet of ragged ceiling, barely enough to maintain orientation by landmarks passing below. A low ceiling absolutely ends a planned flight, though visibility may be the legal determining factor in some situations. Execute the diversion.

Weather 52

Weather Ceiling Approach Clearance 52

Air Facts

AUGUST 16, 2024

Back in the late 90s the FBO at the time (Atlantic) had crew cars for transient pilots. It still has lots of aviation including vendors, pilots and enthusiasts. On Wednesday night, Marvin and I attended a meet and greet hosted by the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA). This meant that I was up at 4:00 am.

Weather 98

Weather Knot Ceiling Turbulence 98

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

Weather reporting at the destination isnt required so long as some reliable source says theres at least 1000-foot ceilings and three miles visibly. The pilot can ask for the visual, or ATC can assign it. However, the pilot must have the airport, or the preceding aircraft, in sight. It cant be assigned; the pilot must request it.

Approach 52

Approach Clearance Runway Ceiling 52

Northstar VFR

JULY 21, 2024

The tower informed me that our airport had just gone to IFR due to the low cloud ceilings. Special VFR If the airport you’re landing at is reporting 1000’ ceilings or less, but you determine that you can get there safely without entering the clouds, then you can request what is called special VFR. I didn’t even notice it! Happy flying!

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Visual Flight Rules Ceiling Aeronautical Decision-Making Weather 52

Photographic Logbook

FEBRUARY 4, 2024

Stir Crazy In aviation safety circles, a mental condition colloquially known as "get-there-itis" characterizes a pilot so mission focused, so determined to reach a destination, that they make unsafe decisions. More often than not, winter flying in Upstate New York is contingent on the ceiling.

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Ceiling Approach Pilot Weather 52

Photographic Logbook

JULY 11, 2024

Moments after climbing through the ceiling over Beverly, MA. We made an IFR departure that morning on runway 16 and climbed above the ceiling in short order. But I accepted the clearance knowing that I could change it with a local Approach control like Syracuse. This was even better than I requested.

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Ceiling Approach Weather Runway 52

Flight Training Central

MARCH 18, 2024

For example, a pilot flying IFR in controlled airspace will have to file an IFR flight plan and receive an ATC clearance. For VFR flight, controlled airspace means increased cloud clearance and visibility requirements. For the VFR pilot flying in B, C, and D airspace, there are communication and/or clearance requirements.

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AGL Indicated Airspeed Clearance Transponder 52

Air Facts

DECEMBER 30, 2024

This was the actual conversation that started the journey for this green commercial pilot. The year was 2017, and I was two months into my first pilot job flying skydivers in the C182 at a small Canadian drop zone, when my boss approached me with this question. “What?

Weather 98

Weather Approach VFR On Top Knot 98

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

The winter months see more IFR practice than travel for many light GA pilots. Rather than ending every flight with a missed approach, let your safety pilot make the call just as you reach minimums or a reasonable visual descent point. Circling is a great skill even if youd only use it with high ceilings and in daylight.

Approach 52

Approach Pilot Ceiling Descent 52

Photographic Logbook

APRIL 19, 2024

I expected to manage some cloud layers during the New York portion of the flight, but the forecast called for a high ceiling at Northeast Philadelphia Airport. But they have become a grudgingly acknowledged facet of pilot life. I usually don't talk about aviation or being a pilot at these meetings and John had just outed me.

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Approach Wind Shear Runway VOR 77

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

No flying in winds exceeding 10 knots, no chance of obscuring precipitation, no use of runways shorter than 5,000 feet, no risk of encountering darkness or lowering ceilings. Even if it’s possible to complete the training course in a reasonable time with these stipulations, the product of a bubble-wrapped curriculum is a half-trained pilot.

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Wind Shear Runway Crosswind Ceiling 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

No flying in winds exceeding 10 knots, no chance of obscuring precipitation, no use of runways shorter than 5,000 feet, no risk of encountering darkness or lowering ceilings. Even if it’s possible to complete the training course in a reasonable time with these stipulations, the product of a bubble-wrapped curriculum is a half-trained pilot.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Runway Crosswind Ceiling 52

Photographic Logbook

JULY 9, 2024

Exactly like NYC, downtown Boston is encircled by restrictive Class Bravo airspace down to the surface that requires explicit clearance to enter. Although I knew that pilots flew city tours in this airspace, I struggled to find procedural details comparable to those available for New York City. I was a little nervous.

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Clearance Runway Approach Stability 52

ABEAM

AUGUST 26, 2023

And so we landed without any issue and taxied via Charlie to the Apron, arriving at the first location of the Blue Spruce Routes because we saw all the old WW2 hangars in various state of repair or disrepair … Wick is a classic stop-over for ferry pilots in both directions. after DEVBI with Iceland Radio. So perfect weather.

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Weather Clearance Knot Airplanes 52

Air Facts

OCTOBER 30, 2024

Air Facts Journal I got my pilot’s license in 1984, but it was another five years before I became a pilot. Beginning almost forty years ago, I spent time in the cockpit with a series of pilots whose influence I have only recently started to appreciate. Even then, my education had only just begun. I’ve been a lucky man, indeed.

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NDB Checkride VOR Approach 52

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

While VFR flights rely on seeing outside the aircraft, IFR procedures allow pilots to navigate precisely when they cannot see the ground, horizon, or surrounding terrain. The ceiling must be at least 2,000 feet above the airport elevation. A minimum ceiling of 600 (precision approach) or 800 feet (for a non-precision approach).

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Flight Plan Pilot Weather Instrument Meteorological Conditions 52

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

MARCH 28, 2024

At this point, it was slightly turbulence as we flew through some low ceiling clouds. A great landing from the PIC (Pilot-in-command) The taxi from runway 27L didn't take long and we reached our gate in less than 10 minutes. It took us about 15 minutes to reach the automated machines for clearance into the country.

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Turbulence Weather Runway Narrow-Body Aircraft 52

Fear of Landing

MAY 23, 2025

The Cessna 550 Citation II usually requires two flight crew, although it can be legally flown by a single pilot if that pilot holds a special FAA exemption with specific training and experience requirements. He may have been certified to fly the Citation under single-pilot operations.

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Approach Ceiling Weather Pilot 70

Air Facts

MAY 27, 2024

Sure, I could pull out my low-time pilot card and call it a day, but that felt like a copout. In fact, if I could visually see a cloud deck from the ground, it would mean the troposphere ended at around 3,000 feet for me regardless of what the actual ceilings were. All my primary training was done at 3,000 feet or less.

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Ceiling Turbulence Approach Clearance 97