Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

The glass cockpit overshadows the cooperative, complacent RV-9A’s character. 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. There was also a link to a bridge for sale.

Weather

Pilot Institute

JUNE 12, 2025

With a variable-pitch propeller, the pilot can adjust the propeller’s pitch using a control in the cockpit. By the time the aircraft decelerates below roughly 80 knots, the pilot moves the reverser controls to the idle reverse position. Many turboprops and even some piston engine aircraft have a variable pitch propeller.

Thrust

Flying Magazine

JUNE 20, 2025

The aircraft was at an altitude of 8,000 ft msl and 270 knots ground speed at that time. The pilot acknowledged the clearance. ADS-B data showed the airplane subsequently turned abeam NESTY at about 3,750 ft msl and a ground speed of 200 knots. The aircraft’s ground speed was approximately 120 knots. local time.

Knot

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. 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.

Descent

Air Facts

APRIL 11, 2025

Consequently, its absolutely imperative that before you jump into the cockpit with your trusty mount, fully set up your EFB. Given that your EFB is in many cases an extension to your panel, proper placement and ergonomics are key to good cockpit resource management. Doesnt matter. Same goes with traffic and terrain.

Cockpit

Air Facts

JULY 9, 2025

I recently departed without calculating my takeoff distance or obstacle clearance. Do I have to be within ±1 knot and ±10 feet on every approach? But viewing every flight as a math problem tends to keep your head inside the cockpit—and it drains some of the fun. I once went on a flight without checking the weather.

Pilot

Plane and Pilot

JULY 1, 2025

Probable cause(s): The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees after takeoff, during high density altitude weather conditions. After arriving at the destination airstrip the student entered left downwind for Runway 13, resulting in a right quartering tailwind of about 5 knots.

Density Altitude

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

Fear of Landing

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

The flight crew adjusted the icing bug to 165 knots. The temperature at their cruising altitude was around -9° with westerly winds at 46 knots. The ATR’s airspeed was 191 knots. During the conversation with the controller, there was the sound of a single chime on the cockpit voice recorder.

Knot

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 6, 2024

Also, from when I lived out West, there was the mountaintop clearance guideline—1,000 feet for every 10 knots of wind, with 30 knots meaning no-go. With my risk profile, IFR really means ignoring crappy VFR and VFR cloud clearance requirements. That maxim doesn’t seem as well-known in the East, however.

Airplanes

Fear of Landing

DECEMBER 13, 2024

The wreckage, courtesy of the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport During the initial approach, they arrived at the waypoint WIZOP travelling at about 300 knots ground speed, quite a bit over the chart maximum of 230 knots. Vilnius Tower : Postman one eight delta: wind 170 degrees one five knots, cleared to land runway one niner.

Runway

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

While the temptation to find cheaper gas at an uncontrolled field loomed large, the extra services provided by the approach control, clearance delivery, and a busier FBO seemed to make more sense. We divided up flying the aircraft, getting a divert clearance to an airport a bit farther east of the storms, and refiling our next leg.

Weather

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. The pilot maneuvers the plane with a 7% thrust paving the way for a 30-knot speed.

Clearance

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

When you’re starting to feel human again after major surgery, what’s a good plan for getting safely back into the cockpit? This 172 had a flap extension speed of 85 knots, and my old Cessna 172’s limit was 100 mph, or 87 knots. I had a total knee replacement. These discrepancies helped me get my head back in the game.

Pitot Tube

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

ABEAM

AUGUST 26, 2023

IFR clearance was direct to DEVBI while we knew we could pick up our oceanic clearance (my first ever !) After passing DEVBI, Scottish Control passed us to Reykjavik Control who told us to pick up our Oceanic Clearance with Iceland Radio on 127.850. after DEVBI with Iceland Radio. So we could continue to Iceland.

Weather

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

The glass cockpit overshadows the cooperative, complacent RV-9A’s character. 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. There was also a link to a bridge for sale.

Weather

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

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

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

We routinely taxi at 1200 rpm due to the low spray…[we] can cruise at 10 knots” in displacement mode, something a Goose can’t do. Early on a speed restriction of 130 knots was applied as a flutter issue. This was resolved on the kit version and led to cruising at 50% power and 120 knots, which proved to be the Gweduck’s sweet spot.

Airplanes

Plane and Pilot

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Flight Design rates the F2 with the same 16-knot demonstrated crosswind component as the previous CTs. Given the need to preserve noggin-to-wing-spar clearance, its a smart but necessary solution. In most ways, the cockpit is conventional, with twin center sticks and a prominent throttle lever on the center console.

Rudder

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, while ATC had transmitted a landing clearance to the crew of BCS18D, no meaningful response was received.

Final Approach

Adventures of Cap'n Aux

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Again, either option is not in itself hazardous; each pilot has the option to accept or decline a clearance. Finally, here’s a pic from Jumpseater Joe, showing us with a 200 knot tailwind, which gave us a whopping 700 knot groundspeedthe fastest I think I’ve ever flown! Warning : Not for the faint-hearted!

Pilot