Northstar VFR

JULY 6, 2025

Novak, CFI As a flight instructor, one of the most common acronyms I go over with new students is NWKRAFT. It's part of your preflight planning responsibilities under 14 CFR § 91.103 , which requires pilots to be familiar with all available information before any flight. You don’t want to find that out in the air.

NOTAMs

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 1, 2025

You might have come across this term while studying for your written exam, or maybe it popped up on your sectional chart during flight planning. Key Takeaways TRSA airspace enhances safety with optional radar services for VFR pilots. Well, TRSAs exist to provide additional safety for pilots by offering optional radar services.

Visual Flight Rules

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.

VOR

iPad Pilot News

MARCH 11, 2025

Heads-up, hands-free: How to use iPad audio alerts for safer flights iPad Pilot News The iPad is an engaging visual tool, but many pilots forget about its many audio uses. Many pilots may not realize that ForeFlight also provides audio alerts with these notifications. Here’s a rundown of what you might hear.

AGL

WayMan

JUNE 16, 2025

Avionics An aircraft’s flight deck, with its collection of displays and controls, is a wonder of engineering. For a future pilot, a thorough knowledge of these systems is essential. Two terms that are often heard are “flight instruments” and “avionics.”

Instrument Meteorological Conditions

Air Facts

JULY 28, 2025

A strong pilot community thrives on humility: the willingness to share what worked, what didn’t, and what we learned. Backseat pilots need not apply. Pilots understand that life is fleeting, and that the joy of flying lies in the journey—and in the process. I earned my Private Pilot Certificate in 2022 in a Cessna 150L.

Clearance

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

One of the most important skills pilots learn during flight training is sound decision making. 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.

Ceiling

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

You might think that Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) are just about how to control and use your instruments in the aircraft, but you need more than skill–you need a rock-solid plan. IFR flight planning is about preparing for every twist and turn along the route. What Is an IFR Flight Plan?

Flight Plan

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. The first half of the flight went beautifully. I picked up my clearance, flew the plane, shot the approach, and feltbrieflylike I might just be the worlds newest ace. They stack up quickly.

Clearance

Flying Magazine

JUNE 12, 2025

Having recently reviewed how to call for a clearance, I filed my first IFR flight plan, received my clearance from the VATSIM controller, and soon I was following the Logan Four departure out of the Class Bravo and on my way. Having other real sim pilots flying in the airspace with you adds to the immersion factor.

Air Traffic Control

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 22, 2025

You’ll learn about the entire process, starting with filing a flight plan in ForeFlight to retrieving an IFR clearance from ATC, en-route navigation, and how to fly the instrument approach at the destination.

Clearance

Pilot Institute

JUNE 27, 2025

FAA waivers have long been a hurdle for pilots flying in controlled airspace. As FAA regulations evolve and systems like LAANC become more accessible, drone pilots need to stay informed. Controlled airspace is where air traffic control (ATC) services are provided to aircraft to safely and efficiently guide flight operations.

AGL

iPad Pilot News

APRIL 9, 2025

ForeFlight Video Tip: Entering a Hold with Hold Advisor iPad Pilot News If weather or an ATC delay requires you to fly a holding pattern, you can use ForeFlights Hold Advisor feature to add the details of the hold to the flight plan.

Clearance

Air Facts

MAY 7, 2025

One of the companies that had acquired surplus Beech 18s had secured a long term contract to carry auto parts from Oshawa to Detroit for General Motors and almost every night around 9 pm, one of those flights would head west full of parts and usually with only the one pilot on board. Such it was in those days.

Weight-Shift-Control

Photographic Logbook

MAY 25, 2025

At this point in my life as a pilot, the aerial journey from western New York across Ontario, Canada to southeast Michigan is so deeply ingrained that seeing the sights along that route for the first time in many months is imbued with its own type of nostalgia. Frederick Douglass / Greater Rochester International Airport.

OAT

Universal Weather

OCTOBER 30, 2024

For charter operations, no pilot may be over age 65, but a pilot aged 60-64 may fly as second in command (SIC). ” CIQ CIQ clearance normally takes place within the main terminal unless a fixed-base operator (FBO) with CIQ facilities is available. CIQ pre-clearance is available at St. For return to the U.S.,

NOTAMs

Pilot Institute

APRIL 5, 2025

These included advisories for flying in Enhanced Warning Zones and automatic restrictions that inhibited pilot autonomy and freedom, often unnecessarily. The Air Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) reported that as of January 25, 2025, DJI removed geofencing restrictions. Its unique, foldable design makes it easy to take on set.

Payload

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

The next leg, and the two after it, followed my standard cross-country plan. 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. I was glad that I had contingency packed.

Weather

Air Facts

JULY 9, 2025

Mea Culpa: Confessions of a Joyful Pilot Air Facts Journal I have a confession to make. I once went on a flight without checking the weather. I recently departed without calculating my takeoff distance or obstacle clearance. I’ve even flown without talking to ATC or filing a flight plan. Go fly for a while.

Pilot

Flight Training Central

JUNE 16, 2025

It’s important for pilots to understand the operating requirements and restrictions regarding Special Use airspace (SUA). Pilots can request the status of SUA by contacting the using or controlling agency. IFR flights will tpyically be routed around active Restricted Areas.

Clearance

Flight Training Central

MARCH 10, 2025

To warn pilots of a high volume of pilot training or other unusual aerial activity. To segregate military training activities from aircraft operating under instrument flight rules. To operate in Class D airspace, you must: Be in contact with ATC and have a clearance to enter. Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA).

Visual Flight Rules

AV Web

JUNE 24, 2025

I see this a lot, particularly with real pilots just starting out their instrument training or non-pilot simmers trying to feel like real pilots. Familiar Is The Enemy Another pitfall real pilots make is assuming that simming is all about approaches. The problem here is he’s trying to fly instead of sim. A charted visual?

Weather

Air Facts

APRIL 11, 2025

However, we all know that planning and flying with an EFB is now a fact of pilot life though yet most of us have never received any formal training on using it. Dont get me wrong, when I was first starting out I could find green dots and frequencies with the best of them, but competently plan a trip? Leverage them.

Cockpit

Flying Magazine

JULY 25, 2025

Thankfully, the cockpit is not the only place where pilots can practice. VFR pilots require a solid understanding of their three-dimensional environment. Knowledge and skill must be second nature if one is to become a good and safe pilot. They handle predictably, teach good habits, and reflect what most student pilots will fly.

Cockpit

Fear of Landing

JULY 4, 2025

On the 12th of August in 2024, a pilot fatally crashed a Robinson R44 into the top of a hotel building in Cairns, Australia. Accident site and wreckage distribution The pilot held a commercial helicopter licence issued by the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority, including type ratings for the Robinson R44 helicopter. He had 157.8

Cockpit

Air Facts

JUNE 20, 2025

I immediately pitched a plan to fly us to Billy Mitchell Airport (HSE) on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, a place I had read about in a magazine. At the time, I was a 150-hour private pilot working toward my instrument rating. Everything went as planned until the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel came into view.

Airplanes

Pilot's Life Blog

JUNE 23, 2025

When it comes to flying, there are two primary ways to achieve this— military pilot training vs civilian pilot training. At Leopard Aviation , we guide aspiring civilian pilots through every step, from your first flight to your commercial rating. FAA student pilot certificate — Easily obtained with training intent.

Pilot

Photographic Logbook

JUNE 29, 2025

"Hi.I'm in Delaware." - Wayne Campbell, Wayne's World , 1992 Restless Pilot Syndrome Having resumed acting as pilot in command of my own airplane after a relatively brief setback, I was delighted beyond words to be back at it. At the end of our otherwise perfunctory exchange, Rochester signed off with, "Have a great flight, Chris!"

Runway

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. Aeronautical activity at the airport that morning was dominated by our intrepid ride pilots flying a prescribed circuit with community members.

Ceiling

One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 27, 2024

The channel has just uploaded a video involving an interaction between an air traffic controller at New York Kennedy Airport (JFK) and an Aeromexico pilot. An Aeromexico Boeing 737 MAX 8 with the flight number AM401 was preparing to depart to Mexico City (MEX). Pilot: You said 13R, but it’s 13L, okay.” Pilot: “Okay.”

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. Once this message is conveyed to the pilots, they disengage the aircraft’s parking brake, hence the ‘ wobble ’.

Cabin Crew

Flying Magazine

MAY 30, 2025

For VFR pilots beginning instrument training, the cockpit gets crowded fast. One of the most essential tools for staying ahead of the airplane is the electronic flight bag (EFB). They organize and prioritize information in ways that match the pilots workload. Understanding the EFB An EFB is not a single piece of hardware.

Pilot

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. IFR Alternate Airport Planning Legal requirements for selecting an alternate airport Additional GPS Approach Considerations Which weather forecast should you use?

Ceiling

Air Facts

DECEMBER 18, 2024

In those years, I never missed a trip as a commuter, never scratched the paint on one of our airplanes, never got an FAA violation, never injured a passenger, and never had a less than cordial conversation with the chief pilot. After my rude dismissal from United, I fell into the most beautiful retirement job an old pilot could ever find.

Clearance

iPad Pilot News

MAY 14, 2024

Electronic flight bag legal briefing for pilots—2024 edition iPad Pilot News The best reading is in some Advisory Circulars from the FAA. Each year we publish a plain-language review of the FARs and Advisory Circulars pertaining to the use of iPads and electronic flight bags in the cockpit.

Pilot

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. To review, flying an IFR trip involves four main steps: File a flight plan (either with Flight Service or in an aviation app).

Clearance

Northstar VFR

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

By Leslie Caubble, CFI/IGI A kneeboard is an essential tool for pilots of all experience levels. You will find student pilots, instructors, recreational pilots, and airline pilots use a kneeboard. Clipped to the kneeboard is essential information and resources available to the pilot at their fingertips.

Pilot