Pilot's Life Blog

JUNE 18, 2025

From basic turns to emergency descents, every maneuver shapes how a student reacts under pressure and handles real-world flying. Climbs and Descents: Knowing how to manage pitch and power to gain or lose altitude smoothly is critical. Proper climbs and descents help maintain safe altitude margins and optimize fuel efficiency.

Pilot

Pilot Institute

JANUARY 27, 2025

The Heading Indicator should not be confused with the Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI), which is an evolution of the Heading Indicator that includes VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) and Instrument Landing System (ILS) indications. This information is used to determine altitude, rate of climb or descent (i.e.,

Pitot Tube

Photographic Logbook

JUNE 29, 2025

I momentarily put HAL into heading mode, inserted the East Texas VOR into the route, programmed GPS direct to ETX, then switched back to "nav" mode to avoid any unexpected turns from tinkering with the active leg in the GPS flight plan. The glider pilot danced on his rudder pedals to signal his readiness to the Pawnee pilot.

Runway

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

READ MORE: Cirrus Adds Second Vision Jet Simulator In this scenario, the options are a 180-degree turn using only rudder to avoid overbanking—common when you lose the outside horizon reference—to get back to VFR conditions or contacting ATC to ask where the nearest VFR is. Next, introduce the VOR.

Crosswind

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

We continued our descent for a couple of seconds and then he began a turn again to the left towards the taxiway. If the runway could not be made my plan was to put the aircraft down in the field west of the airport close to the VOR. From my point of view it was evident that we did not have enough room to safely land on Runway 17.

Gross Weight

Air Facts

OCTOBER 30, 2024

Consisting of timed, coordinated climbs and descents, Patterns A and B required the pilot to be on altitude, on heading, and on time. After startup, I’d record a VOR check in the aircraft log while waiting for our clearance. We flew the usual approaches: VOR, ILS, and the now extinct NDB. Then came the long taxi to the runway.

NDB

Professional Pilot

JULY 3, 2024

Thinking we could be on fire, we initiated a 7000-fpm descent. Little thought is given to the fact that a 7000-fpm descent will fog the windows. I watched carefully for higher or lower miles on the DME and corrected with a bit of rudder as necessary to keep the miles decreasing. Fortunately, we were right over an airport.

Pilot