Plane and Pilot
JULY 31, 2025
Aviation then was a realm of VOR needles, paper charts, and the pure joy of stick-and-rudder flight. Navigation meant tuning VORs or tracing sectional charts, while entertainment was a crackling AM radio delivering faint music or static-laced talk shows. Today, glass cockpits dominate even entry-level aircraft.
Flying Magazine
MAY 13, 2025
Sports and the Pilot When a coworker complained about a student pilot who kept his feet flat on the floor in the airplane instead of on the rudder pedals, I was reminded of an exercise my childhood soccer coach taught us to learn ball control. This is akin to stomping on a rudder rather than applying control pressures.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Pilot's Life Blog
JUNE 18, 2025
Skills Developed: It enhances coordination and control precision, forcing students to make small, deliberate inputs on the yoke and rudder. Slow flight hones fine control at low airspeeds, reinforcing coordination of rudder, aileron, and elevator—critical skills for safe approaches and preventing inadvertent stalls near the ground.
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 ball is located in a tube filled with fluid and can move freely to the right and left.
Inflight Pilot Training
MARCH 30, 2025
An instrument rating unlocks access to: Airports with IFR approaches (ILS, RNAV, VOR, etc.) Better stick-and-rudder control, smoother handling, and more exact navigation, even during VFR flights. Access More Airports and Airspace Want to fly into a destination with unpredictable weather? A busy Class B airport? The result?
Flying Magazine
JULY 1, 2025
Some do well while others struggle as they get used to the feel of real controls, refine their rudder coordination skills, and attempt to tune radios and VORs without the option of hitting a “pause” button. Rudder Pedals Are Not Optional Too many home pilots skip rudder pedals. It’s what they used, and how they used it.
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.
Expert insights. Personalized for you.
Let's personalize your content