Category Archives: Training

Top Twenty-Five Mistakes Pilots Make

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Colin Summers

On Tuesday (April 8 2013) I flew down to Air Flite at Long Beach and took a FAA Safety Team seminar “The Twenty-five Biggest Mistakes Pilots Make.” It was put on by the Pilot Safety Institute, and the speaker was Gary … Continue reading →

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BFG and the BFR

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Colin Summers

Roald Dahl knew how to write. And he had a little cabin on his property that was his writing space. He disappeared to it almost every day, which is one of the secrets to doing something well: do it all … Continue reading →

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Letter to Pilot

Posted on March 21, 2007 by Colin Summers

Occasionally I get a note from another pilot asking about my flying, my training, the plane, or the airport. Usually the advice is too specific for general readers, but my reply to this one was long enough that it was … Continue reading →

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Ticket to Learn

Posted on December 12, 2006 by Colin Summers

Yesterday I was in the family room while the boys were finishing up their reading before lights out. I had my laptop open and a soft voice was droning along. I struggled to remain focused. Nell walked by and said, … Continue reading →

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Most Exciting Lesson Ever

Posted on October 7, 2006 by Colin Summers

Previously, the most exciting thing that happened during a lesson is when the wind picked up the tail of the Cherokee while I was starting my flare for landing. If my instructor had not been in the right seat, I … Continue reading →

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More Progress

Posted on October 6, 2006 by Colin Summers

There are just a couple things left to do to get my instrument rating. Today I completed my IFR cross country flight. It had to be at least two hundred fifty nautical miles, have three different kinds of approaches, and … Continue reading →

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Learning to Fly Better

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Colin Summers

If one took no chances, one would not fly at all. Safety lies in the judgment of the chances one takes. That judgment, in turn, must rest upon one’s outlook on life. Any coward can sit in his home and … Continue reading →

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First IFR in IMC

Posted on May 16, 2006 by Colin Summers

IFR: Instrument Flight Rules. You can fly in the clouds. VFR: Visual Flight Rules. A lot simpler, but you can only fly where you can see. IMC: Instrument Meteorlogical Conditions. You can’t see where you are flying. Way back on … Continue reading →

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Watch Me Fly

Posted on May 15, 2006 by Colin Summers

Okay, this is pretty cool. You can click on that link and it will show you the last time I flew the DiamondStar on an instrument flight plan. Amazing. It will show you the actual radar trace of the flight. … Continue reading →

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Why do we preflight?

Posted on March 11, 2006 by Colin Summers

So Adam and I have carefully planned our flight to Ryan Field, Arizona. We have an oxygen system, plotted flight plan, information about the airport we’re headed to, and information about airports along the way. We have snacks packed, liters … Continue reading →

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