Category Archives: Uncategorized

There were times during my training in the Twinstar that I thought it would be worth renting the plane I was training in and doing a longer trip, up to the Bay area at least, to see what it would … Continue reading →

During my hardest IFR flight last summer, I looked at the backup attitude indicator quite often. Possibly because our only real equipment failure in the plane was the alternator, resulting in all of the smoke and mirrors going south at … Continue reading →

When you are learning to fly your instructor will go over what to do when you are lost: climb, conserve, confess and comply. You should initiate a climb because getting a better view is often helpful in your navigation. Once … Continue reading →

The fellow that dropped off the plane, Dick Filbey, had two good pieces of advice. Actually, he had more than that, but I am cataloging them slowly. Both can be used by other pilots, so they should be documented here.

One of the keys to safety in aviation is situation awareness. It is sort of a catchall for describing the environment, aircraft, and the human factors that affect a flight. Most importantly, the risks associated with the flight or the … Continue reading →

What is the purpose of the landing gear hydraulic accumulator? Such a good question. Really, in some ways, a meta-question. I stare at it on the pink 3×5 flash card I have made and search my mind for the answer. … Continue reading →

Growing up one my best friends was Marc Sedaka, whose father is the songwriter and singer of Breaking Up is Hard to Do (and a bunch more hits). Neil became famous when he was young, at nineteen he already had … Continue reading →