Matthew Johnston 
There are many paths a pilot can take to commercial aviation. It’s an excellent time to begin a career in the aviation industry; career opportunities abound due to an ever increasing pilot shortage. Depending on education level, physical location, and professional goals, the path to a life in commercial aviation is as customizable as the …
One aspect of aviation knowledge which immediately separates the general public from professionals or self-educated enthusiasts is the matter of aircraft engines. Most members of the flying public are happy to step on and off an airplane, reaching their destination without thinking at all about what has powered them there. For pilots, engineers, and many …
READ MORE The Differences In Flying With Different Engine Types
Understanding the basic aerodynamics of how an airplane’s control surfaces work is a major part of safely commanding it both on the ground and in the air. When you have a good grasp of these principles, both abstractly as well as while acting as pilot in command, you are better equipped to make sound decisions …
To many already making their living as pilots, there’s no need to question why one should choose this career path. They love their work and enjoy taking to the skies to safely ferry people and cargo to their destinations. Many can’t imagine working in any other job or field. Others aren’t looking for a career …
With aviation such a wide-open and expanding field in a burgeoning economy, the industry has a great need for flight instructors. Not only are higher-paying jobs in airlines, cargo operations, and charter companies commanding higher salaries and thus more new pilots, many flight instructors who work to accumulate the minimum number of hours required for …
You’re probably excited to begin learning how to be a pilot. But while you wait on your first appointment with a potential instructor, there are several ways to put yourself in an aviator’s mindset. Many of these exercises are mental, but some are practical. Any of them can provide a boost to your training as …
READ MORE How Should I Prepare Before Applying To Flight School?
Flight instructors play a vital role in the general aviation community. They communicate information and courtesies that might not appear in textbooks, ensure their students understand their lessons in ways an automated system cannot, and provide a role model to new pilots. Sometimes, finding a good instructor is the difference between a lifetime in aviation …
What is involved with making the leap from your private pilot certificate to earning your commercial certificate? Is it just a matter of completing it so that you can be paid to fly? Becoming a commercial pilot is much more. The pilot must qualify for a practical exam administered by the FAA. In addition, …
With a decades-long sluggish aviation industry at last hiring again due to a worldwide pilot shortage, many who want to become pilots might wonder why they should spend time and money on earning a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics. Aren’t most of the major airlines hiring without one? And doesn’t military experience or the equivalent satisfy …
For the general public, preparation for an international flight might mean checking TSA rules for duty-free items and looking into ways to exchange currency. But for pilots, international flight requires a different type of planning. Whether the destination is a quick trip to Canada or Mexico or a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe, …
There’s nothing like taking off into a clear blue sky on a 75 degree day, soaring over mountains with the sea just below. For pilots who learn to fly in Southern California, this is a daily reality. However, it’s not just the weather that makes this part of the Golden State a great place to …
READ MORE What Makes Southern California a Great Place to Learn to Fly?
Is IFR training really necessary? Technically not—plenty of private pilots fly quite happily without it— but working on an instrument rating is always a good idea, whether or not you plan on flying for pay on the side or as a lifelong career. IFR flight training requires a great deal of hard work and a …
Thanks to the way air traffic controllers are usually portrayed in popular culture, most of the general public tends to imagine them as highly stressed oddballs trapped in airport towers. However, the nearly 14,000 controllers who keep the world and nation moving have many responsibilities, are highly trained, and, most of the time, work in …
When pilots use the term “your IFR” or “the IFR,” they are referring to “instrument rating requirements.” In aviation, “IFR” stands for “Instrument Flight Rules.” Having an IFR rating means that a pilot is authorized to fly in conditions of low visibility—specifically, with a ceiling below 1,000 feet above ground level, and/or visibility of one …
Do you struggle sometimes to communicate your passion for flying? It can be difficult to convince people of its merits who only view flying as a source of mass transportation, or who feel frightened to experience aviation in “one of those little airplanes.” Veteran pilots who have logged thousands of hours and overwhelmed student pilots …
When someone says the word “airplane,” a lot of different visuals might come to mind—the 1903 Wright Flyer (the world’s first airplane), a World War II fighter, or a huge passenger jet with a modern cockpit. The fantastic part about aviation is that all of these images apply. Since it landed on a runway like …
Safety culture in aviation isn’t just adhering to new FAA guidelines in the wake of a deadly accident or frightening near-miss. It’s a daily, minute-by-minute commitment to ensuring that you, your passengers, and workers or civilians on the ground stay as safe as possible. You’ve probably heard and said over and over that flying is …
While many general aviation pilots take to the skies simply because they love it, flying remains a hobby. Others, however, are eager to make a living while flying. Both kinds of pilots keep the general aviation industry alive. Many pilots join the military or become regional or major airline pilots. These jobs tend to offer …
Even with the incredible diversity of experience levels and kinds of pilots in aviation, there’s things they all have in common: Each maintains a logbook. A logbook is the indispensable diary of a pilot’s training, career, and solo journeys. It records not only where he has flown, but who he has flown with, the number …
Safety and success in aviation is a matter of knowing what possible and which limitations surround an aircraft or airspace. Smart pilots are also informed of the restrictions surrounding themselves. Becoming fully aware of the restrictions surrounding a flight is an important first step in conducting a safe one. Focusing on restrictions on a certificate …
READ MORE What Are The Restrictions of A Private Pilot Certificate?