Most people take it for granted that pilots must communicate over the radio with ATC (air traffic control). After all, how else can airplanes know what to do and when to do it? The fact is, for private pilots, there are lots of situations where no communication with ATC is required or even possible. (For …
READ MORE Don’t Pilots Have to Talk with Air Traffic Control?
A passenger in a small airplane cockpit’s front seat is in an entirely different environment than that of a passenger seated elsewhere in an airplane. Not only does the passenger have the privilege of seeing out the front of the airplane and experiencing all the wonderful interactions with weather, radio communication with air traffic control …
In aviation, the concept of “speed” isn’t just “how fast an aircraft is going.” It can refer to a number of operating conditions in relation to the aircraft. To fully understand the capacities, safe performance operation, and limitations of any aircraft, it’s important to have a good grasp of “velocity speeds”, known as V-speeds. For …
To a non-pilot’s eye, on cold days and hot days, an airplane taking off, flying overhead, or landing looks pretty much the same. Sure, if it’s icy or raining very hard, there is a chance that the airplane could slip or hydroplane, but other than that, there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference. …
READ MORE Do Small Airplanes Fly Better on Cold Days Than on Hot Days?
Giant airplanes like airliners and military transport aircraft use sophisticated, onboard methods to fly from Point A to Point B. Today, they usually use GPS (Global Positioning System) and/or a combination of other methods using lasers, gyroscopes, and other sophisticated stuff. Interestingly, a few years ago, the military deliberately downgraded the GPS signals the USA’s …
BAKERSFIELD, CA – To better serve Southern California residents, California Aeronautical University (CAU) launches its new Flight Centers in the communities of Oxnard and San Diego, California. The University Flight Centers provide local residents the opportunity to earn their Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics degree online from their hometown. Study Online, Fly Locally With …
If an airplane can zoom along at supersonic speeds and provide Wifi on demand, why are passengers still grabbing for barf bags and gripping armrests when it comes to turbulence? Why can’t pilots just stay away from it? The short answer: They can’t. Turbulence is basically weather, and therefore about as predictable. What is …
The Crash in the Desert At the Desert View Watch Tower on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, which offers an unparalleled view of the Colorado River and Painted Desert, a bronze plaque is part of thescene. It’s a monument to victims of a 1956 airplane crash, a jarring modern object near a …
An understanding of flight is rooted in a strong grasp of how an airplane gets in the air—and stays there. Both a passenger jet and a tiny paper airplane are governed by the same forces. Understanding airplane aerodynamics is key to a successful partnership with the atmosphere: They are the foundation for study for student …
Have you ever flown CLT to ORD to COS? If you read that as “Charlotte to Chicago to Colorado Springs,” you’re clued into the language of airport codes. The world’s most famous airports are familiar to us via media–who hasn’t seen the hero of a romantic comedy jump in a cab and yell “JFK, and …
READ MORE How Do Airport Codes Work To Identify Individual Airports?
Some pilots say that the only thing an airplane has in common with cars is that the tires are rubber, and that’s not really too far off the mark. The Wright brothers and their predecessors and later aeronauts developed a plethora of ideas from scratch that differ radically from the simple mechanics of ground-based transportation. …
Some people warm up their cars before taking to the road but others don’t. Some use electric turning signals, some use hand signals, and others don’t. There is a lot of variation in how people begin their drives with some using a more thoughtful, experienced approach and others just taking their chances. In aviation, with …
With all of the safety advances in equipment and in pilot training, the vast majority of airplane problems are surmountable, and even if an airplane makes its way to the ground against the will of the pilot, in the majority of cases things come out acceptable and nobody dies. As a matter of fact, after …
READ MORE Preparing a Small Airplane for an Anticipated Hard Landing
Flying in a small aircraft or even going down the runway is especially valuable for a first-time, front-seat passenger. In this case, they can look down the runway while the airplane is accelerating (or, if it’s landing, while the airplane is approaching the runway). That view is fantastic, and it is not available for passengers …
READ MORE Some Things that Surprise First-Time Small-Airplane Passengers
Minter Field Airport District will award a $725 tuition reduction to 3 Kern County residents for Summer AeroCamp at California Aeronautical University Minter Field Airport recently announced its “Minter Field Airport District Scholarship,” a $725 tuition reduction awarded to three Kern County residents who attend California Aeronautical University’s summer aviation camp, AeroCamp. As a Kern …
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Oxygen (O2) is the most vital of the gases that comprise our atmosphere. The typical percent of oxygen in breathable air is 20.9%, although we can live with as little as 19.5%. That’s a small spread. And it’s not just the percent of oxygen that is important: It is the pressure of the air, and …
READ MORE Why Small Planes Don’t Have Oxygen for Passengers & Pilots
Let’s begin with this: You can be a terrible communicator as a pilot, make every mistake I’m about to describe, and still have a safe and comfortable flight. There is considerable finesse in handling pilot communications properly, but it is not the end of the world if you have flaws in your technique. Pilots are …
Pilots are taught that they must check out an airplane with great care before taking to the air with the machine. This process is called a preflight. But what goes on during a preflight. Does a pilot walk-up and kick the tires and peer into a gas tank to make sure there’s enough then start …
Aviation is a world of its own. For new students aspiring to become pilots, starting flight training can be much like learning a brand-new language. We asked our flight instructors and Director of Flight Training to give us their tips for new students. Early is on time. On time is late.In the world of …
Dr. Michael Berry has always had a love for aviation. Growing up in a military family, his father would take him to the airfields as a child where he would look to the sky as planes came and went and watched his father work on aircraft. Life as a military child took Dr. Berry all …