Frankenstein’s Airplane The Sometimes Tricky Business of Modifying Aircraft By James Williams FAA Safety Briefing Magazine The “Frankenplane” is a concept FAA Safety Briefing first explored in the 2014 article “Beware the Frankenplane!” (See our May/Jun 2014 edition at in our archive.) It alludes to Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus. Shelley’s work tells the story of … Continued
1. Unless ATC authorizes you otherwise, when you’re operating under IFR in controlled airspace, you are required to report all of the following as soon as possible except: a. Confirmation of forecasted weather b. Unforecast weather conditions encountered c. Safety information about the flight 2. You’re enroute to your destination, you listen to … Continued
Fly Like a PRO Professionalism and Flight Discipline in General Aviation By Everette Rochon FAA Training and Certification Group Manager If you’re interested in aviation, it’s a safe bet that you have seen video of the carefully orchestrated operations on board an aircraft carrier flight deck. You’ve seen the pitching deck, the closely-packed jets, … Continued
Read the Room; Take the Hint If Other Pilots Aren’t Flying, Should You Press Ahead? By Jason Blair FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) The aviation community is a small world. In this environment, we each have the opportunity for positive influence on fellow pilots if we choose to use it. We particularly have a duty … Continued
What Is It Doing Now? By Michael J. “Mick” Kaufman Over the last several years, there have been many avionics upgrades. As a result, the avionics shops are six months to a year behind with scheduled work and updates. However, when the update is done, does it work “WRIGHT,” as in those brothers that started … Continued
Control Techniques During A Round Out / Flare By Hank Canterbury During training, I often observe pilots overcontrolling the elevator during the flare process. It is a perfectly natural thing to hunt and peck for the right attitude while searching for the ground. But occasionally, that results in a Pilot-Induced-Oscillation (PIO), which can cause damage … Continued
1. The term “angle of attack” is defined as the angle between the: A. Chord line of the wing and the relative wind B. Airplane’s longitudinal axis and that of the air striking the airfoil C. Airplane’s center line and the relative wind 2. Refer to the figure above. Determine the maximum wind velocity … Continued
JOIN US LIVE AND IN-PERSON — OR ONLINE AND “FLY LATER” — FOR THE UPCOMING BPT Spring 2025 Clinics in: Tucson, AZ (KTUS) – January 10-12, 2025 Lakeland, FL (KLAL) – February 7-9, 2025 Austin, TX (KEDC) – March 7-9, 2025 Fresno, CA (KFAT) – April 11-13, 2025 Oshkosh, WI (KOSH) – May 2-4, … Continued
Tips for Perfect Preflight Prep Why Better Preflight Preparation is Paramount to Safe Flight By Paul Cianciolo, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine Associate Editor Inadequate preflight preparation is cited as a contributing factor in many general aviation accidents. Even something as simple as a loose fuel cap missed during a preflight inspection can cause chaos. That … Continued
Ground Effect: The First and Last Few Seconds By Hank Canterbury I often wondered why many pilots flying Bonanzas and Barons seem to touchdown three-point. The three-point touchdown is defined by the FAA as “a simultaneous touchdown of the main and nose wheel with excessive speed, followed by application of forward pressure on … Continued