1.    What enhances the growth rate of precipitation? a. Upward currents b. Cycloninc movement c. Advective action   2.    A Baron pilot planning to depart at 1100Z on an IFR flight is particularly concerned about the hazard of icing. What sources reflect the most accurate information on icing conditions [current and forecast] … Continued

Fighting Fatigue By Dr. Leo Hattrup, FAA Medical Officer   Over the years, I have talked to numerous pilots who have flown past a fix, missed calls from ATC, or felt startled to wake up after being asleep for seconds to minutes. A colleague relayed an experience as a military co-pilot. He was on a … Continued

Slam Dunks and ‘Hair on Fire’ Descents (for Fun or Emergency) by Hank Canterbury   Last month I talked about techniques and procedures for descending at various rates in our Bonanzas and Barons without harming either the plane or the engine.  Those techniques offer a range of settings that will develop very high descent rates … Continued

Not Just Your Average Mechanic Aviation Maintenance Technicians Have the Most Important Job In Aviation By Jennifer Caron   What comes to mind when you think of an aviation mechanic? Do you picture a grease-stained guy in grimy overalls, cleaning his hands with a rag, as he critically walks around your aircraft looking for any … Continued

The Pilots’ New Panel by Michael J. “Mick” Kaufman As pilots continue to show – and tell – me about the new avionics suite they have in their airplanes, I am reminded of the childhood story called “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” This short folk tale, written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1837, is … Continued

Robert H. “Bob” Kinnie Airplane single-engine land & sea Airplane multi-engine land Instrument airplane CFI, CFII Total time: 15,621 hours   BPT TAKEOFF: Bob, what first attracted you to aviation? RK: My mother told me that the very first word out of my mouth was “Plane!” When I was fifteen, a friend of my dad’s … Continued