Recently published by AOPA Insurance were several tips to help pilots get into air during the coldest time of the year: Winter. “Pilots who enjoy winter flying acknowledge that while your preflight might be a shiver-inducing experience, you will likely not face thunderstorms, one of warmer weather’s traditional hazards,” the report begins. “The cold air also provides […]
Pilot Tips
Tip: Daily drills pay off
Paul Tomascik, a CFI from Ottawa, Ontario in Canada, shares this idea: “One of the easiest and most effective ways to practice system transitions in a plane that you are unfamiliar with or one that you’re rusty in is to take a picture of the panel with your iPad and chair fly with the screen-shot […]
Tip: Fly it or sell it
Herb Harney of Jenison, Michigan submits this pilot tip: “The best method of keeping your airplane and engine in top shape…fly it! At least weekly, raise the oil temperature to 185° or max that you can. Your engines will love you for it. If you don’t fly it, then sell it.”
Tip: Patience is a virtue
Ray Winslow of Laughlin, Nevada, notes: “If you are a hobby pilot like me and live outside very congested airspace, do not do anything about ADS-B until this all settles out. This is especially true if your plane is like mine and only losing value every day because flying is becoming a rich man’s game.I have an […]
Video Tip: Find something unique to attract airshow crowds
Don & Nicole Gutridge from Oakdale, California offer this tip for creating a great airshow: Find something unique to offer for entertainment and/or education.The Oakdale Airport O27 Open House, held in October, found this jaw-dropping performance to showcase. You can view our 2015 Oakdale Flying Display with Greg Milosevich here: Something memorable or safety related […]
Tip: Keep training consistent
Dan Vandermeer submits this “simple tip to help keep flight training consistent: I advise student pilots to routinely schedule three lessons ahead. The most common reasons training sessions are cancelled are: The student or CFI has a last minute schedule conflict; The weather is not good; The aircraft has a mechanical/avionics problem. Just a few […]
Tip: Addicted to ADS-B
Dan Torres from Baldwin, N.Y., notes that he’s been equipped with ADS-B for almost two years now and admits he’s now “addicted.” I have a Garmin 430W and a Garmin GDL-88. I decided on the GDL 88 about eight months after I had the 430W installed. The cost for the GDL-88 at the time was about […]
Tip: Check that tire pressure
George Gould, an A&P/IA at Scholes Field in Galveston, Texas, noted that the most overlooked preflight item is a tire pressure check. “I tow disabled aircraft every month because of flat tires caused by tire failure from low pressure,” he said. “The tubes chafe and get a leak. Students, instructors, and ATPs all have this problem. Some don’t know […]
Tip: Staying current at 85
Lee Beery from Kelseyville, Calif., sent in this tip: I have a very simple way to stay current that will work for everyone. I have printed on strips of light cardboard “flight tasks” we have all had to do at one time to become licensed pilots. Because I like aerobatics, I have a few of […]