From The Editor: It‘s All In The Rudder

A crosswind landing is another situation where having sharp rudder skills is essential. Budd Davisson, who spends much of his time in the pattern with students, offers tips to beat crosswinds, and how to think about and use rudder for a successful touchdown. Should you slip or crab on final approach in a crosswind? Budd takes a look at both techniques.

Also in this issue, Steve McCabe takes us down under, as he flies out of Sydney's Bankstown airport. Australia has a welcoming aviation community, and if ATC is accommodating, sights you can see include the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, as well as famous surfing beaches Bondi and Manly. Steve compares general aviation in Australia and the U.S., and takes us through the steps required to convert an American pilot certificate to an Australian one, through CASA, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Outside of Sydney's metropolis, the landscape changes dramatically, and it isn't far before you're flying over remote areas of the bush. The country is almost three million square miles, and airplanes provide an easy way to travel long distances. In the U.S. as well, there are plenty of remote locations that are within reach of a general aviation plane. In our buyer's guide to survival gear, Marc Lee rounds up what you need to make flying over remote areas safer. He covers personal locator beacons, satellite communicators, flotation devices, handheld radios and more.

To read even more aviation stories, head over to Plane & Pilot's online blog. In our latest posts, Marc Lee commends Harrison Ford's well-executed off-airport landing after an engine failure in his classic Ryan PT-22, and Ben Freelove gives an insider look at how Team Muroya has been prepping for the Red Bull Air Race. Ben is spending the year traveling around the world with Muroya on the race circuit and will be blogging regularly about their adventures. To read more, visit www.planeandpilotmag.com/blog.