Pilot Proficiency

Learning how to master this flying element will make you a more confident, safer pilot.

Practicing and incorporating proper breathing techniques can prove to be a vital risk management tool.

It’s vital to know how to handle systems failures while cruising through the clouds.

Improve air safety with this ATC communications cheat sheet, including practical tips & equipment suggestions for more efficient interactions.

Fly the aircraft—and remember to plan ahead.

Becoming a private pilot is a challenging process and a big accomplishment. Student pilots go through many hours of flight and ground training to become proficient in the required skills and knowledge to ultimately earn their private pilot certificate. One way student pilots demonstrate the subject matter expertise required to hold a private pilot license […]

Many training programs for on-the-road vehicles focus on defensive driving techniques as a safety strategy. They include key points, such as avoiding distractions, trying to predict risks ahead, not assuming others will do what you would in a particular situation, being aware of other vehicles, signaling, and being careful at intersections just in case the […]

“Know your limitations and don’t exceed them” is common advice for aviators. That statement is all well and good, so far as it goes. It generally encourages you, as the pilot, to do a good job of preparing for each flight and keep up your stockpile of skills by regular training and practice. In doing […]

Do you remember when you first picked up the mic to contact air traffic control? It was undoubtedly a scary time. In fact, the normal process of transmitting information to your brain’s motor cortex to make your mouth move and create logical speech at that moment was as far removed as a drop-top Cadillac in […]

New York’s Hudson Valley often feels like it was created with family road trips in mind. When I was a kid, we spent a lot of time driving to the region from our home in New Jersey. At some point, I figured out that the sights and activities we enjoyed there were available closer to […]