Should I Train With Multiple Flight Instructors?
Those of us who have completed any form of flight training will agree that it is one of the most rewarding and challenging tasks we have ever pursued. Those that had no prior experience or had limited knowledge of flying would also agree that it can feel like taking a...
Can You Takeoff With Frost On The Plane?
Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface. It forms when water vapor above freezing comes in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing. Sometimes you may see this on your plane before departing on an early flight, and you may have...
16 Actionable Tips and Tricks for the Instrument Rating
Some pilots will say the instrument rating was one of the hardest ratings of all (second to perhaps becoming a flight instructor). Whereas in the private and commercial license training you are learning the physical coordination of flying, in instrument training it is...
How Does Aircraft Fuel Not Freeze During Flight?
Most aircraft (commercial jets) are designed to cruise at high altitudes for the favorable fuel efficiency and engine cooling properties of the less dense cold air. For context, between 30,000 and 40,000 feet where airliners typically fly, average temperatures usually...
How Does an Airplane Form Wake Turbulence?
Many of us who operate small general aviation airplanes out of busier airspace are familiar with the phrase, “caution wake turbulence” issued by the controller. As a pilot wake turbulence is an important hazard to be aware of and something that every aircraft (no...
Why Does Jet A Fuel Cost Less than 100LL (Avgas) Fuel?
It can be frustrating to pull up to the fuel pump and see the prices for 100LL be significantly higher than Jet A fuel. Oh what it would be like to top off your Cessna at only a couple dollars per gallon! Unfortunately there are some valid reasons that 100LL will...
Why Do Aircraft Have an Unusable Amount of Fuel?
It’s common for pilots to mention their airplane’s fuel capacity and follow it with the disclaimer that it’s “usable.” Like saying “75 gallons usable.” Even by the fuel caps there will usually be a label explaining the amount of usable fuel in that tank which is...
Why Do Some Airplanes Leave Contrails and Others Don’t?
Contrails are the visible reminder that on a daily basis numerous commercial and private flights cross the skies across the world. But some aircraft leave these white trails behind them and others do not, even when seemingly in the same general part of the...
Useful Load of Every Popular Cessna Piston Aircraft
Cessna aircraft are probably the most widely recognized and certainly most produced airplanes in the world today. When you are deciding between what airplane to train in, rent, or buy, there’s a good chance a Cessna is at least on your list of options, if not your...
Why Are Cumulonimbus Clouds Dangerous?
Weather can be a topic that new and seasoned pilots alike spend too little time studying and as a result have to do the bulk of their learning in the cockpit in real-world scenarios. Avoiding storms and obviously hazardous weather is usually pretty easy for even the...
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