The commercial license is a typical next step after gaining your private pilot’s license. Whether or not you want to end up flying for a living, lots of people will get their commercial rating for either the experience, the (minor) insurance premium break, or just as...

When you’re cleared for takeoff, using the checklist “Lights, Camera, Action” can be useful to remember to turn on the applicable lights [lights] and transponder [camera] before you take off [action]. While that’s a helpful memory tool, what does “lights” mean? It’s...

A couple weekends ago I was preparing for a long cross country trip from Texas to Idaho to do some back country instruction in the mountains. Part of my checklist leading up to the trip was to clean the airplane really well so that I could do a thorough pre-flight...

Flight training is a big investment of time, financial resources, and mental and logistical bandwidth. Whether you are getting your private license, instrument rating, or anything else, it’s a big commitment to see it all the way through. A large portion of students...

If you’ve cruised through your private pilot’s license and are looking ahead to future ratings, the commercial rating is a relatively easy rating that will also certify you to be paid to fly. There are some prerequisites to be aware of that will determine how long...

Buying an airplane can have a lot of hidden costs and so it is good to do your research prior to buying to have an accurate view of the total costs of airplane ownership. I often tell people that “the purchase price is the cheap part” because there seem to be a lot of...

Once you become a private pilot, the usual next step (if you continue your training) is to get your instrument rating. This will certify you to fly with reduced visibility and not being able to see outside the airplane. It’s a pretty challenging rating and most pilots...