by Charlie Gasmire | Jun 30, 2019 | Aviation FAQs, Pilot Advice
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...
by Charlie Gasmire | Jun 25, 2019 | Aviation FAQs, Pilot Advice
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...
by Charlie Gasmire | Jun 24, 2019 | Aviation FAQs, Pilot Advice
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...
by Charlie Gasmire | May 28, 2019 | Aviation FAQs, Pilot Advice
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...
by Charlie Gasmire | May 27, 2019 | Aviation FAQs, Pilot Advice
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...
by Charlie Gasmire | May 7, 2019 | Aviation FAQs, Pilot Advice
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...
