The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has kept many of us pilots on the ground. The usual flying activity has been interrupted, and so has everyone’s routine. Let’s talk about what you can do to get rid of the dust that settled on your skills.
Category: Certificates
Enroute IFR: Aeronautical Decision Making
Come along on an en-route instrument flight in Europe. From flight plan filing to takeoff and landing. A discussion of aeronautical decision making (ADM) and the Enroute IR.
Enroute IFR from Switzerland to Carcassonne
Being one of a handful EASA Enroute IR (EIR) holders in Europe, I feel slightly obligated to share my experiences with it. Soon, the EIR will be replaced by the Basic IR (with enroute module) and thus, this enroute IFR rating will live on. Instrument flights consist of three phases: Departure*, enroute and arrival/approach**. The…
The Benefits of Flying IFR – the EASA Enroute IR or Basic IR with enroute module
The Enroute IR (EIR) or Basic IR (BIR) can be a useful tool around the airspace of Europe.
General aviation getaways: The Black Sea
This fly out was very special. Not only did we see fantastic landscapes and met wonderful people, we also discovered a new place to go on holidays: The Black Sea.
General Aviation getaways in Europe
There is a key to enjoying your pilot license. It is simple: You should visit the best getaways with your friends and family.
On extended wings to the Black Sea
It has been a long time since the last flight in our Franklin powered 1959 Cessna 175. It is currently getting hair wing extensions from Air Research Technology Inc. for a gross weight increase, mad take-off and overall performance. Plus, a Garmin GTN 650, a DME and in-flight weather will make it a real IFR…
330h CPL – Cessna Turbo 210
I flew a few hours in a Cessna Turbo 210. This plane asked for all my skills. To be honest, it felt as if I flew the first time all over again. The learning curve was steep and the airplane a thrill to fly. At first sight, the aeroplane looks like the usual Cessna. But look…
344.5h – Routine and Night Flying
Flying every day this month really got me in the routine of making decisions, and decisions is all flying is about. Especially interesting were the flights during night time. Night flying is so smooth – much smoother than driving a car – that it gives me a very comforting feeling in an environment that seems…
Commercial Pilot Certificate
Compared to the instrument rating, the commercial was simple. It is basically the proof that you can put your airplane where you want it and you understand its systems in depth. You also need to master a few legal terms – surprisingly no more than a few. The first question of an oral usually is:…
Headsetinc ANR Kit In-Flight Test
I had two flight lessons today for my commercial pilot license and took my upgraded headset along, a David Clark H10-13.4 with ANR set from Headsetinc. Honestly, despite the successful tests yesterday. I still had doubts if it would actually work in the cockpit. After all, the last time I soldered it was my guitar’s pickups…
Headsetinc ANR Retrofit
With up to five hours flight time per day and my first pilot job starting within the next months, I thought, I should take care of my ears. Every evening I have a light headache – I hope I can change that. I purchased an active noise reduction (ANR) set from Headsetinc for my David…
2.5h CPL – Maneuvers
Can you point out design maneuvering speed (Va) on this airspeed indicator? This airspeed is important to know if you are flying maneuvers or flying into turbulence; it is the airspeed at which the airplane stalls at its G-limit. In other words, it is the speed at which the stall protects your airplane from structural…
1.2h CPL – Complex Airplane
The past three weeks I had been studying intensively for the commercial written exam. It turned out that nearly all knowledge was already covered by previous courses for the private pilot license and instrument rating. Still, I wanted to work through the entire online class and immerse myself in my new goal: the commercial pilot…
224.9h – Advanced Decision-Making
Runways, weather, terrain, wake turbulence and many factors more affect a pilot’s decisions. Some decisions significantly effect the outcome of a flight, but other in-flight decisions go even beyond that. Let’s talk through the insignificant stuff first. Last week I had a wonderful navigation flight which went so well that I was finally confident enough…
222.5h – Confident Flying
Yesterday I did my first solo flight in the United States since 2011 and it all went great. Back then, just after my checkride, I did only one flight as a private pilot in this country. The flight to Ocean Shores, WA, was quite eventful. I had direct crosswind on landing, deer on the taxiway,…
Looking Back and Ahead (Video)
Next Monday I am going to fly the first time at Centennial (KAPA) and I am happy to get back in the air. First I need to do a flight review because I am not current on my FAA license anymore. Gosh, it is already three years ago when I was training for my private…
Steep Turns and Slow Flight
On my last solo flight I spent an hour in the air practicing steep turns and slow flight. I had not flown for a while so it has been a great opportunity to get a feel for the aircraft again. The day was forecast to be sunny but I had to wait several hours until…
Back in the Air
Finally, finally my father’s Cessna 175 is back in the air! The airplane was in maintenance for 3 months due to an issue with the avionics. It is now equipped with a new Garmin radio and GPS. The weather was at VFR minimums so we decided to remain in the pattern. We both had to…
PIREPs for Europe
PIREP Pro could improve your weather briefing. Download this app on your phone and you will be able to issue PIREPs simply by a few clicks. In America pilot reports are an important source for general aviation pilots for studying the actual weather – because it might not behave as forecast. Here in Europe you…
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