Real-world multi-engine flying tips, aviation safety insights, and training advice from an experienced Bay Area flight instructor. Learn from practical scenarios.
Hourly rate doesn't predict quality. How to evaluate an aircraft maintenance shop on type experience, procedures, communication, and paperwork, plus a checklist before you hand over the keys.
Own your maintenance. What preventive maintenance pilots can legally perform under Part 43, how to learn from your A&P, and why every owner should be present for an annual.
Why 'any landing you can walk away from' fails as an ADM standard, and how outcome bias quietly erodes pilot judgment through normalization of deviance.
A complete walkthrough of the 11-photo cylinder borescope protocol, plus how to interpret every shot, from piston crown to cylinder wall, with real examples from my own engines.
How to plan a summer cross-country from California to Oshkosh: northern and southern routes, mountain terrain, high density altitude, fuel stops, fatigue, and the FISK arrival.
Learn how to use radiosonde data and Skew-T diagrams in your preflight briefing. Free, updated twice daily, and richer than METARs or PIREPs for understanding weather aloft.
Why an easy VFR flight can create hidden cockpit workload. Expectation bias, normalization of deviance, and a real-world NOTAM lesson from a short VFR trip.
A pilot describes firsthand experience inside the FAA's Portable Reduced Oxygen Training Environment (PROTE) and what hypoxia actually feels like.
Hypoxia in aviation: understanding how oxygen deprivation affects pilot decision-making. Real-world lessons on physiology, symptoms, and prevention for safe flying.
My oil analysis showed normal for 3 years, but borescope revealed spalling camshafts. Why oil reports aren't enough for engine health monitoring.
Understanding single-engine performance in twins: why losing one engine cuts performance by 80%+. Critical knowledge for multi-engine pilots.
Understanding Vmc, critical engine, and the aerodynamic factors affecting multi-engine controllability. Essential knowledge for safe twin operations.