General
Bird strike – It could happen to you!
One of the most unexpected things that can happen while flying is an encounter with the feathered kind. Birds were the first aviators of the skies and as such should be respected. However, have you ever considered how a bird strike could affect you in your single engine or general aviation aircraft?
What NOT to say when speaking on the radio
For some reason, even though every pilot has been taught radio phraseology as part of their training, a number of bad habits and ambiguous words have entered the skies, to such an extent that one actually starts to wonder if these are acceptable.
What is the difference between Climb Gradient and Flight Path Angle?
Climb gradient has nothing to do with speed. Let me repeat – nothing to do with speed. If speed is concerned, then we are talking about the rate of climb… But what is flight path angle?
Right of Way – Which way should you fly?
If you have ever been faced with a situation where you have an aircraft coming towards you, or you are zooming along in your Piper Seneca and you find yourself having to over take a nervous student in a C152, here is the proper way to do it…
Alternator failure – What should you do?
Alternator failures do not occur often, but when they do, it affects the electrical systems of the aircraft, and your own decision making skills.
Biplanes – Two wings double the lift?
Biplanes, or aeroplanes with two wings, one on top of the other, were popular in the World War One era. Many of these designs are still functioning today, but what makes this design so unique? There are a number of variations in Biplane design, such as staggered...
How does the mixture control work?
In a piston engine aircraft, the mixture control lever is the red one. Red, because it is really important for healthy engine operation. So what exactly does the mixture control lever do?
When to use Carb Heat?
If you have ever felt a little confused as to how carb heat works, and when exactly to use it, you are not alone…
How to use rudder for a perfectly coordinated turn
The remedy for adverse yaw is to be found in the rudder pedals, and in combination with the ailerons is termed a ‘coordinated turn’. What this means is simply the coordination of aileron and rudder, in order to balance the turn. But how does one achieve this?
What is the difference between Cloud Base and Ceiling?
it is important to understand the requirements, with regards to distance from clouds, not just to stay in the legal limits if you are VFR, but to ensure the safety of your flight. Understanding the difference between cloud base and cloud ceiling seems a challenge, but it actually isn’t!
Things to do for pilots in lock down.
These times are hard for everyone in the aviation industry, but here are some ideas to get you through…
Hour building? Why not try a Nav Rally competition?
Doing a navigation rally really is a cost effective, and productive way of building valuable hours and improving your skills, especially if you got your licence many years ago. The camaraderie is simply brilliant
Radar identified, contact, and under control – What is the difference?
Setting your transponder code allows ATC to follow your progress in their airspace using this technology, but do you know the difference of when you are just being ‘followed’, and when ATC is actually ensuring your separation and making sure you don’t collide with terrain, or other aircraft?
What to do if you find yourself a little ‘lost’
It is almost certain to have happened to every VFR pilot, whether on that first solo navigation exercise, or many hours down the line… That ‘Oh F@#$’ moment when you realise that you have somehow lost situational awareness and you don’t quite know where you are.
Can you fly without an Altimeter?
As with all human inventions, the altimeter is fallible, and should it fail in flight, having a back up plan of how to fly without it, is a skill worth having.
Need to fly on the compass? Here’s how to do it
It may be one of the most basic instruments in your aircraft, yet, it is a legal requirement, and has an essential place in the cockpit, especially when all else fails.
How to know if you have a pitot-static blockage?
The pitot-static system is simple, yet very important as it affects 3 critical instruments. Understanding what happens when part of it gets blocked, will help you to fly in a safe manner.
What causes a ‘bounced’ landing?
A good instructor will teach you how to avoid the dreaded bounce, which is almost an inevitable part of learning to land an aeroplane, but more importantly, what to do when it happens.
When should you abort a take off?
Knowing when to abort the take off is key to making a safe decision, so here are a few guidelines…
Magneto Checks – What are you actually checking?
We often don’t really know, or recall the reason why we are checking a particular item.The magneto check is one of these – we know it is one of the most important checks, and that we are looking for a particular drop, but what is the significance of the drop?
Briefing your passengers – Doing it right!
Even if you are a private pilot who just likes to take friends and family for flips on the weekend, it is important for their safety, and yours, that you brief them properly. However, this can be awkward, and is especially dependent on the type of person that is your passenger.
The Art of Taxiing
Here are some ways to show off good skill and airmanship the next time you taxi your aerie…
How temperature and dew point can help you determine flying conditions
Relative humidity, and dew point are important factors to you as a pilot, as it can help you determine what possible weather you may encounter en-route, and where the dangers lurk.
Why does Centre of Pressure move aft at the stall?
Do you know why the centre of pressure on an aircraft wing initially moves forward as the angle of attack increases, yet as it reaches the stall it moves backwards?
A Day Out… Flying aerobatics!
Going inverted, doing barrel rolls and loops, is something I have been prepared to sell a kidney for, since my early flying days. Aerobatic flight is nothing short of poetic to watch, but what is most intriguing, and inspiring, is the level of skill required to make it all seem effortless – much like the gymnastics of the skies.
How to choose a Flight School
I firmly believe that your decision should be made based on the quality of the instructors, professionalism of the school. and not necessarily the lowest prices.
10 Mistakes pilots make in an unmanned circuit pattern
You may be a student pilot, or a seasoned pilot, but somehow, when you are flying into an unmanned airfield, with no ATC to tell you what to do, these errors seem to produce themselves…
Is the Private Pilot a dying breed?
Ask any pilot what their most cherished flying memory is, and it would hardly be surprising if the response dates back to their early training days…
What is a Contra-rotating Propeller?
The issues are overcome by using a design concept known as contra-rotating propellers…
What is a Tailplane Stall?
While pulling back on the control column may require the biceps of Dwayne Johnson, forward movement will feel unusually easy.
Are new pilots being ‘forced’ into instruction?
My point is this – are new pilots simply being forced into instruction because other opportunities are so scarce?
Why You need to take care when flying from high to low pressure areas
When starting flying lessons, we are given a lot of sound advice, but over time, especially if you don’t fly longer cross country trips on a regular basis, the warnings become faded and are sometimes forgotten. One of these wicked phrases that we were all taught is ‘High to low, careful go!’, but understanding what this means can be a challenge.
Ground Effect – Your Friend or Foe?
A phenomenon which affects aircraft when manoeuvring close to the ground, ground effect is something all pilots should consider on take-off and landing. It can prove to be your greatest enemy if you are caught off-guard, or you can make friends, and use it to...
Understanding how a Pressure Altimeter works
The pressure altimeter is not a fancy instrument, but despite it being invented by American Paul Kollsman, way back in 1928, not much has changed, It is, however, a rather important instrument, especially when it comes to terrain clearance, and poor visibility. As pilot, it is essential to understand how it works, the settings, and how it can lie to you…
How to Become a Pilot in South Africa
It usually all starts with your eyes turned up to the sky, and a dream of flying those magnificent machines called aircraft. Practically, however, school career guidance councillors, if available, are often not informed on the process of how to become a pilot, so here is my suggested guide:
What is a Pitot Tube and What does it do?
Named after it’s 18th century inventor, French engineer Henri Pitot, this marvelous invention is still in use today…
Draining the fuel tanks – What to do if you find water?
Draining the fuel tanks is one of the first things we are taught to do in the pre-flight routine, but what do you do the day you discover a bit of water at the bottom of your fuel drainer?
Take Off Limitations – What are they?
Can you take off? A question which can only be answered after considering a number of factors, such as temperature, airfield elevation, runway length, aircraft mass, aircraft acceleration, climb performance, and obstacles in the climb-out path…
10 Marshalling Signals You Should Know
If you fly out of a smaller, general aviation airfield, you are probably convinced that you will never be faced with the prospect of following the instructions of the seemingly mute, Visi-vest clad, baton wielding persons called marshalls.
What is Dead Reckoning?
Dead Reckoning. Sounds like a very apt name for the latest scary movie, I have absolutely no idea why the word ‘dead’ is used…
Which is better – Yoke or Stick Control?
A recent debate with a fellow pilot friend has led to this topic, so I do hope that all of you reading this will leave your comments down below. I must start with a confession, no pun intended, that I am a stick girl!
How to Calculate Distance and Time using Co-ordinates
Well, for some of you, it is necessary to be able to calculate the distance and time from co-ordinates for exam purposes. For the rest of you, who rely on that magnificent invention called GPS, quite frankly, I don’t blame you, but it is useful to use your grey matter, and know how to work it out the old fashioned way, just in case…
10 Aviation Weather Terms and What They Mean.
When embarking on any flight, an essential part of the pre-flight preparations involves studying the various weather charts and forecasts, but sometimes understanding exactly what they mean, can prove to be a bit of a challenge. So here are some of our favourites below, which you may remember, or not…
How You Can Communicate Better with the ATC
For those of you who quiver at the very initiation of contact with the ATC, fear not, here are some tricks that will help…
10 Steps to Choosing the Right Flight Instructor
Choosing your instructor is a bit like going on a blind date – you just don’t know if it will be a compatible match, but you just go with it anyway. The truth is, student pilots are often assigned an instructor, without much say in the matter…
What is a ‘Dutch Roll’?
On first guess it is probably the residual excess of the holiday festivities around the belt line, or more likely, an entertaining aerobatic manoeuvre. The truth is not far off, in the sense that it can be an unintentional, or intentional.
How to navigate using the VOR
The VOR requires a little bit more work, in the sense that your heading is dealt with on a different instrument, namely the Directional Indicator (DI). but is fun to learn, and will get you flying more accurately and mindfully…
What is Best Glide Speed and should you always stick to it?
Do we stick to this speed religiously in every event where we have a complete loss of power? The answer has two components, depending on what we are trying to do…
Why You Don’t Want to Start Up with the Avionics ON…
Although most instructors would have drilled this into you, you may not have been told why this could be a problem, and quite possibly, Hollywood visions of an exploding aircraft come to mind
How to Choose the Best Long Range Radio Frequencies
if you take a little time to understand high frequency (HF) communications, you may be able to solve your own problems by simply selecting the right frequency for your flying conditions.