Your Airplane Will Always Lose to a Mountain
Are you Jones’n to get over the mountains fast, and to your destination sooner? Think again. Take some time to plan, and make sure the aircraft is even capable of tackling the task.
Crossing the Atlantic in Style
The year was 1927. Several aspiring aviators had died in pursuit of the Orteig Prize, being the first to cross the Atlantic non-stop. A young, American pilot named Charles Lindbergh was the next pilot up to the challenge. He was sporting a snug, single-engine piston Ryan NYP airplane dubbed the Spirit of St. Louis. The weighed down airplane barely cleared telephone lines when taking off of the muddy runway. Over the next 33.5 hours in the cramped cockpit of the Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh battled storms, icing, fog, and navigated by the stars to arrive exhausted but safely at Le Bourget Airport in France. Eighty years from this monumental feat, we have come a long way in making oceanic air travel safer and much more comfortable.
U.S.A. – U gotta See America
The wind is howling, lightning is flashing, and you are wrestling the 777 down to achieve another safe landing. Passengers think airline pilots are crazy, adrenaline junkies that actually enjoy this “terrifying” experience. Believe it or not, us pilots do actually like a calm, clear day every once in a while to enjoy the beautiful scenery across the U-S of A.
Watch the FlightSimCon Presentation
Over this past weekend was the first FlightSimCon (Flight Sim Convention) in Hartford, Connecticut. We at Angle of Attack really wanted to be there, and planned on being there, but things got a bit too rowdy for us to be able to attend. Regardless, we were able to do a presentation for the folks at this FlightSimCon and we want to share that with all of you.
Unattainable Perfection
Each day we strive to be better. We try to remember to take out the trash on time, pay that bill on time, eat fewer calories, be more kind, take more time with family, or even as simple as spending a full two minutes brushing our teeth rather than rushing through it.
Are you a Premature Jet Jockey?
Sitting left seat at the controls of a Cessna 152 II, my first flight lesson was about to commence. Sure, I’d flown really complex jets in flight simulator before, with a varying degree of success. And this couldn’t be anywhere near that complicated, right? I had this.
The Mystery of Flows vs Checklists
Yyou’ve just arrived on the Flight Deck. You’re already behind schedule, and you have to get the aircraft ready to go for the next flight. The passengers are already filing on board, and the flight attendants are finishing their duties.
Time Flies: What is your 2013 Flight Training plan?
Every new year, most people start to think about what they want to achieve with this magical new time that is given us. A new year comes every year, yet, we all still strive to be better, do better, and achieve lofty goals.
Past, Present, Future and a 747-8F
These days, it’s not that common for me to be able to do a flight without some sort of connection to work. Yes, I record and produce on almost every flight I do in the simulator. This weekend was different, however.
5 Handy Tips for Solid Hand-Flying
These days, the art of hand-flying seems to be a bygone era. Unfortunate as that may be, it’s the result of highly automated aircraft taking the flying opportunities from pilots. Catch 22 works in ironic ways, as the pilot is the one that has to turn on the autopilot in the first place, making him the creator of his own demise.
