Articles on how to discover your wings and save money on flying!
All aircraft must have a magnetic compass that tells you which way you’re going relative to magnetic north. However, if you’ve ever used a compass you know that it has many inherent problems. It has lots of drift and slop, swinging back and forth before it settles down; especially in a vehicle that’s turning, climbing,…
Cross country flying is what aviating is all about. Going from one place to another in a (relatively) straight line, completely unrestricted by roads. A successful cross-country flight requires solid cross-country flight planning. Today I’m going to show you what it is all about. Can You Fly Cross Country VFR? Yes, you absolutely can! In…
If you’re building your own experimental aircraft, plan to spend one third to one half of your budget on the engine, sometimes called the power plant. The exact cost depends on how much of a mechanic and a machinist you are. You can buy ready-to-install power plants designed specifically for experimental aircraft or you can…
Cars have no real counterpart to the airplane’s tail section. Boats do. A boat’s rudder turns the stern one way and the bow goes the other. An airplane’s rudder works in the same manner, turning the nose as needed to help guide the aircraft. In an airplane, this movement is called yaw. The plane’s tail…
Want to get serious about flying? As sport flying grows you will see it as an option at colleges and universities that already have aeronautical programs. In fact, many will offer one-semester or quarter-semester courses that will earn the student a sport-pilot certificate. Their motivation will be to bring private aviation—and aviation careers—into the realm…
Technically, you cannot fly your private aircraft for pay. You can’t carry passengers or freight for money. However, you can accept remuneration of their fair share of costs (fuel, oil, etc.). To fly passengers for profit you’ll need to step up to a commercial rating. But you can use your aircraft in your business, if…
The next phase of flying the pattern is making a moderate turn from the takeoff leg to the crosswind leg. It’s a gentle turn using coordinated controls, moving the control yoke or stick to bank the aircraft and simultaneously applying rudder pressure as needed (left rudder on a left turn). You can make sure the…
It’s a good idea to meet with your partner(s) once a month to pay bills, work out the next month’s flying schedule, and discuss any upcoming expenses such as annual maintenance or required repairs. You also can discuss anything about flying in general, or clean up any problems to keep your partnership friendly.
VFR for private pilots means being able to see the ground and keeping away from other objects including clouds. In a nutshell, here are the VFR weather minimums for sport pilots: Visibility of at least 3 statute miles Stay at least 500 feet below, 1,000 feet above, or 2,000 feet to the side of any…
Clouds are simply pockets of moisture in the air. If the moisture becomes saturated it will turn into liquid and fall to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, depending on air temperature. The point at which moisture turns into a liquid is called the dew point. Clouds are named for their shape. Stratus…
Class C airspace is “crowded,” meaning there are many aircraft trying to take off or land and requiring assistance, but not as much as at Class B airports. Class C airports include Sacramento, California; Boise, Idaho; Portland, Oregon; and others. Class C airspace looks like an upside-down two-layered cake. Most Class C airports have a…
Once you’ve soloed you can start limited flying on your own. However, the wiser decision is to get back in the aircraft with your instructor and move to phase two of learning to fly, honing your skills toward precision flying. No, you won’t be doing acrobatics; you’ll be maintaining a specific heading, climbing and descending…
Had to sell your boat to buy your new aircraft? Pilots living in areas with navigable waters can do both by installing floats to land on lakes and rivers. Of course, you’ll need to get your logbook endorsed for seaplane (a.k.a. floatplane) operation, which requires additional instruction and practice. However, it can combine the best…
There are a couple more pieces of paper that need to be completed during the purchase of your sport aircraft. The first is an aircraft bill of sale which the seller should have. If not, you can get one through your lender, or directly from the FAA, and prepare it yourself. Once you’ve registered your…
Both a car and an airplane have engines that power them. Aircraft engines that power sport pilot-eligible aircraft can be two-stroke or four-stroke. It is common to find both air-cooled and liquid-cooled engines in lightweight sport planes. The car engine power is passed on to the transmission and then the wheels to pull it along…
Will the plane, hangar rent, and other liabilities be in the name of both partners or an entity? If an entity, will it be a partnership that allows a membership to be transferred (with approval), a limited liability company (LLC), an S corporation, or some other legal entity? Work this all out in advance to…
The Zodiac XL is a low-wing, side-by-side, light-sport aircraft with tricycle gear. It has a gross weight of 1,232 lbs. with an empty weight of 690 lbs., meaning you can pack it with 542 lbs. of pilot, passenger, fuel, luggage, and whatever. It has two 12-gallon fuel tanks for a range of about 600 miles…
S-turns are ground-reference maneuvers designed to improve your flying skills when confronted with wind, which is most of the time. If there were no wind for this maneuver you would simply fly half a circle on one side of a road or other marker, then level out, turn, and fly the other half of the…
Thrust is what moves your car or airplane forward. Thrust is applied to a car’s wheels to rotate them and move the car along the road. Thrust is applied to an airplane’s propeller to spin it and pull or push it through the air. Drag is a real drag. We all know that a car…
Among the many benefits the EAA offers is a mentor program for those who are building their first custom aircraft. You can ask to be assigned to a member who lives nearby or one who has experience building the model you want to build. If you’re lucky, you’ll find both mentors in one. It’s a…
