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When I was learning to fly C-130s we had some late-night flights with a bunch of us new student copilots on board with an instructor. I think it was past midnight, and we were flying out of our training base in Tennessee, but over Georgia, controlled by Atlanta Center. The instructor was a...

Years ago, I was at an FBO in Green Bay when the pilot of a twin with tip tanks was reading the riot act to a line guy for filling the wing tanks instead of the tips. I forget what kind of twin it was, but he had instructed the line guy to fill the "mains" without explaining that the main tanks...

I'll be 79 this month. I am not a "career" CFI, but I have worked at this flight training facility longer than any other job I ever had, more than 14 years. Like you, I hope to keep instructing as long as I can pass the medical (most recent one last month).

I never had that problem with instructors, but most of them were military officers. Personally, I am one of those people who follow the Vince Lombardi idea (among others Vince agreed with): "Early is on time. On time is late."

I remember at Goose Bay they painted lines on the tall snowbanks that lined the runway and taxiways. Just about everything was white, so it would be pretty easy to poke wing into the snowbank without the lines.

The ones that tick me off are the no-shows. I only get paid when I teach, no base salary. Sometimes I drive to the airport and the student who scheduled me does not show up at all. No phone call, either. I've wasted time and gasoline for nothing.

Nope. CFI is getting about half of the hourly rate charged by the FBO.

FlightAware doesn't matter. What matters is what ATC radar is seeing, which comes from your encoder. If it is more than 300 feet different from what your altimeter is telling you, expect to hear "stop squawking Mode C" which means turn off the ALT feature on your transponder, and report your...

I think that is a very reasonable estimate.

I've said it before - being a CFI is my perfect retirement job. I don't need the money, but I do enjoy the teaching and flying several times a week. I am the oldest employee by far, but I have a fresh Class 2 medical and will keep on doing what I am doing. If you will get a good retirement...

There is a comment on ForeFlight from two months ago that recommends Million Air (and echoed by earlier posts, all praising Million Air). Fee was $20 for a Cirrus SR 20. Other comments recommend avoiding Signature because of high fees.

The AIM tells us that if we are remaining in the pattern, to make our first turn within 300 feet of pattern altitude. It also describes the best way to exit the traffic pattern. However, Class D airports are accustomed to IFR departures making their turn on course (if cleared) at 400 feet AGL...

Wait, does it have lithium batteries? Sorry.... And if you do get to bring one along, be sure they have depressurized before you saw through.

I was flying from Kalamazoo to Central Wisconsin Airport when I realized I had lost my ability to transmit on either one of the installed radios. I could receive just fine. Over Muskegon, I was able to contact Muskegon Approach with my Icom handheld and advise them that I could receive, but...

See my post #30 above. The satellites apparently knew precisely where to search. They told us he crashed on airport property and that is where he was found. If the CAP had been involved, he may have perished between the time of the crash and the time they could find a crew, an airplane, and...

A couple of years ago we had a Bonanza crash short of the runway in foggy conditions. Within about one minute, the Air Force called the FBO and said they were picking up a ELT signal "on the airport." Folks in the office knew that the airplane had not landed, and had assumed it went missed...

I usually do at Green Bay. Haven't been there for a few months, but I thought it was advised on the ATIS there. Perhaps it is combined with one controller handling Clearance Delivery and Ground.

I believe he said it was a club airplane. You might expect it to be a bit more reliable than many rentals.

One of my students was on a cross country when his radio failed just before departure from a towered airport. I gave him the tower phone number, but when he called for take off clearance, it was denied. The tower operator said the cell phone was not legal for maintaining two-way radio...

Yet the former PTS has been changed to "Airman Certification Standards."