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In the airplane, yes, I'm mostly desensitized. It's come through making it task-oriented like you said. I'm so focused on the flying part that I don't notice it as much. It probably bothered me for the first times I did it because I was piloting less and riding more. I also realized that...

Gary, if you do some reading and post asking for some advice on beechtalk.com, I think you'll get a ton of useful information, buying advice, and leads on planes for sale that haven't hit the market yet. There is a post about someone who is looking for or just bought a Baron nearly every week.

Some. Not most, some. If the airport has an ILS, it will also have approach lighting in that area. Many airports have roads/fences/etc. Gotta know your departure airport and your aircraft performance. If the engine fails at 200', you can probably land on a 5000' runway again. At 300'...

I'm not sure how you get to "when we want your opinion of what we could be doing better we'll ask, until then shut up and do your job" from "I can't comment without details," etc. The answer is complicated. And finding planes is really hard. That's the answer. I think unfound planes show...

That looks like one hell of a fun airplane! Maybe this is a silly question, but why would someone design and build a biplane in the modern world of monoplanes? Is there something about the biplane configuration that makes them better? Is it just because biplanes are cooler?

And you requested flight following? Sounds like a controller forgot to pass word on to the next controller. You can always request at any time, even if they cut you loose. They may say "unable," but usually they'll accommodate you. The departure controller is sitting in a dim room with a...

Thanks for the google earth flight sim tip! I think I knew about it early on, but never had much use for it and forgot about it. I'll check it out again.

In the few cases that I have first hand knowledge of CAP being accused of giving up on a search too quickly, there was much more to the story, and it was never a case of anyone (CAP or otherwise) just performing a cursory search and then giving up. I can't comment on any of the cases you're...

Sure, but if you know there's a problem there's no reason not to land somewhere and ask for their help coming in NORDO. I wouldn't bust airspace and circle around waiting for them to figure out to use the light gun unless I really had to. Call ahead and they'll likely pull out the light gun...

It's not 0g, but when the stall breaks and the noses pitches over it is less than 1 g. Depending on the plane, you can start to feel light in the seat. @LoLPilot, I can totally empathize. When I was younger that feeling of your gut coming out your throat scared the hell out of me and I didn't...

Congratulations! Even if you got lucky and didn't draw any of the really tricky questions, a high score is a hard-earned accomplishment!

What Bill said, good job. Using a handheld in a noisy airplane is hard. I had to do it once and it was barely audible. Downwind is no place to be figuring out how to make it work. Depending on the circumstances, I might have landed and called the tower on the phone to explain the...

The short answer is: it can be really hard to see a crashed airplane, and finding it depends on the resources you have available. You can't search only the area of the last radar hit or last known position, so you have to dedicate resources to the entire probable area. An awful lot of planes...

After working with and running a small non-profit and seeing how hard it is to get anything done, I am *far* less critical of organizations like AOPA when they don't accomplish their goals. I'm certain their lobbying has helped fight off ATC privatization, and there just aren't many people out...

I've never heard of it happening for an aircraft, but have heard of it happening for hikers. Some states have laws that allow them to bill you for the cost of your rescue. Some of those laws include a negligence clause or other language that gives them some leeway in deciding who to bill...

What altitude and what airport? At my home 'drome, I can only see the beacon when I'm on the ground looking right at it. Too much light pollution to pick out the beacon or runway lights until you're basically lined up. I know it's on the SE edge of the big black hole next to the city.

Remember that you fly the plane at night the same way you do during the day. Make sure you're nailing your airspeeds and power settings in your patterns and it won't be a big deal. If you're still feeling your way around the pattern with varying airspeeds, you're probably relying too much on...

Are you sure you're using the approved item? The POH is issued for a specific serial number, and I thought they were much more expensive than that. The Pilot's Information Manual is usually around $40 and includes most of what's in the POH, but it's not the same thing and won't suffice if you...

Flight plans automatically trigger a SAR effort if you don't arrive at your destination. Flight following does not, though a vigilant controller might start the process if they think something has happened to you. And they may not. They're people, too, and won't always make the same judgement...

All parts of the AFM are mandatory unless superceded by a revision or STC. An extended baggage mod gives you better access to the baggage area, but other than having to weigh the aircraft to find your new empty weight and CG, it does not (usually) modify the loading calculations. Engine...