Saturday morning's most interesting reads, with five can't-miss posts every week. Exclusive articles, new videos, interactive quizzes, and special aviation events–it's your weekly connection to what's happening in general aviation. Sign up for the weekly Fast Five email here.
1. How I Failed My IFR Practical Test Twice.
I decided after two attempts to not take the Instrument practical again. The examiner was gracious and realized that, being over 55, I did not have plans for commercial flying and certainly not airlines (ATP). He reminded me it is not easy to stay current with an Instrument Rating and flying IFR by yourself can be challenging even for the most proficient pilot, especially if you do not have an autopilot.
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2. Ask a CFI — What Are Some Tips for Taking the FAA Written Exam?.
The FAA Private Pilot written test (PAR) contains 60 multiple-choice questions, with a two-hour time limit. The written test may also include validation questions, which are questions used to accumulate data for statistical analysis of test question validity and performance. Validation questions are non-scored questions, and do not count for or against your final test score. The posted number of questions does not include validation questions.
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3. A Night Flying Experience I’ll Never Forget.
We were monitoring the tower frequency at Erie, and we could hear a disturbing dialogue. A pilot was lost in the dark, in and out of the clouds. His voice sounded on the verge of panic. The controller calmed him, vectoring him out of the clouds and on to a heading for the airport. Soon his anxiety changed to immense relief as he found himself rolling out on short final at his home airport.
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4. Sporty’s Flight Maneuver Spotlight— Rectangular Course.
During your training, you will be introduced to the rectangular course and other ground reference maneuvers. Ground reference maneuvers integrate the fundamentals of flight and demonstrate that you have competence in manipulating the flight controls and applying control pressures to maintain a pre-determined aircraft course relative to objects on the ground.
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5. How to Set Up Aircraft Equipment Codes in Aviation Apps to File VFR/IFR Flight Plans.
Filing a VFR or IFR flight plan today is a breeze when using an aviation app like ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot, since the File function is integrated right into both apps’ standard flight planning features. The one area related to this, which can be slightly confusing though, is entering all the correct aircraft equipment codes when you go to file.
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