A first solo flight is always a memorable experience for both student and instructor, but there are a few that stick out in my memory than others. For example, when you solo accidentally… Read more →
Category: Aerobatics
The Unintentional Aerobat
Do you think it’s possible to fly aerobatics without awareness of it? Not only is it possible — it’s quite common. I’ve seen it done in every kind of airplane, from little Cubs to large-cabin Gulfstreams. Read more →
Teaching a Homeless Man to Fly
A fellow pilot recently wrote about teaching a homeless man to fly. His post reminded me that I once did the same thing, and in the process learned a valuable lesson about how we can be our own worst enemy when it comes to achieving long-held goals. Read more →
Breaking the Rules: Teaching Snap Rolls
Efficient aerobatic instruction is challenging enough when you’re doing a loop, hammerhead, or Cuban. Those figures last ten or fifteen seconds. A snap roll is over in about one second, and what’s happening is far more involved. So how does one teach the ‘snap’ when this complex maneuver is over almost before it starts? The method I’ve settled upon involves using techniques I normally avoid like the plague. Read more →
Reinaldo Beyer Aerobatic Scholarship
Sunrise Aviation recently announced an annual aerobatic scholarship in memory of Reinaldo Beyer, an outstanding aerobatic pilot, judge, and physician. I think this might be of interest given that my previous post on aviation scholarships has proven to be one of the most popular on the site. I went through a Sunrise aerobatic program after I received my private pilot certificate in 1998, and of all the flying I’ve logged in the ensuing fifteen years, nothing has done more to increase my skill level, safety, and confidence in the air. Read more →
Team Aerodynamix
Physical ability is less important that good judgment when it comes to flying… but there’s no denying the impressive skill of groups like Team Aerodynamix. Take a look at this video and I think you’ll be hard pressed to disagree. Read more →
“Am I Nervous?”: An Aerobatic First Solo
A student of mine does triple duy as pilot, videographer, and narrator on his first aerobatic solo flight. Read more →
Taming the Beast
My most memorable flight? There are many to choose from, but one of the most indelible was soloing a Pitts biplane for the first time in the unexpectedly high winds of the desert southwest. Here’s how it happened. Read more →
Big Brother is Watching
As pilots, it’s worth remembering that virtually all aircraft contain computerized devices, even if they’re just portable ones. They’re everywhere, and they record things that can come back to haunt us later. Read more →
Aviation Myths, Part 3
The three-part series on aviation myths concludes with: stall/spins, flying difficulty, bank angle in the pattern, and are aerobatics dangerous? Read more →