"We're going to use LNAV/VNAV minimums" - Student "Why?" - Tizi "I don't know" - Student How low we can go on an approach is dependent on the line of minima we use. In the case of RNAV (GPS) approaches, there are various options available: LPV - L ocalizer P erformance with V ertical guidance LNAV/VNAV - L ateral NAV igation with V ertical NAV igation LNAV - L ateral NAV igation LP - L ocalizer P erformance These line of minima are not always available on every chart. The

"Are we good to go?" - CFI "Yup" - Student who forgot to remove the tie downs "Now boarding group 4" Throughout pilot training, we always emphasize safety: preparing for a flight, considering risks and threats, applying mitigations, and so forth. Acronyms like PAVE and IMSAFE should be every pilots’ bread and butter. That being said, don’t we always ask our friends “ all right, good to go? ” before every flight? Think about it! Although a relevant question, it’s also rather

“ Noooooo!!! If you’re on the ground, stay on the ground! ” Dr. Bill Departure briefs are an integral part of any flight. You will see them listed in checklist in the “before takeoff” section. The purpose is to talk about how you will depart the area and deal with unexpected emergencies. For a good safety culture, you need to create healthy habits . Doing a proper departure brief is one step in that direction.   To be fair, my departure briefs differ greatly between general

Per 14 CFR Part 91.171 , VOR equipment must be checked in the preceding 30 days if it's to be used for navigation under IFR . What this means is that if are not intending on using it for navigation, you technically don't need to do a check. Since VOR is a great backup form of navigation for all of you children of the magenta line , it's best to keep your VOR checks up to date. Paragraph (a)(2) is what pertains to us. There are four (4) ways of executing a VOR check. Here is

“ATOMATOFLAMES!!!” Students’ (incorrect) response to any INOP equipment question A dragonfly that flew straight into my stall indicator on landing after an aerobatic flight. Could I have flown without it if this had happened before the flight? In my career as a flight instructor and stage check instructor, I have never encountered a more tragic topic than inoperative equipment and airworthiness. I regularly ask my students and my stage check candidates questions concerning

"Turn left heading 130, maintain 2000 until establised cleared ILS 10 approach" -SAV ATC Vectors to final (VTF) is a controller managed option to clear you onto an instrument approach procedure (IAP). This is not a charting transition, but it is considered - in navigation world - a transition for the approach. So for example, when you load an approach into your Garmin navigator, "vectors" will be an acceptable transition selection. We talked about approach clearance types in

"If it flew in, it will fly out" - Pilot who skips preflight In ground school - and probably from day one - you learned about the PAVE checklist. That is a hazard identification / risk mitigation acronym to help you consider the flight "as a whole". Think about the P ilot, the A ircraft, the en V ironment, and E xternal pressures. That's fantastic, but it's more of a thought-inducing system rather than a real tangible tool. So, to help consider some of the risks involved in y

"You are Pilot in Command for the duration of this flight" - Tizi's brief to his CFI before every flight as a Florida Tech student Clearly identifying who is PIC on any given flight is fundamental. There is no excuse for not knowing who is ultimately in charge of the flight. The PIC is often referred to as “the captain”, and no matter how big or small the airplane, there is always only one captain. WARNING This is not legal counsel. Consider this academic guidance only. For a

Purpose Automation Lesson by Dr. Tiziano Bernard with AOPA Flight Director Autopilot Modes CWS Arming Modes

"Landing lights on!" - CFI "But we're taking off!" - Student The use of lights is in part regulated and in part courtesy . It's not uncommon for student pilots to confuse when/where lights are supposed to be used, especially if the lights used for takeoff are called "Landing" lights... So let's go through each light system on the aircraft, understand when it's required and what it's used for. Then, let's go through a fictitious flight in the day and in the night to see t

"You should know the previous airliner went missed" - What an instrument student doesn't want to hear from ATC An instrument approach procedure (IAP) is designed to get you low enough clear the weather and land safely. But what else should a good instrument pilot know? Well, there are a few regulations that dictate precisely how you're supposed to behave. Let's take a look. Under IFR, landings are dictated by 14 CFR 91.175 . Like every good regulation, it starts by stating th

He said I have to buy one of those spinny things? - Student Pilot Congratulations, you've decided to begin your journey to become a private pilot. As all things, you will need to purchase some class materials. Let's make a list together! 1) Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) Once upon a time, pilots had to do a lot of work "by hand". Today, many pilot tasks are replaced by an EFB which has your digital charts, weigth and balance functions, flight planning tools, and a lot more. Ther

What?!? I can't get paid for that? - Every new Commercial Pilot (CPL) WARNING This is not legal counsel. Consider this academic guidance only. For absolute answers, buy AOPA Pilot Protection Services . Becoming a commercial pilot is a great achievement. It means you can masterfully control an airplane in various energy states, execute advanced maneuvers, and sometimes get paid to fly . Commercial pilot privileges are not very easy to understand but with a little effort, you

"There are two engines and six levers. Great." - Multi Student Lesson 1: Welcome to Multi-engine! GROUND (2.0) Pros and Cons of...

"I am flying at either 130, 145, or 125 kts. Not sure which." - New student pilot Indicated Airspeed (KIAS) What you see on your airspeed indicator is called... indicated airspeed. If in knots, we abbreviate the term as KIAS (knots indicated air speed). Kinda easy, huh? On the image above, it's the 143 knots on the speed tape. This is the speed experienced by the pitot-static system . That being said, indicated airspeed is only accurate at standard sea level conditions. Why i

"I shall follow the glideslope to the DA" - IFR student shooting a VOR approach Table of Contents To simplify the scrolling back and forth, this is the table of contents for this article. Ground-Based Navigation Approaches Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Minimum Operational Network (MON) Stabilized Descents Dive and Drive Localizer (LOC) Instrument Landing System (ILS) CAT I, CAT II, CAT III a/b/c RNAV (GPS) - Based Navigation Approaches Lateral Navigation (LN

"NAVLOG?? Not more of this witchcraft!!"   - The student who just read the previous article Yes, I know you have an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB). Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight give you all you need to know for a cross country flight. But do you know how it works? What is the math behind this mystical tool that determines your ETA and fuel requirements? All pilots should be able to complete a NAVLOG. Private, commercial, and on. And to be honest, this is valid for both VFR and IFR

"If you're asking if you can, the answer is yes. If you're asking if you should, that's a different story" - Dr. Tizi Question: If I am cleared for an ILS approach and during the final approach segment I lose my glide slope (GS), can I continue the approach and fly localizer (LOC) minimums to Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) ? Answer: YES This question was asked by my friend Josh who just wanted a sanity check prior to a checkride. The answer is simple, yes you can! However, in

"I have no clue what she just said" - IFR Student attempting to read back a clearance The Segments of an Approach The instrument approach procedure (IAP) is traditionally composed of three segments: Initial approach segment , which is from the initial approach fix (IAF) to the intermediate fix (IF). The purpose of the initial segment is to guide you to the final approach course (FAC), which gets you aligned with the runway (or at the very least to the final path to the runway

" Have a what ready ?" - Student pilot Although a stage check is an exam, my role as a stage check instructor is to make sure you connect the dots. As such, please communicate clearly with me - I am here to help you. Don't hesitate to ask questions or clarifications. A stage check should NOT be a surprise. NOTE : For all stage checks, I expect to see clear evidence of the following: Checklist usage Runway Incursion Awareness Aeronautical Decision Making Safety Culture & Risk