Pilot Certs Archives - Gleim Aviation

Southern Florida ADIZ Flying to the Dry Tortugas

Over the New Year’s holiday, I flew to Key West, Florida, which is an awesome destination if you are looking for fun places to fly in south Florida. Warm weather in the 80s and warm water greeted us while the rest of the United States which was experiencing average temperatures around 30-40°F. After a weekend of jet skiing, parasailing. SCUBA diving, and sunset cruises, not to mention experiencing...

Should You Fly With Polished Frost On The Wings?

It’s officially fall and most of the lower 48 will begin seeing nights with frost if they haven’t already. Frost can greatly disrupt the airflow over your wings and horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Case Study (Accident Number: LAX04FA064) On December 8, 2003, about 0655 Pacific standard time, an Iniziative Industrali Sky Arrow 650 TC, N14XL, collided with terrain during takeoff at the...

1-Minute Ground School – Traffic Patterns

In this week's 1-Minute Ground School, we will be discussing standard traffic patterns procedures. We will discuss traffic pattern entries, traffic pattern altitudes, legs, landing, and safety procedures. When entering a traffic pattern, pilot's should continually scan the airspace for other traffic to have a clear understanding of the congested area. Review the graphics below to understand traffi...

Coolest GA airports to visit for a Power 5 football game

This weekend kicks off the 2022 college football season. It is always the most exciting time of the year for fans who are optimistic about their team’s chances for the season. How many of you have plans to fly yourself to see a game this fall? Are you excited for a certain away game rivalry? I started pondering about the airports I have seen and the ones that seem fun to fly into. So, this week I ...

Lithium-ion battery fires and containment bags

Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions from my in-flight electrical fire blog. A few comments of particular note came from pilots advocating the use of fire containment bags in the unlikely event of a lithium-ion battery fire. While I concur that these bags are great for safety, the FAA does not seem to share the same passion for their functionality as many of the enthusiastic compan...

1- Minute Ground School – When and How to Glide

Oshkosh—Memories of a lifetime

AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, known to many pilots as just “Oshkosh”, is the greatest annual aviation celebration in the world. While other airshows attempt to boast the same designation, Oshkosh is truly an airshow above all others because it is created for all those interested in aviation and everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy aviation together as one community. Oshkosh 2022 was an ...

Summer Flying Series – Dehydration

Our summer flying poll showed dehydration tied with low-level wind shear as one of your main concerns during the summer months. Pilots should constantly be aware of the effects of human factors in flight. Many pilots do not realize that lack of hydration can affect their coordination and cognitive abilities. The case studies below are incidents that very well may have been prevented if the pilots ...

Summer Flying Series – Low-Level Wind Shear

In our summer flying poll, the 3rd most concerning weather phenomena during the summer is low-level wind shear. Our previous 2 blogs discussed thunderstorms, which often can cause low-level windshear, but thunderstorms are not the only cause of it. A Case Study [The following are excerpts from Accident Number: ERA17FA174] On May 5, 2017, about 1922 eastern daylight time, a Cirrus SR22, N...

Summer Flying Series – Thunderstorms Part 2

Last week’s blog dissected what thunderstorms are and their potential hazards. This week, we review the importance of obtaining weather information and why we should remain clear of thunderstorms. A Case Study [The following are excerpts from Accident Number: ERA16FA309] On September 3, 2016, about 0950 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N6091E, was destroyed when it impacted the Atlan...

Summer Flying Series – Thunderstorms Part 1

Thunderstorms Part 1: Defining what a thunderstorm is, the types, and the hazards What is a Thunderstorm? It’s a cumulonimbus cloud that contains lightning. But lightning isn’t the only concern: wind shear, downbursts, hail, and heavy precipitation can often exist within a thunderstorm. You probably recall that a thunderstorm forms when there is: Sufficient water vapor, An unstab...

Summer Flying Series – Density Altitude

50% of the participants in our poll found density altitude as their chief concern during the summer months, so let’s break it down. A Case Study: A Commercial Pilot and the Unsuspecting Danger of Density Altitude [The following are excerpts from the NTSB Final Report for accident number WPR17FA171.] On July 29, 2017, about 1420 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N airplane,...