AOPA Pilot Magazine

Why are aircraft position lights also called navigation lights? Take the quiz and find out if you know.

Midair collisions are rare—representing about 10 accidents among 25 million general aviation flight hours flown per year—but try telling that to the people involved, or anyone who has ever witnessed a midair.

It’s time to plan the summer adventure of your dreams. Want to fly a drone? Want to fly in a simulator? How about taking the controls of a general aviation aircraft and piloting high in the sky for the first time?

Talking on the radio isn’t every pilot’s idea of a good time; many pilots avoid talking on the radio if they can.

The odor coming from the overhead vent was faint but persistent. Cruising in smooth air in the high flight levels with engine and pressurization systems seemingly normal, I opened the Cessna Citation’s abnormal checklist but couldn’t find anything that addressed this situation.

An otherwise routine flight from Houston, Texas, to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida (FLL) turned into a stress-filled final 30 minutes thanks to some perfectly timed weather and a notice to air missions (notam) for construction cranes that raised the ILS minimums to nearly 500 feet agl.

By Bruce Williams

If you use an electronic flight bag in the cockpit—and these days who doesn’t?—you probably have considered what would happen if your iPad’s battery died, or if the device overheated.

Few aviation careers have changed more over the years than agricultural flying. What started out as semi-nomadic “crop dusters” literally dropping powdery chemicals from radial-engine biplanes has evolved to something quite different.

Did you know student pilots who are AOPA members are three times more likely to earn their private pilot certificate?

Lincoln, Nebraska’s North Star High School introduced AOPA’s You Can Fly aviation STEM curriculum in 2019, and instructor Amanda Woodward has guided the program to new heights.

Over the past 10 years, 725 pilots have crashed airplanes because of fuel problems. Of those, 94 were fatal. Many could have been easily avoided.

By Michael Spiegler

March 1, 1982, dawned cold and clear with a light westerly wind, which was perfect for my required long cross-country solo from Providence, Rhode Island (PVD), to Poughkeepsie, New York (POU), to Glens Falls, New York (GFL), and return to Providence.

Let’s face it. Some of our family and friends are less than enthusiastic about sharing the joy of general aviation flying, although it’s infinitely more fun when they join us on the journey.

First there was the Piper J–3 Cub. Introduced in the 1930s, the sprightly little airplane became synonymous with early flight.

As you stumble, fall, and get back up en route to your primary pilot certificate (private, light sport, or recreational), you are assigned a mentor, also known as your flight instructor.

As you learn about the four forces that affect an airplane in flight—lift, thrust, gravity, and drag—it might interest you to know that flaps on an airplane create two of those forces all by themselves.

Oh, the people we meet. In Hood River, Oregon, for a story on flight school and aerial imaging company TacAero (see “Off the Grid,” January 2023 AOPA Pilot), we found a young woman mightily tugging a Cessna 172 uphill to its hangar.

You may always have thought that North Carolina’s Outer Banks is the home of aviation, and while there’s a lot of truth to that, there is a reason that North Carolina’s license plate says, “First in Flight” but Ohio’s plate says, “Birthplace of Aviation.”

Engines produce a lot of heat. It’s the oil’s job to dissipate some of that heat, as well as lubricate parts and take away contaminants. To get oil circulating through the engine, an oil pump is used.

If brevity is the soul of wit, then the aviation term “roger” is pure genius.

What’s it doing now? If you’ve ever transitioned to a new avionics suite you’ve probably uttered some variation of this refrain. You engage the autopilot in a climb and the airplane unexpectedly pitches down; the needle you thought would lead you directly to the airport instead points you out to sea.

Why are aircraft position lights also called navigation lights? Take the quiz and find out if you know.

Midair collisions are rare—representing about 10 accidents among 25 million general aviation flight hours flown per year—but try telling that to the people involved, or anyone who has ever witnessed a midair.

It’s time to plan the summer adventure of your dreams. Want to fly a drone? Want to fly in a simulator? How about taking the controls of a general aviation aircraft and piloting high in the sky for the first time?

Talking on the radio isn’t every pilot’s idea of a good time; many pilots avoid talking on the radio if they can.

The odor coming from the overhead vent was faint but persistent. Cruising in smooth air in the high flight levels with engine and pressurization systems seemingly normal, I opened the Cessna Citation’s abnormal checklist but couldn’t find anything that addressed this situation.

An otherwise routine flight from Houston, Texas, to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida (FLL) turned into a stress-filled final 30 minutes thanks to some perfectly timed weather and a notice to air missions (notam) for construction cranes that raised the ILS minimums to nearly 500 feet agl.

By Bruce Williams

If you use an electronic flight bag in the cockpit—and these days who doesn’t?—you probably have considered what would happen if your iPad’s battery died, or if the device overheated.

Few aviation careers have changed more over the years than agricultural flying. What started out as semi-nomadic “crop dusters” literally dropping powdery chemicals from radial-engine biplanes has evolved to something quite different.

Did you know student pilots who are AOPA members are three times more likely to earn their private pilot certificate?

Lincoln, Nebraska’s North Star High School introduced AOPA’s You Can Fly aviation STEM curriculum in 2019, and instructor Amanda Woodward has guided the program to new heights.

Over the past 10 years, 725 pilots have crashed airplanes because of fuel problems. Of those, 94 were fatal. Many could have been easily avoided.

By Michael Spiegler

March 1, 1982, dawned cold and clear with a light westerly wind, which was perfect for my required long cross-country solo from Providence, Rhode Island (PVD), to Poughkeepsie, New York (POU), to Glens Falls, New York (GFL), and return to Providence.

Let’s face it. Some of our family and friends are less than enthusiastic about sharing the joy of general aviation flying, although it’s infinitely more fun when they join us on the journey.

First there was the Piper J–3 Cub. Introduced in the 1930s, the sprightly little airplane became synonymous with early flight.

As you stumble, fall, and get back up en route to your primary pilot certificate (private, light sport, or recreational), you are assigned a mentor, also known as your flight instructor.

As you learn about the four forces that affect an airplane in flight—lift, thrust, gravity, and drag—it might interest you to know that flaps on an airplane create two of those forces all by themselves.

Oh, the people we meet. In Hood River, Oregon, for a story on flight school and aerial imaging company TacAero (see “Off the Grid,” January 2023 AOPA Pilot), we found a young woman mightily tugging a Cessna 172 uphill to its hangar.

You may always have thought that North Carolina’s Outer Banks is the home of aviation, and while there’s a lot of truth to that, there is a reason that North Carolina’s license plate says, “First in Flight” but Ohio’s plate says, “Birthplace of Aviation.”

Engines produce a lot of heat. It’s the oil’s job to dissipate some of that heat, as well as lubricate parts and take away contaminants. To get oil circulating through the engine, an oil pump is used.

If brevity is the soul of wit, then the aviation term “roger” is pure genius.

What’s it doing now? If you’ve ever transitioned to a new avionics suite you’ve probably uttered some variation of this refrain. You engage the autopilot in a climb and the airplane unexpectedly pitches down; the needle you thought would lead you directly to the airport instead points you out to sea.

Why are aircraft position lights also called navigation lights? Take the quiz and find out if you know.

Midair collisions are rare—representing about 10 accidents among 25 million general aviation flight hours flown per year—but try telling that to the people involved, or anyone who has ever witnessed a midair.

It’s time to plan the summer adventure of your dreams. Want to fly a drone? Want to fly in a simulator? How about taking the controls of a general aviation aircraft and piloting high in the sky for the first time?

Talking on the radio isn’t every pilot’s idea of a good time; many pilots avoid talking on the radio if they can.

The odor coming from the overhead vent was faint but persistent. Cruising in smooth air in the high flight levels with engine and pressurization systems seemingly normal, I opened the Cessna Citation’s abnormal checklist but couldn’t find anything that addressed this situation.

An otherwise routine flight from Houston, Texas, to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida (FLL) turned into a stress-filled final 30 minutes thanks to some perfectly timed weather and a notice to air missions (notam) for construction cranes that raised the ILS minimums to nearly 500 feet agl.

By Bruce Williams

If you use an electronic flight bag in the cockpit—and these days who doesn’t?—you probably have considered what would happen if your iPad’s battery died, or if the device overheated.

Few aviation careers have changed more over the years than agricultural flying. What started out as semi-nomadic “crop dusters” literally dropping powdery chemicals from radial-engine biplanes has evolved to something quite different.

Did you know student pilots who are AOPA members are three times more likely to earn their private pilot certificate?

Lincoln, Nebraska’s North Star High School introduced AOPA’s You Can Fly aviation STEM curriculum in 2019, and instructor Amanda Woodward has guided the program to new heights.

Over the past 10 years, 725 pilots have crashed airplanes because of fuel problems. Of those, 94 were fatal. Many could have been easily avoided.

By Michael Spiegler

March 1, 1982, dawned cold and clear with a light westerly wind, which was perfect for my required long cross-country solo from Providence, Rhode Island (PVD), to Poughkeepsie, New York (POU), to Glens Falls, New York (GFL), and return to Providence.

Let’s face it. Some of our family and friends are less than enthusiastic about sharing the joy of general aviation flying, although it’s infinitely more fun when they join us on the journey.

First there was the Piper J–3 Cub. Introduced in the 1930s, the sprightly little airplane became synonymous with early flight.

As you stumble, fall, and get back up en route to your primary pilot certificate (private, light sport, or recreational), you are assigned a mentor, also known as your flight instructor.

As you learn about the four forces that affect an airplane in flight—lift, thrust, gravity, and drag—it might interest you to know that flaps on an airplane create two of those forces all by themselves.

Oh, the people we meet. In Hood River, Oregon, for a story on flight school and aerial imaging company TacAero (see “Off the Grid,” January 2023 AOPA Pilot), we found a young woman mightily tugging a Cessna 172 uphill to its hangar.

You may always have thought that North Carolina’s Outer Banks is the home of aviation, and while there’s a lot of truth to that, there is a reason that North Carolina’s license plate says, “First in Flight” but Ohio’s plate says, “Birthplace of Aviation.”

Engines produce a lot of heat. It’s the oil’s job to dissipate some of that heat, as well as lubricate parts and take away contaminants. To get oil circulating through the engine, an oil pump is used.

If brevity is the soul of wit, then the aviation term “roger” is pure genius.

What’s it doing now? If you’ve ever transitioned to a new avionics suite you’ve probably uttered some variation of this refrain. You engage the autopilot in a climb and the airplane unexpectedly pitches down; the needle you thought would lead you directly to the airport instead points you out to sea.

Why are aircraft position lights also called navigation lights? Take the quiz and find out if you know.

Midair collisions are rare—representing about 10 accidents among 25 million general aviation flight hours flown per year—but try telling that to the people involved, or anyone who has ever witnessed a midair.

It’s time to plan the summer adventure of your dreams. Want to fly a drone? Want to fly in a simulator? How about taking the controls of a general aviation aircraft and piloting high in the sky for the first time?

Talking on the radio isn’t every pilot’s idea of a good time; many pilots avoid talking on the radio if they can.

The odor coming from the overhead vent was faint but persistent. Cruising in smooth air in the high flight levels with engine and pressurization systems seemingly normal, I opened the Cessna Citation’s abnormal checklist but couldn’t find anything that addressed this situation.

An otherwise routine flight from Houston, Texas, to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida (FLL) turned into a stress-filled final 30 minutes thanks to some perfectly timed weather and a notice to air missions (notam) for construction cranes that raised the ILS minimums to nearly 500 feet agl.

By Bruce Williams

If you use an electronic flight bag in the cockpit—and these days who doesn’t?—you probably have considered what would happen if your iPad’s battery died, or if the device overheated.

Few aviation careers have changed more over the years than agricultural flying. What started out as semi-nomadic “crop dusters” literally dropping powdery chemicals from radial-engine biplanes has evolved to something quite different.

Did you know student pilots who are AOPA members are three times more likely to earn their private pilot certificate?

Lincoln, Nebraska’s North Star High School introduced AOPA’s You Can Fly aviation STEM curriculum in 2019, and instructor Amanda Woodward has guided the program to new heights.

Over the past 10 years, 725 pilots have crashed airplanes because of fuel problems. Of those, 94 were fatal. Many could have been easily avoided.

By Michael Spiegler

March 1, 1982, dawned cold and clear with a light westerly wind, which was perfect for my required long cross-country solo from Providence, Rhode Island (PVD), to Poughkeepsie, New York (POU), to Glens Falls, New York (GFL), and return to Providence.

Let’s face it. Some of our family and friends are less than enthusiastic about sharing the joy of general aviation flying, although it’s infinitely more fun when they join us on the journey.

First there was the Piper J–3 Cub. Introduced in the 1930s, the sprightly little airplane became synonymous with early flight.

As you stumble, fall, and get back up en route to your primary pilot certificate (private, light sport, or recreational), you are assigned a mentor, also known as your flight instructor.

As you learn about the four forces that affect an airplane in flight—lift, thrust, gravity, and drag—it might interest you to know that flaps on an airplane create two of those forces all by themselves.

Oh, the people we meet. In Hood River, Oregon, for a story on flight school and aerial imaging company TacAero (see “Off the Grid,” January 2023 AOPA Pilot), we found a young woman mightily tugging a Cessna 172 uphill to its hangar.

You may always have thought that North Carolina’s Outer Banks is the home of aviation, and while there’s a lot of truth to that, there is a reason that North Carolina’s license plate says, “First in Flight” but Ohio’s plate says, “Birthplace of Aviation.”

Engines produce a lot of heat. It’s the oil’s job to dissipate some of that heat, as well as lubricate parts and take away contaminants. To get oil circulating through the engine, an oil pump is used.

If brevity is the soul of wit, then the aviation term “roger” is pure genius.

What’s it doing now? If you’ve ever transitioned to a new avionics suite you’ve probably uttered some variation of this refrain. You engage the autopilot in a climb and the airplane unexpectedly pitches down; the needle you thought would lead you directly to the airport instead points you out to sea.

Why are aircraft position lights also called navigation lights? Take the quiz and find out if you know.

Midair collisions are rare—representing about 10 accidents among 25 million general aviation flight hours flown per year—but try telling that to the people involved, or anyone who has ever witnessed a midair.

It’s time to plan the summer adventure of your dreams. Want to fly a drone? Want to fly in a simulator? How about taking the controls of a general aviation aircraft and piloting high in the sky for the first time?

Talking on the radio isn’t every pilot’s idea of a good time; many pilots avoid talking on the radio if they can.

The odor coming from the overhead vent was faint but persistent. Cruising in smooth air in the high flight levels with engine and pressurization systems seemingly normal, I opened the Cessna Citation’s abnormal checklist but couldn’t find anything that addressed this situation.

An otherwise routine flight from Houston, Texas, to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida (FLL) turned into a stress-filled final 30 minutes thanks to some perfectly timed weather and a notice to air missions (notam) for construction cranes that raised the ILS minimums to nearly 500 feet agl.

By Bruce Williams

If you use an electronic flight bag in the cockpit—and these days who doesn’t?—you probably have considered what would happen if your iPad’s battery died, or if the device overheated.

Few aviation careers have changed more over the years than agricultural flying. What started out as semi-nomadic “crop dusters” literally dropping powdery chemicals from radial-engine biplanes has evolved to something quite different.

Did you know student pilots who are AOPA members are three times more likely to earn their private pilot certificate?

Lincoln, Nebraska’s North Star High School introduced AOPA’s You Can Fly aviation STEM curriculum in 2019, and instructor Amanda Woodward has guided the program to new heights.

Over the past 10 years, 725 pilots have crashed airplanes because of fuel problems. Of those, 94 were fatal. Many could have been easily avoided.

By Michael Spiegler

March 1, 1982, dawned cold and clear with a light westerly wind, which was perfect for my required long cross-country solo from Providence, Rhode Island (PVD), to Poughkeepsie, New York (POU), to Glens Falls, New York (GFL), and return to Providence.

Let’s face it. Some of our family and friends are less than enthusiastic about sharing the joy of general aviation flying, although it’s infinitely more fun when they join us on the journey.

First there was the Piper J–3 Cub. Introduced in the 1930s, the sprightly little airplane became synonymous with early flight.

As you stumble, fall, and get back up en route to your primary pilot certificate (private, light sport, or recreational), you are assigned a mentor, also known as your flight instructor.

As you learn about the four forces that affect an airplane in flight—lift, thrust, gravity, and drag—it might interest you to know that flaps on an airplane create two of those forces all by themselves.

Oh, the people we meet. In Hood River, Oregon, for a story on flight school and aerial imaging company TacAero (see “Off the Grid,” January 2023 AOPA Pilot), we found a young woman mightily tugging a Cessna 172 uphill to its hangar.

You may always have thought that North Carolina’s Outer Banks is the home of aviation, and while there’s a lot of truth to that, there is a reason that North Carolina’s license plate says, “First in Flight” but Ohio’s plate says, “Birthplace of Aviation.”

Engines produce a lot of heat. It’s the oil’s job to dissipate some of that heat, as well as lubricate parts and take away contaminants. To get oil circulating through the engine, an oil pump is used.

If brevity is the soul of wit, then the aviation term “roger” is pure genius.

What’s it doing now? If you’ve ever transitioned to a new avionics suite you’ve probably uttered some variation of this refrain. You engage the autopilot in a climb and the airplane unexpectedly pitches down; the needle you thought would lead you directly to the airport instead points you out to sea.

Why are aircraft position lights also called navigation lights? Take the quiz and find out if you know.

Midair collisions are rare—representing about 10 accidents among 25 million general aviation flight hours flown per year—but try telling that to the people involved, or anyone who has ever witnessed a midair.

It’s time to plan the summer adventure of your dreams. Want to fly a drone? Want to fly in a simulator? How about taking the controls of a general aviation aircraft and piloting high in the sky for the first time?

Talking on the radio isn’t every pilot’s idea of a good time; many pilots avoid talking on the radio if they can.

The odor coming from the overhead vent was faint but persistent. Cruising in smooth air in the high flight levels with engine and pressurization systems seemingly normal, I opened the Cessna Citation’s abnormal checklist but couldn’t find anything that addressed this situation.

An otherwise routine flight from Houston, Texas, to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida (FLL) turned into a stress-filled final 30 minutes thanks to some perfectly timed weather and a notice to air missions (notam) for construction cranes that raised the ILS minimums to nearly 500 feet agl.

By Bruce Williams

If you use an electronic flight bag in the cockpit—and these days who doesn’t?—you probably have considered what would happen if your iPad’s battery died, or if the device overheated.

Few aviation careers have changed more over the years than agricultural flying. What started out as semi-nomadic “crop dusters” literally dropping powdery chemicals from radial-engine biplanes has evolved to something quite different.

Did you know student pilots who are AOPA members are three times more likely to earn their private pilot certificate?

Lincoln, Nebraska’s North Star High School introduced AOPA’s You Can Fly aviation STEM curriculum in 2019, and instructor Amanda Woodward has guided the program to new heights.

Over the past 10 years, 725 pilots have crashed airplanes because of fuel problems. Of those, 94 were fatal. Many could have been easily avoided.

By Michael Spiegler

March 1, 1982, dawned cold and clear with a light westerly wind, which was perfect for my required long cross-country solo from Providence, Rhode Island (PVD), to Poughkeepsie, New York (POU), to Glens Falls, New York (GFL), and return to Providence.

Let’s face it. Some of our family and friends are less than enthusiastic about sharing the joy of general aviation flying, although it’s infinitely more fun when they join us on the journey.

First there was the Piper J–3 Cub. Introduced in the 1930s, the sprightly little airplane became synonymous with early flight.

As you stumble, fall, and get back up en route to your primary pilot certificate (private, light sport, or recreational), you are assigned a mentor, also known as your flight instructor.

As you learn about the four forces that affect an airplane in flight—lift, thrust, gravity, and drag—it might interest you to know that flaps on an airplane create two of those forces all by themselves.

Oh, the people we meet. In Hood River, Oregon, for a story on flight school and aerial imaging company TacAero (see “Off the Grid,” January 2023 AOPA Pilot), we found a young woman mightily tugging a Cessna 172 uphill to its hangar.

You may always have thought that North Carolina’s Outer Banks is the home of aviation, and while there’s a lot of truth to that, there is a reason that North Carolina’s license plate says, “First in Flight” but Ohio’s plate says, “Birthplace of Aviation.”

Engines produce a lot of heat. It’s the oil’s job to dissipate some of that heat, as well as lubricate parts and take away contaminants. To get oil circulating through the engine, an oil pump is used.

If brevity is the soul of wit, then the aviation term “roger” is pure genius.

What’s it doing now? If you’ve ever transitioned to a new avionics suite you’ve probably uttered some variation of this refrain. You engage the autopilot in a climb and the airplane unexpectedly pitches down; the needle you thought would lead you directly to the airport instead points you out to sea.