Pilot's Life Blog

JANUARY 12, 2025

However, flying a small plane often means operating at much lower altitudes, usually between 5,000 and 10,000 feet, depending on weather conditions, terrain, and air traffic. When flying a small plane, staying within the appropriate altitude ensures better control and a more comfortable experience, especially in turbulent weather.

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Weight-Shift-Control Air Traffic Control Turbulence Weather 52

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

The long journey from home on the East Coast was a long one indeed—almost nine hours of airliner travel in a nondirect way from Boston via Atlanta on a memorable 757-200 for me. The water and reflectivity in the sim is great, as you can see, and it is completely reactive to local weather conditions.

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AGL Pilot Descent Weather 98

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

For others, flying on a commercial airliner may be a once-a-year event when heading off on vacation. We will now begin our tour through a commercial airline flight, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey! Welcome onboard For some people, traveling by air has become purely routine, much like traveling by bus or train.

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Cabin Crew Runway Clearance Knot 269

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

If you dream of flying small airplanes on weekends or piloting commercial airliners with hundreds of passengers, you need certain pilot licenses to reach your aviation goals. Recreational Pilot License (RPL) A Recreational Pilot License lets you fly aircraft with only 180 horsepower or less during the day and in good weather.

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Pilot Weather Checkride Flight Computer 52

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

Batik Air 737-800 vs Malaysia Airlines 737-800 It was formerly known as Malindo and I have done a few flights with Malindo and you can check out my last flight with the airline (2016) over here. Introduction It was an easy decision to decide which airline would fly me back from Kuala Lumpur.

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Runway Descent Airlines Airline 59

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

AUGUST 2, 2024

This airline is operating a massive fleet of over 550 aircraft (July 2024) excluding the wet lease aircraft of 2 Turkish Airlines's Boeing 777-300ER and damp lease of 6 Qatar Airways Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. This is Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER painted in Indigo's livery. Welcome to my trip report on Indigo!

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Descent Runway Cabin Crew Weather 102

Ask Captain Lim

MAY 31, 2024

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER Photo credit: N509FZ( [link] ) 62 Seconds of Deadly Severe Turbulence Last week, one passenger died and about 30 passengers were injured when a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 encountered severe turbulence over the Irrawaddy Delta, Myanmar. The aircraft experienced a transition from negative 1.5G

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Turbulence Descent Cabin Crew Weather 64

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

Introduction Okinawa was one of the cities I like to visit especially after hearing a lot of positive reviews from my friends so after much consideration, I decided to make it my first stop and looking at the list of airlines, I decided on Peach. Overall I thought the airline did a good job in designing the mobile app and website.

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Turbulence Weather Final Approach Cabin Crew 59

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 6, 2024

Maybe it’s the Georgia flying weather, or maybe it’s the ever-increasing emphasis on “old” pilot instead of “bold” pilot, but it seems that flight planning these days is a lot more about if and when than about route and altitude. The weather looked good, except there was a thunderstorm forecast for Houston. I scrambled and packed.

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Airplanes Weather Ceiling Turbulence 95

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

MARCH 23, 2025

There wasn't a lot of options for me as the likes of Starflyer and Fuji Dream Airlines do not fly on this route so in the end I decided to stick with Air Do and the 767-300ER and taking a risk of flying back on the same aircraft. The history of Japanese aviation This history includes the cabin crew uniform of various airlines.

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Turbulence Final Approach Cabin Crew Runway 59

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 14, 2025

Its almost unthinkable in an airliner, and surely tensions were high in the flight deck. After proving his flying ability with a single eye, he would go on to be hired by TACA Airlines. On the initial descent, weather radar painted areas of moderate to heavy precipitation ahead. But its weather radar was off.

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Pilot Flight Deck Weather Descent 96

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

A Big Surprise from a FAA Inspector Air Facts Journal The FAA employs Air Carrier Operations Safety Inspectors to oversea airline operations. At the time of this flight, I was Chairman of the Airline Pilots Association Training and Standards Committee. This board oversaw the training and standards of the airline.

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Checkride Approach Descent Cockpit 98

iPad Pilot News

MARCH 27, 2025

Avtech proFLIGHT This app is a high-quality weather tool for the professional flight crew. ProFLIGHT uses the actual flight route and time combined with the Met Office’s Global 10KM Weather model to produce a tailored weather forecast based on the most up to date information.

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Weather Pilot Flight Plan Airplanes 91

Fear of Landing

JUNE 7, 2024

Sixty-two years ago, on the 22nd of May 1962, Continental Airlines flight 11 broke up at 39,000 feet. The stairs had already been moved away from the airliner, a Boeing 707, but when the gate agent reported that two more passengers had arrived, the stairs were brought back so that they could board.

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Cabin Crew Weather Turbulence Descent 102

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

Nevertheless, I am excited to fly on another varient of the E2 series, this would be my 60th airline type in my flight logbook. It's nice to see some other airlines such as TransNasu added China's Comac aircraft, the C909 (formerly known as the ARJ-21) to its fleet so there is something to look forward to.

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Weather Runway Tarmac Cabin Crew 59

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

The 58-year-old pilot had about 7,000 hours of flight time, built up as a respected Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter pilot and United Airlines first officer. Weather wasn’t a factor either, the sun coming up on a glorious Nevada morning. Three reversals were recorded, with climb and descent rates of over 10,000 feet per minute.

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Descent Airplanes Knot Groundspeed 76

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

JANUARY 28, 2024

Welcome to my 2nd flight review on Aegean Airlines! Introduction There are 2 airlines operating on ATH-SKG route and since there is not much of a choice, I decided to fly Aegean Airlines once again, this time flying on the Airbus A320ceo version. Economy Class cabin This cabin product is older than the airline's A320neo's.

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Airlines Airline Descent Turbulence 52

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

SEPTEMBER 8, 2024

This is my ride, VT-IUP Introduction This flight from Hyderabad to Chennai was supposed to be booked with Spicejet but because they cancelled this flight sometime in May, I had no option but to choose an alternate airline to fly me on this route. Air India Express vs Indigo, which airline do you prefer? Initially, I went for seat 3A.

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Runway Weather Airlines Airline 103

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

After the military, he joined Hughes Airwest as an airline pilot and settled down with his wife and baby in Boulder City. The airline merged with Republic, then Northwest, and finally Delta. The vertical descent rate reached the data-recording limit of 9,999 feet per minute. The pilot learned to fly in the U.S.

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True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron 93

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

After the military, he joined Hughes Airwest as an airline pilot and settled down with his wife and baby in Boulder City. The airline merged with Republic, then Northwest, and finally Delta. The vertical descent rate reached the data-recording limit of 9,999 feet per minute. The pilot learned to fly in the U.S.

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True Airspeed Indicated Airspeed Horizontal Stabilizer Aileron 93

Air Facts

JUNE 12, 2024

Joe was just short of celebrating his 50th anniversary as an employee of Hawaiian Airlines when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He asked to be taken home to Kona on his own airline, but the only aircraft available was one of our 304 seat Trans-Pacific DC-10s. But this was Hawaii, and we not the usual airline.

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Air Traffic Control Descent Runway Thrust 98

Flying Magazine

APRIL 26, 2024

It is not uncommon for air traffic control to pose this question to pilots on IFR flight plans approaching certain airports when the weather is VFR. But throw in weather, fatigue, low light, pilot unfamiliarity, and a circle to land, and it’s a different event.

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Approach Air Traffic Control Runway Flight Deck 92

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

Welcome to my return trip report on Singapore Airlines! I am glad to have tried out both 737 models with Singapore Airlines to let you readers have a glimpse of what to expect flying on these aircraft. After January 2026, the 737-800 will be out of the airline's schedule as they would be return to the lessor (The 737-800 are leased).

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Turbulence Airlines Airline Narrow-Body Aircraft 52

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 6, 2024

You’ve checked the weather and planned your route. This is the true story of N4467D and its ill-fated encounter with severe weather. Key Takeaways Weather can change faster than your technology can show. Weather tools are helpful, but you can’t rely on them alone. His XM Weather showed an orange or red zone.

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Weather Turbulence Pilot Airplanes 52

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

DECEMBER 20, 2023

It's not everyday you have a new airline and from a hindsight, I should flown with this airline at the start of its operation but whatever it is the end of the airline's operation happened and from the public's point of view, it was shocking. After a while, I gave up, I decided to book with Air Asia instead.

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Airlines Airline Weather Runway 52

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

The 58-year-old pilot had about 7,000 hours of flight time, built up as a respected Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter pilot and United Airlines first officer. Weather wasn’t a factor either, the sun coming up on a glorious Nevada morning. Three reversals were recorded, with climb and descent rates of over 10,000 feet per minute.

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Descent Airplanes Knot Groundspeed 52

Flying Magazine

MAY 14, 2024

Your first lesson will likely be heading out to the local practice area (your instructor knows where that is) to learn how to do climbs, turns, and descents. Understand that most CFIs do the job to build their experience for other jobs, like the airlines. We can’t control the weather. You want the room to make mistakes.

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Aeronautical Information Manual Flight Computer Pilot Federal Aviation Regulations 81

iPad Pilot News

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

We’ve been flying with the Apple Watch since it first launched, and it’s become increasingly useful every year for both preflight weather checks and as an in-cockpit resource. When on the go, you can use the GPS feature to find the nearest weather station image.

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Pilot Altimeter Weather NOTAMs 52

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

JANUARY 14, 2024

My ride: SX-NEC in the airline's new livery Introduction Flying with Aegean Airlines has been in my mind for a while and when the chance presented itself, I decided to go for it. However I would be flying Economy Class so will I be impressed with the airline? Welcome to my 2024 New Year trip report! Read on to find out.

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Airlines Airline Weather Turbulence 52

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

MARCH 8, 2025

Introduction Flying with this airline has already been in my mind for a while and I decided to take a day trip to Sapporo from Tokyo Haneda just to fly on the airline's 767-300ER. This airline works along with All Nippon Airways to give the Star Alliance airline more capacity to operate in some of the high demand routes.

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Runway Final Approach Weather Wide-Body Aircraft 52

Fullthrottle Aviation

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

Weather, a busy controller, a busy airport, and heavy training traffic are just a few that we often encounter on practical exams. Even as airline pilots we are not immune to making mistakes and errors. I have rarely gone missed off an instrument approach due to weather. Threats exist everywhere in our operation.

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Approach Aeronautical Decision-Making Weather Pilot 52

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

If you are lucky, you might fly one of the airline's aircraft painted in the Pokemon special livery. As I had already flown with Starflyer and Peach, I looked the my other options and they are Solaseed Air, Jetstar Japan, Sky Airlines, Japan Airlines and it's subsidiaries and ANA. Passenger's pick up point at the ground level.

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Cabin Crew Weather Airlines Airline 59

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 7, 2024

The weather seemed benign. Shortly after that, the Cheetah starts a gentle descent. After the accident, the NTSB determined the probable cause to be “partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a descent and impact with terrain.” Completely clear skies and calm winds were being reported. At 7:23 a.m.,

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Pilot Descent Knot Air Traffic Control 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 7, 2024

The weather seemed benign. Shortly after that, the Cheetah starts a gentle descent. After the accident, the NTSB determined the probable cause to be “partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a descent and impact with terrain.” Completely clear skies and calm winds were being reported. At 7:23 a.m.,

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Pilot Descent Knot Air Traffic Control 52

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

OCTOBER 15, 2024

At this time of blogging) Air India and Vistara will be merged into one airline, with Air India branding continue to exist. Vistara's flight code, UK will no longer exist and so will the airline's website which would direct passengers to Air India's website for booking and redemption. Fortunately, my flight was not affected.

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Cabin Crew Weather Turbulence Descent 59

Charles Ryan's Flying Adventure

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

Introduction I always rated this airline very highly especially after reading trip reports on them and when they announced the merger between this airline and Air India, I had to book and fly with this airline before they disappear from our skies. Your airline may be disappearing but you will always be part of our memories.

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Weather Runway Cabin Crew Turbulence 59

ABEAM

AUGUST 26, 2023

So we continued towards Reykjavik in basically shitty weather at the very economic fuel setting of 47% power as calculated. We received a Pilot Report (PIREP) from the German Cheetah that they were flying at FL100 in the clear, while we were in shitty weather. So perfect weather.

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Weather Clearance Knot Airplanes 52