Pilot Institute

JANUARY 3, 2025

Have you ever wondered how pilots determine wind direction and speed at a glance? Standard FAA aviation windsocks are calibrated to fully extend at a wind speed of 15 knots. A windsock is an essential aviation tool that helps pilots make safe decisions. How To Read a Windsock Hanging limp : Winds are under 3 knots.

Knot 98

Knot Weather Wind Shear Weight-Shift-Control 98

AV Web

MARCH 10, 2025

The pilot of the plane, registered to a Mannheim, Pennsylvania LLC, told controllers at Lancaster Airport that he had an open door and needed to return to the airport. The pilot said he intended to join the downwind for the departure runway (26) but crashed a short time later.

Knot 93

Knot Runway Pilot 93

Aerotime

JULY 30, 2024

Three Delta planes were on standby to depart from Runway 16L at SLC Airport. A recording of the conversation between a pilot of the DL1304 and air traffic control was uploaded to YouTube. The DL1304 pilot informed SLC that the headwind was exceeding safe limits for takeoff. We can get in there,” the Delta 2046 pilot said.

Air Traffic Control 290

Air Traffic Control Runway Knot Tail 290

One Mile at a Time

MARCH 20, 2025

At the time of the accident, winds were at an angle of 270 degrees (the runway was at an angle of 230 degrees), at 28 knots, gusting to 35 knots. degrees Less than one second before touchdown, the plane had an indicated airspeed of 134 knots, a ground speed of 111 knots, a bank angle of 7.1

Descent 91

Descent Knot Threshold Flight Deck 91

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 26, 2024

Taxi and landing lights improve pilots’ visibility. The Purpose of External Lights In general, external lights can be divided according to three different purposes: To illuminate areas that the pilots need to see. For example, the landing lights provide illumination for the pilots but also make the airplane more visible.

Airplanes 111

Airplanes Horizontal Stabilizer Runway Pilot 111

One Mile at a Time

MARCH 21, 2025

A Southwest Airlines jet attempted to take off from a taxiway yesterday, somehow mistaking it for a runway in broad daylight. At Orlando Airport, Southwest departs from airside 2, and the plane was supposed to take off from runway 17R, a very short distance away. The taxiway runs parallel to the runway. The FAA is investigating.

Air Traffic Control 80

Air Traffic Control Runway Knot Pilot 80

Fear of Landing

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Rather frustratingly, yesterday they had to release a further statement to confirm that the captain and/or first officer were qualified, countering malicious rumours that the flight crew had failed training events or that they had failed to gain pilot positions at Delta. inHg Remarks: Cumulus clouds 6/8 coverage, sea level pressure 1014.9

Runway 59

Runway Tail Knot Altimeter 59

One Mile at a Time

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

Specifically, as the aircraft was still around three miles from the intended landing runway (28L), it descended all the way down to 275 feet, according to flight tracking software Flightradar24. Its interesting to note that the plane was both lower than it shouldve been, and also quite a bit faster, as it was going 173 knots.

Approach 100

Approach Knot Air Traffic Control Final Approach 100

One Mile at a Time

MARCH 18, 2025

The aircraft came in to land on runway 22. Weather conditions werent good at all, with winds at the time reported as being at 22 knots, and gusting to 36 knots. Not only that, but there was quite a crosswind, as wind was blowing at a direction 40 degrees off the runway heading. This incident is now being investigated.

Air Traffic Control 92

Air Traffic Control Knot Runway Crosswind 92

Aerotime

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

At this point, the pilots will contact ATC for push and start clearance , allowing the plane to be pushed back from its parking position (if applicable, depending on the airport) and to start its engines in sequence. Once this message is conveyed to the pilots, they disengage the aircraft’s parking brake, hence the ‘ wobble ’.

Cabin Crew 271

Cabin Crew Runway Clearance Knot 271

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

CDT, a Beech Baron lifted off from Runway 35 at Lubbock Executive Airpark in Texas (F82). The 26-year-old pilot was the plane’s only occupant and was pronounced dead by first responders at 12:06 p.m. The pilot, a homebuilder with a young family, had landed at 11:11 a.m. on march 17, 2023, at 11:37 a.m. By 11:40 a.m.

Pilot 88

Pilot Knot Airplanes Lift 88

Pilot Institute

MARCH 28, 2025

Pilots avoid vortices by maintaining safe separation and adjusting flight paths. When the aircraft encounters a vortex and its strong enough to induce roll, the pilot counters it by using the ailerons against the roll and tries to fly out of the wake as soon as possible. How Are Wingtip Vortices Formed?

Turbulence 97

Turbulence Lift Drag Runway 97

AV Web

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

The NTSB and FAA are investigating a runway incursion at Nashville International Airport on Thursday in which an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crew rejected its takeoff at about 130 knots when a Southwest 737-700 crossed the far end of the runway it was using.

Runway 111

Runway Air Traffic Control Clearance Knot 111

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 31, 2024

It might sound a bit scary, but its a valuable skill for a pilot to master. Pilots must adapt their approach and landing technique during flap failure. When landing without flaps, pilots must adjust their techniques to compensate for higher approach speeds, a shallow descent angle, and longer landing distances.

Pilot 52

Pilot Drag Descent Approach 52

Gary's Flight Journal

JANUARY 26, 2025

Once reaching 153 degrees I was ready to taxi to runway one-four. There is something to be said for exercising your pilot in command duties. The pattern was busy at Cambridge and I had to turn away to the north then re-enter for the left downwind runway one-six. I launched for Cambridge (KCGE) and really enjoyed the view.

Runway 98

Runway Pilot in Command Knot Hangar 98

Aerotime

JULY 19, 2024

The take-off and the en-route climb to the planned cruising altitude of 37,000ft (11,280m) was uneventful, with the first officer as the flying pilot. Haynes asked that Fitch assume control of the engine throttles, by kneeling between the two forward-facing pilot seats.

Runway 297

Runway Horizontal Stabilizer Airline Airlines 297

One Mile at a Time

OCTOBER 18, 2024

This isn’t good… air traffic controllers cleared two Southwest jets to use the same runway at the same time. Southwest 1478: “Runway 27, line up and wait, Southwest 1478.” San Diego Ground: “Southwest 785, cross runway 27 at B6, continue taxiing via C.” Southwest 1478: “Runway 27, cleared for takeoff, Southwest 1478.”

Runway 115

Runway Clearance Air Traffic Control Jet 115

AV Web

OCTOBER 5, 2024

A passenger took control of a King Air C90 from its incapacitated pilot over southern California on Friday and managed to put it safely on a runway at at Meadows Field in Bakersfield. The plane ran off the end of the runway but was undamaged and no one was injured. He was a passenger with knowledge but no pilot’s certificate. …

Pilot 119

Pilot Descent Knot Runway 119

Plane and Pilot

MARCH 6, 2025

I felt knots forming in my stomach. The 152 rocked and bounced in the air currents as we approached the runway. The airplane was pushed up and down in tight, quick movements as we came in over the pavement, and then the tires squealed as we hit the runway hard. Any pilot would have trouble with those gusts. yelled Bill.

Airplanes 96

Airplanes Threshold Runway Knot 96

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

I say a favor, but once you pick up the phone, calling it a favor is candy-coating an assignment, unless it is blatantly in violation of our pilot contract or regulations. The RNAV approach to the 7,000-foot Runway 31 that snakes around from the Runway 4 extended centerline, loops past Citi Field, and rolls out on a tight-in final approach.

Runway 67

Runway Approach Knot Jet 67

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 12, 2025

Then, a few years ago, I was privileged to hear how an amazing young woman, Jessica Cox , earned her sport pilot certificate. In a crosswind, you fly an Ercoupe down the runway with whatever crab angle you need to track the centerline and let the gear figure it out upon touchdown. The ERCO Ercoupe was an immediate success.

Rudder 105

Rudder Tail Crosswind Airplanes 105

One Mile at a Time

AUGUST 28, 2024

I recently covered a heated exchange between an Aeromexico pilot and JFK ATC. Well, VASAviation has just published another JFK ATC video, this time involving an Air France pilot. From the arrival runway, the tower controller had cleared the Air France aircraft to hold short of runway 22R. Pilot: “Okay, we hold short.”

Air Traffic Control 120

Air Traffic Control Pilot Runway Knot 120

Fear of Landing

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

For the next leg, from Corfu to Leeds Bradford Airport, the captain, an ATPL with 14,250 hours, of which 2,800 were on type, was the Pilot Flying. As they descended towards Leeds, the crew calculated the landing performance with the wind at 060 at 19 knots. And sometimes its 35 knots across *and* thick fog. Like Jersey.

Crosswind 52

Crosswind Rudder Knot Runway 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 19, 2025

Pilots use METARs for flight safety, runway selection, and weather planning. The wind is from the south at 8 knots. The KT indicates that the scale used is knots (an abbreviated term for nautical miles per hour ). Pilots love knowing about the wind. METARs use abbreviations but become easy to read with practice.

Weather 72

Weather Altimeter Runway NOTAMs 72

Fear of Landing

DECEMBER 13, 2024

The airport has a single north-south asphalt runway (01/19) of 2,515 metres (8,250 feet). The runway elevation is 646 feet above mean sea level. One pilot was killed in the crash, the other three suffered serious injuries. QNH one zero two zero, ILS approach runway one nine, information Uniform.

Runway 96

Runway Approach UTC Knot 96

iPad Pilot News

MARCH 11, 2025

Heads-up, hands-free: How to use iPad audio alerts for safer flights iPad Pilot News The iPad is an engaging visual tool, but many pilots forget about its many audio uses. These alerts include runway proximity, traffic, cabin altitude, destination weather, terrain, airspace and TFRs, carbon monoxide and more. MSL and 25,000 ft.

AGL 52

AGL Runway Groundspeed Descent 52

One Mile at a Time

APRIL 30, 2024

At 12:37AM local time, the jet was cleared to take off on runway 33R, which has a length of 13,796 feet (4,205 meters). However, for whatever reason, the pilots instead attempted to take off from taxiway K, which is parallel to the runway. Once at that high speed, the pilots realized their error and rejected the takeoff.

Runway 122

Runway Knot Jet Pilot 122

Flying Magazine

MAY 13, 2024

It has long been said that the private pilot certificate is a “license to learn” as it is the foundation of a person’s flying career. Subscribe Now Featured I am not a DPE, but for several years I have been a check pilot providing mock check rides for applicants at the request of their CFIs. Every time.

Pilot 116

Pilot Knot Annual Inspection VOR 116

Aerotime

DECEMBER 20, 2024

In the previous installment of this two-part article , AeroTime took you through the initial stages of a routine commercial flight, from the pre-departure checks carried out by the pilots and cabin crew, to what is happening outside the aircraft, and from engine startup to taxi and take-off.

Cabin Crew 271

Cabin Crew Descent Runway Approach 271

One Mile at a Time

JULY 11, 2024

At around 7:47AM local time, the jet began its takeoff roll on runway 19R, and once the jet reached a high speed, multiple tires burst on the right hand main gear. This caused the crew to reject the takeoff at a speed of over 150 knots, which is very close to the plane’s takeoff speed. The pilots did a great job… probably?

Runway 122

Runway Knot Pilot Jet 122

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

In the early days, pilots used a mechanical circular slide rule, called an E6B. Find the crosswind component for Runway 36 if the reported wind direction is 320 at 12 knots. knots Correct! knots Correct! 106 knots 110 knots 115 knots Correct! 110 knots 132 knots 81 knots Correct!

Flight Plan 52

Flight Plan True Airspeed Flight Computer Groundspeed 52

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

Sometimes it’s emotional—the Beech Starship, what few of them are still in the wild, inevitably wow viewers of both the pilot and nonpilot persuasion. The canopy provides plenty of headroom for even taller pilots, while the view over the nose is equally generous. With a 41-knot stall speed, the common 1.3 But successful?

Airplanes 98

Airplanes Knot Pitot Tube Gross Weight 98

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Kentland has a 4,000-foot runway, east/west, with a crosswind straight out of the north. Nobody answered on unicom, and the facilities were at the west end of the airport, so I decided on left traffic for Runway 27. I turned base early, slipped the RV-9A as hard as it would go, landed halfway down the runway, and stood on the brakes.

Weather 75

Weather Runway Knot Rudder 75

One Mile at a Time

JUNE 21, 2024

This incident is especially strange, since conditions were good, so one has to wonder what exactly was going on with the pilots. Southwest 737 pilots confused in Oklahoma City? The aircraft was cleared for a visual approach on runway 17R. Southwest pilot: “Yeah, we’re going around, Southwest 4069.”

Air Traffic Control 124

Air Traffic Control Runway Approach Pilot 124

Air Facts

JULY 15, 2024

Though wind is reported using such simple numbers like 270@15G20, I’ve come to believe that 20 knots here is not always the same as 20 knots there. I did a checkride in 30 knot winds in the flatlands of Kansas, almost straight down the runway. Then came the landing in 20 knots in the Hill Country of Texas, west of Austin.

Crosswind 98

Crosswind Knot Rudder Turbulence 98

AV Web

AUGUST 19, 2024

According to a Department of Justice news release , Eagleman became agitated as the plane approached Havre but the pilots were able to calm her. The pilots told investigators the plane was going about 75 knots when Eagleman lunged. They eventually taxied to the terminal where Eagleman was arrested. She pleaded guilty on Aug.

Flight Deck 111

Flight Deck Knot Thrust Runway 111

Flight Training Central

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

What is the headwind component for a landing on Runway 18 if the tower reports the wind as 215° at 30 knots? What true airspeed should a pilot expect at 9,000 feet on a standard day with 65 percent maximum continuous power? 187 knots 162 knots 165 knots Correct! It increases takeoff performance.

Density Altitude 105

Density Altitude Knot Ground Effect True Airspeed 105