The Pre-Flight Briefing - Pilot Shop Blog

As technology continues to advance, all aspects of flying become easier. Gone are the days when you couldn’t see the latest up to date weather report in real-time or had to use paper charts. Now, you have all of the information you need to fly safely on an iPad.

Think about this for a moment: who taught the first pilots how to fly? “Ground school” for the Wright brothers may have consisted of studying available information from balloon pilots and other sources, then extrapolating their best theories on how that would apply to fixed wing flight. Their “flight training” was a self-taught process of testing theories and learning from failures.

Are you a brand-new student pilot? Congratulations! As you count down to the first day of class, you’re probably wondering, “how do I prepare for pilot training?” and “what supplies are needed for flight school?”

The aircraft that was chosen to run two of the most pivotal missions of World War II flew higher, faster, and further while carrying a heavier payload than any other bomber. These planes were designed to be just what the U.S. military needed to succeed in the Pacific Theater. Meet the WWII game changer – the B-29 bomber otherwise known as the Superfortress.

At PilotMall.com, we believe in providing our customers with a wide range of options when it comes to headsets. In this blog post, we will be discussing passive headset models and their unique features.

For those unfamiliar with aviation headsets, there are two main types: Passive Headsets and ANR Headsets. The latter refers to headsets that utilize active noise reduction technology. However, in this post, we will solely focus on the benefits of passive headsets.

We’ve covered the largest aircraft, smallest aircraft, most produced aircraft, and most affordable aircraft. Now it’s time to talk about the fastest plane in the world.

For this post, we’ve rounded up a list of the 10 fastest planes plus details about an 11th whose release is highly anticipated.

Flying comes with certain risks. After all, we as humans aren’t physically designed to soar through the skies alongside birds. Biology would say that we were meant to stay planted firmly on the ground.

Still, to reach for the skies seems to be part of our DNA, so how do we do that in as safe a way as possible? Is there anything we can do to make aviation less risky?

Imagine personal hover cars and other small flying transports navigating the skies just above major cities. It may sound like the backdrop for a science fiction movie or an episode of Star Trek, but as aircraft designs and technology continue to evolve, we are moving ever closer to that reality.

When it comes to aviation communication, airband radios are essential tools for ensuring safety and effective coordination between pilots and ground control.

In this Icom A25 review, we'll dive into the features and differences among Icom's handheld airband radio models: the Icom A25C Sport, Icom A25C, and Icom A25N.

This will help potential buyers make informed decisions when choosing the right radio for their needs.

Join us on a journey through aviation history with the Grumman Goose. From its inception as a commuter aircraft for New York's elite to its wartime utility and post-war commercial service, the Goose's story is one of innovation and adaptability.

Learn about its key design features, rich history, and diverse variants–read on for a flight through time and technology that shaped the iconic Grumman Goose.

The bearer of an ominous name, "Coffin Corner" sounds eerily spooky, but it need not be. The airplane behaviors within the coffin corner are all governed by several known aerodynamic factors.

Once the interaction between these factors is explained and understood, Coffin Corner becomes much more predictable and navigable for the skilled pilot.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever experienced fatigue. Is everyone’s hand up? Good. Now keep it up if you’ve ever piloted an aircraft while fatigued. That’s what we thought.

Naturally lack of sleep is a factor, but low-quality sleep, stress, poor health, dehydration, disrupted circadian rhythms from jetlag and night flying, plus commuting and extended layovers also play a role.

What can you do to keep from dozing off mid-flight?

Even pilots who already own their own aircraft may choose to rent for various reasons - whether it's to test out a new model or for a specific type of flight that their own plane isn't suitable for.

Naturally, the questions of "how do I rent a plane" and "how much does it cost" arise. Pilots looking to rent also want to know where to go and how to get the best deal on a rental.

In this article, we'll discuss all the important factors you need to consider before renting a plane.

The need to see our surroundings is non-negotiable when flying under visual flight rules (VFR). Without proper visibility, pilots are at increased risk for collisions on takeoffs, landings, and mid-air. Therefore we must fly solely in areas with visual meteorological conditions (VMC) and avoid instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) when flying VFR. To promote safe flight, the FAA has established weather minimums and airspace visibility requirements that VFR pilots must observe.