The Pre-Flight Briefing - Pilot Shop Blog

Do you love aviation and flying, but don't want to be a pilot? Well, let me introduce you to the exciting role of an aircraft dispatcher. Aircraft dispatchers are the heroes behind the scenes that keep everything in aviation operating smoothly.

In this article, we'll explore what it takes to become an aircraft dispatcher.

Being a pilot is so much more than just steering a plane, it means that you are committed to safety, preparedness, and meeting the strict pilot currency requirements. You want to ensure that you're not just capable, but fully equipped to navigate the skies and provide a danger-free experience for those onboard.

Pull out your logbooks, because it's time to check if we're set to take on the responsibility of carrying passengers, and reignite the passion for flight.

Shall we begin?

Let's get into a flying maneuver that can make even the most seasoned private pilot break out in a cold sweat: power-off stalls.

These daunting maneuvers require precision and quick thinking, making them an important skill for any student or experienced pilot to master.

Get ready to learn all 13 steps of this nerve-wracking maneuver that keeps us all on our toes.

There are certain skills that professionals pull off with grace and finesse making them seem deceptively easy to the untrained eye. Landing an aircraft is one of those skills. It may look easy, but we all know the saying, “A good landing is one you can walk away from. A great landing is one after which you can use the aircraft again.” Clearly it isn’t quite so easy, is it?

A safe, precise landing is the goal of every pilot at the end of their flight, and one of the keys to nailing that perfect landing is approaching it at the proper rate of descent.

It used to be that if you wanted to earn your commercial pilot certificate (CPL) with single-engine rating or your certified flight instructor certificate (CFI) with single-engine rating, you had to fly a complex plane for your check ride.

We get it-you're not an aircraft mechanic. Your usual level of involvement with your aircraft’s fuel system may be the cringe you make as you pull out your wallet to finance yet another fill-up. Still, it doesn’t hurt for us to build our knowledge base and improve our ability to do some basic troubleshooting if something goes wrong.

In all the excitement and anticipation of sliding into the cockpit of that dream aircraft rental, stop for a moment to make sure that all the paperwork is in order. No, not the preflight check, although that is of course critical too.

Pilot students at Part 61 flight schools may begin training on analog instruments in their early days, but as they advance they will likely have the opportunity to experience glass cockpits. Glass cockpits use computer technology with features such as interactive moving maps.

However, some pilots prefer steam gauges because they are more affordable for general aviation aircraft use. In this article, we'll investigate—which is better, analog or glass cockpits?

Let's explore and find out!

A fixed pitch propeller does an okay job for takeoffs and a decent job for cruising while ground adjustable propellers force pilots to choose between maximizing either their climb performance or their cruise performance, but not both. At some point, many pilots say that “okay,” “decent,” and having to choose only one phase of flight whose performance to optimize are just not good enough. The solution is to choose a constant speed propeller.

Turbulence is caused by changes in altitude and atmospheric conditions and can subject aircraft to a variety of disturbances, requiring vigilance from air traffic control, concern from flight attendants, and raising worries about potential structural damage.

Learn more about the 7 types of turbulences every pilot should know!