“If you are leaping a ravine, the moment of takeoff is a bad time to be considering alternatives.” – John Cleese John Cleese is a comedian (of Monty Python…
Category: Flight Experiences
FLIGHT EXPERIENCES: The Basics of Flying – Taxiing Your Aircraft
“Remember, you fly an airplane with your head, not your hands and feet.” In October of 2025 I attended an FAA FAASTeam seminar. The content is always interesting and informative….
FLIGHT EXPERIENCES – Elevating General Aviation Safety: The Case for an Advanced Qualification Program (AQP)
“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” – Amelia Earhart It is a gorgeous VFR day to fly – blue sky, winds light and variable. Anticipation…
FLIGHT EXPERIENCES: Flying Into Trouble: Common VFR Errors in General Aviation
“Getting out of trouble is a whole lot more hassle than staying out of trouble.” – Gary Paulson General aviation offers pilots the unmatched freedom of the skies, but it…
FLIGHT EXPERIENCES: Why General Aviation Pilots Are Unable To Say “Unable”
“Aviate, navigate, communicate” – but how often do we forget to simply say “unable” when it matters most? AirVenture Oshkosh 2025 is now concluded as I write this. Among the…
FLIGHT EXPERIENCES: A Carrier Landing By A GA Pilot In A Single-Engine Cessna
Did you know that a foreign pilot once landed on a U.S. aircraft carrier without prior authorization, without a shot being fired – and without an arresting gear tailhook? In…
FLIGHT EXPERIENCES: Cautionary Tales: Transitioning to a Different Aircraft
There is something undeniably thrilling about sliding into the left seat of a different aircraft – for most of us, something sleeker, faster, more capable or, if you hold an…
The Indistinct Future of General Aviation
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Alan Kay I possess no crystal ball. I claim no talent or expertise for forward thinking. I am,…
I Are A Pilot – Radio Mis-Communications
From the time we were student pilots, there was (or should have been) a continuing emphasis placed on proper radio communications. The FAA publishes the FAR/AIM and the Pilot/Controller Glossary to educate and assist pilots with the correct phraseology for in-air and on-the-ground radio transmissions. Advisory Circular AC 90-66C, Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations, is also available to make pilots better and more effective communicators.
Hard Landings – When Speed Tape Is Not Enough
“If you can walk away from a landing, it is a good landing. If you can use the airplane again, it is a great landing!” – Old Aviation Saying No…
Eyes On The Target… Defined Minimum Maneuvering Speed (DMMS)
“Keep the dirty side down. Airspeed is life. Rudder in the turn.” – Captain Blackcloud Aviation tends toward pithy, easily remembered sayings for complex subjects. The quote above is a…
Flying A Stearman For The First Time… You Can Do It Too!
My background and story that led to this experience: First, I was an airplane nut as a child. Even in first grade, my show and tells were about airplanes. I…
Prospects & Opportunities
by Dean Zakos “Get in, and pay attention,” Obie gruffly told me.” – from the short story “Threading the Needle” If you think back, you likely had many mentors over…
UNSELECTING RISKS
by Dean Zakos © Copyright Dean Zakos 2024. All Rights Reserved! Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine August/September 2024 Digital Issue! “Learn from the mistakes of others. You won’t live long…
NOTKOSH
by Dean Zakos © Copyright 2020, 2024. All rights reserved. Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine June/July 2024 Digital Issue To paraphrase: “When once you have tasted AirVenture, you will forever…