Published inCleared for Takeoff·Sep 6A License to Learn‘Aspiring Aviators’ Issue — By Larry Fields, (Acting) FAA Flight Standards Service Executive Director “It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill.” — Wilbur Wright, aviation pioneer “Prepare for the unknown, unexpected, and inconceivable … after 50 years of flying I’m still learning every time I fly.” …Magazine5 min readMagazine5 min read
Published inCleared for Takeoff·Sep 6Supply and DPE DemandHow Preparation Can Aid Checkride Success and Maximize Designated Pilot Examiner Availability — By Tim Pence, FAA Regulatory Support Division These days, it’s hard not to notice the abundance of “Help Wanted” signs whenever you’re out at a store or restaurant. More often than not, employees within those establishments are attempting to do more with less. In these situations, efficient utilization of a…Examination7 min readExamination7 min read
Published inCleared for Takeoff·Sep 6Eyes in the SkyEnhancing ADS-B Services with the Pilot Reporting Tool — By Elizabeth Keenan, FAA Surveillance and Broadcast Services As a pilot, you are a trusted, collaborative steward of the National Airspace System (NAS) and safety is at the forefront. However, even the most diligent pilot can only see so much. …Airspace5 min readAirspace5 min read
Published inCleared for Takeoff·Sep 6Do You Want a Ride?How to Protect Your Certificate and Prevent an Illegal Air Charter — By FAA’s Safe Air Charter Team Flying in our nation’s airspace is more complex, congested, and costly than ever before. The lure to cut down on some of those costs may motivate operators to offer their flight services without meeting proper FAA requirements. It’s important to note that just…Cost Sharing9 min readCost Sharing9 min read
Published inCleared for Takeoff·Sep 6Mistakes HappenHow the FAA’s Compliance Program Promotes Accountability for All Pilots — By Jeffrey Smith, FAA Flight Standards Safety and Compliance Team “Mistakes happen.” Certainly not a profound statement and there are plenty of affirmations that can be found about mistakes, how to recover from them, and how to learn from them. One that I particularly like is, “Mistakes have the power…Mistakes7 min readMistakes7 min read
Published inCleared for Takeoff·Sep 6Here’s My Advice …Training Tips from Award-winning Flight Instructors — By Rebekah Waters, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine To support this aviation training-focused issue of FAA Safety Briefing, we invited some winners of the National General Aviation Flight Instructor of the Year Award to offer tips to pilots in training. Here are their responses. …Flight Instructor7 min readFlight Instructor7 min read
Published inCleared for Takeoff·Sep 6Profile of PersistenceA Personal Journey to Piloting — By Tom Hoffmann, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine The path to pilothood can sometimes be a rocky and steep uphill climb. Various factors conspire to steal away our free time, halt momentum, fuel frustration, and deplete our available resources to continue with training. Being able to start — and complete…Mentorship8 min readMentorship8 min read
Published inCleared for Takeoff·Sep 6Decoding ACSUnderstanding the Airman Certification Standards — By James Williams, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine The FAA’s Airman Certification Standards (ACS) project started in 2011–2012 with a simple idea: finding a logical, data-driven way to clean up outdated knowledge test questions. …Standards7 min readStandards7 min read
Published inCleared for Takeoff·Sep 5Learning to FlyOn Final: an editor’s perspectiveStudents4 min readStudents4 min read
Published inCleared for Takeoff·Sep 5Inspiring the Next Generation of Helicopter Pilots and MechanicsVertically Speaking: safety issues for rotorcraft pilotsHelicopter4 min readHelicopter4 min read
