With the dire need in the business aviation industry for alternative methods of getting the next generation of pilots' experience, no right seat should go to waste. Having two pilots in the cockpit is exponentially safer, even if the aircraft is certified as single-pilot, but only if the Second-in-Command (SIC)...

There is a growing community of pilots who only fly on a contract basis and intend to make an entire career out of freelance flying. Sounds glamorous, and it can be lucrative, but becoming a contract pilot requires a different mindset that most aren't used to, so here are some...

A video of a snowplow accidentally ripping the nose gear off a Falcon 900 at Aspen (ASE) while attempting to tow it back onto a taxiway splashed around social media in April. The original runway excursion didn't cause damage, but the arduous task of getting the aircraft back onto the...

Your shiny new business jet sits in the corner of the hangar collecting dust while waiting for a Letter of Authorization (LOA) from the FAA. You stand there shaking your head, questioning this logic. Your shiny new aircraft is FAA-certified and your pilots are trained by an FAA-approved Part 142...

The NTSB published its final report of a 2022 runway excursion of a Hawker 800XP in Aspen, CO. They determined the probable cause was "The flight crew's improper decision to take off in tailwind conditions that exceeded the airplane's performance capabilities, which resulted in a runway overrun following an aborted...

The Colgan Flight 3407 accident highlighted an issue of pilots with a history of check ride failures concealing performance deficiencies from potential future employers. The Pilot Records Database (PRD) was designed to facilitate sharing of pilot records with operators in a central database managed by the FAA. To make it...

Although runway excursions are the most frequent incident in business aviation, most don't meet the definition of an accident so the NTSB does not investigate. Since there are lessons to be learned and trends to be observed, at Advanced Aircrew Academy we track all business aviation runway excursions and look...

Many of our customers enroll in a Warm Weather Hazards (Weather Radar) online training module each spring. A review of the hazards associated with thunderstorms, tornadoes, turbulence, lightning, hail, downbursts, and windshear sharpen our risk management and decision making skills for summer flying. Our training includes a review of the...

The headline-grabbing close calls in aviation have the industry wondering if these are isolated anomalies or a larger problem across the system. Is it an airport, ATC, or pilot problem? Even though each event was unique, they are all categorized as Runway Incursions, and one of the many breathtaking escapes...

It's no surprise that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed mandating the use of a Safety Management System (SMS) for Part 135 operations. After the organization-wide mandate was handed down to Part 121 airline operations in 2015, business aviation began the countdown to compliance. But it's not just for...

We've heard the saying, "Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it." For some, this might mean always keeping a winter survival kit in your vehicle or ensuring that your home smoke alarms are installed and operational at all times. For business aviation...

Like Patrick Swayze's 1987 hit song "She's Like the Wind," there is no shortage of romantic analogies about what some simply see as an annoying, blustery condition—especially pilots! In fact, for aviators, the wind can be downright dangerous and even fatal if not effectively considered. On February 21, 2022, a...

We talk often about looming or existing pilot shortages and, in desperate efforts to recruit, we sometimes launch inflated campaigns on the joys of flying, loudly encouraging our youth to take to the skies in romantic, enticing ways. We use the faces of Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, or perhaps even...

"Who Moved My Cheese?" is a fun book written in 1998 by Spencer Johnson to demonstrate how we deal with unexpected change. In the aviation world, change is inevitable, yet the only cheese we often talk about is the Swiss Cheese Model when it comes to accidents and incidents. That...

Technology is an inevitable evolution in our society and, in many cases, it does manage to make our lives easier, more streamlined, and allow us to focus more on those critical, cognitive skills that cannot be managed by a machine. However, technology, like every good superhero, always has a weakness...

If our aircraft suddenly demonstrates some unwanted mechanical clunks or bumps, we naturally seek a technician to get it evaluated before the condition develops into something more serious or costly; however, often we fail to seek help for the most important part of any aviation operation—ourselves as pilots. Diagnosing machinery...

In the mid-1980s, London's Marquee Club was a popular, busy nightclub nestled near a residential area and hosted some of the biggest up and coming acts of the time. However, some neighbors not particularly fond of the late-night music scene began to make multiple complaints about the frequent noise of...

On September 1st, two twin-engine planes, including a Cessna and Diamond DA-42, were flipped due to severe weather, with one fatality and another badly injured passenger. While authorities are still investigating the incident and some pilots are also trying to make sense of the tragedy, it gives us pause to...

With our continued appetite for science fiction, we are often mesmerized by the latest technology mirrored on the movie screen. In fact, kids and adults alike enjoy watching the fast-paced, space-based storylines complete with rocket ships and futuristic weaponry; however, perhaps one downside of this trend for aviation is the...

If you enjoy eating spicy foods, you may remember ordering a particular dish and having the server ask how "hot" you would like it to be. This always creates a dilemma because "hot" is such a relative term and even though you may desire to find the level that is...

We have previously highlighted the challenges (and expense) of seeking the magical 1500 hours of flight time required before pilots may work at a Part 121 airline. However, we should also discuss a unique opportunity for Part 135 pilots to gain required experience through the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Part...

Recently, Sen. Lindsey Graham proposed legislation to raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial airline pilots to 67 from the current 65. The last time the age cap was raised was in 2007 when it jumped from 60 to 65 in an urgent attempt to address pilot shortages. Those shortages...

Some rules are created to save money, and some rules are created to save lives. Other times, rules which don't make complete sense are created because there is a perception that risk is not being properly managed, and it is merely a knee jerk reaction of the risk averse. Quite...

When the first measurable snowfall comes, I avoid driving that first day to keep out of the way of the drivers that have let their winter driving knowledge and skills atrophy over the summer. That first day in the mountains of Colorado was August 16th and will spread to lower...

On December 7, 1787, Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, and is since known as The First State. In June 2022, Delaware again achieved a first by becoming the only state in the US without commercial passenger air service. After a couple start...