Avionics

With “steam gauge” round dials, the airspeed reading was mechanically determined inside the airspeed indicator. Likewise, the altimeter had its own independent mechanical movement,...

Since Sony introduced the first commercial Lithium-Ion battery in a laptop computer in 1991, these batteries have grown to become the dominant power source...

Once a great add-on, wing levelers have been relegated to museums. The current automated flight control systems (AFCS or autopilots) have all the lateral...

Before we dig into this topic, we need to define some terms. Recall your private ground school where they talked about the different types...

You should know by now that ground-based navaids and approaches are disappearing. While some associated procedures remain for backup and alternate availability at smaller...

Pandemonium reigned, but it wasn’t our fault. We’d snuck into the super-secret gathering of the Official Office of Plane Safety, which is made up...

Diversions to an alternate, while achievable in an instant by selecting “Direct To” from the “Nearest” list, might not be so quick when facing...

Being both a pilot and air traffic controller, I enjoy learning the dos and don'ts from both sides of the mic. We’re all human...

Remember when you were a student pilot prepping for the cross-country flights with a sectional chart, using your plotter to calculate the true course...

You and two friends are flying to Nashville for a weekend of great music. It will be an IFR flight from Asheville, North Carolina...

Back in the bad old days of VOR navigation you could find your position by tuning in two different VOR’s. Each radial from a...

During the summer, many pilots in the Upper Midwest plan half-day flights for vacation, and it's inevitable that we have to contend with theGreat...