Bird Strike Prevention for Pilots: A Practical Guide
The FAA received 22,372 wildlife-strike reports in 2024 (FAA, No Fowl Play), and the total matters far less than where those strikes happened: in the airport environment, at…
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Flight Training Blog
Practical articles for student pilots and aircraft owners, covering flight training, aviation safety, checkride preparation, pilot gear, regulations, and the path from first lesson to advanced ratings.
339 published flight training articles
Aircraft Fuel Injection Explained: How It Works
Aircraft fuel injection meters fuel according to the airflow entering the engine and delivers it through nozzles at each cylinder's intake port, instead of relying on a carburetor…
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Best Instrument Rating Course: How to Choose in 2026
Across the decade examined in an FAA safety briefing, approximately 55% of accident pilots lacked an instrument rating, and the National Transportation Safety Board cited spatial disorientation in…
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Private Pilot Hour Requirements: FAA Minimums Explained
The FAA requires a minimum of 40 total flight hours for an airplane single-engine private pilot certificate, including at least 20 hours of dual instruction, 10 hours of…
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Accelerated Flight Training Private Pilot: A Realistic Plan
Two lessons a week can take six months or less to finish a private pilot certificate, and three lessons a week can take about four months. The 2024…
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Pilot Training Time: How Long Each Certificate Takes
A private pilot certificate requires at least 40 flight hours under Part 61. DuBois Aviation uses two lessons per week as a planning guide for completing training in…
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Airplane Cost Calculator: How to Estimate Real Flying Costs
The advertised hourly rate is the wrong starting number for an airplane cost calculator. A useful calculator adds annual fixed costs to variable cost per hour multiplied by…
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Instrument Approach Training: Types, Minimums and Practice
Are pilots training to land from an instrument approach, or to decide correctly at minimums whether landing is still an option? That decision is the core skill. Instrument…
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Instrument Rating Hours: FAA Minimums and Realistic Totals
For a U.S. Part 61 instrument-airplane rating, instrument rating hours must include at least 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time, including 15 hours of instruction from…
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EASA Part-FCL Explained for U.S. Pilots Training in Southern California
Explore how U.S. pilots training in Southern California can navigate EASA Part-FCL licensing requirements for European certification.
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FAA Certified Flight Instructor: Requirements in 2026
An FAA certified flight instructor is a commercial or Airline Transport Pilot certificate holder authorized under 14 CFR Part 61 to teach, endorse, and prepare applicants for certificates…
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Fatigue Management for Pilots: A Practical Guide
"Get eight hours and listen to the body" sounds sensible, but it's a weak safety plan. A pilot can log eight hours in bed, wake feeling acceptable, and…
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Power on Stall Recovery Steps Pilots Need
Power on stall recovery starts with enough nose-down input to stop stall indications before the wings are leveled or power is added. Popular advice reverses that order by…
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Cessna 172SP G1000 POH: What the Manual Controls
The aircraft-specific Cessna 172SP G1000 POH and its supplements control limitations and procedures for that airplane, while the Garmin guide only explains how the displays work. That distinction…
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How to Read Aviation Weather Reports
A cross-country lesson is coming up. The airport looks clear, but the briefing shows weather that could change before arrival. Reading aviation weather reports helps you build a…
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Pilot School Requirements: What You Need Before Day One
What if a student pays for weeks of lessons, then learns a medical issue, a missing document, or an age rule blocks solo flight? Pilot school requirements work…
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Third Class FAA Medical Certificate: Eligibility Guide
A third class FAA medical certificate lets a pilot exercise student, recreational and private pilot privileges, and it lasts through the end of the 60th calendar month after…
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Multi Engine Instrument Rating: Requirements and Hours
Does meeting an instrument-hour minimum mean a pilot is ready to handle an engine failure inside the clouds? Not necessarily. A multi engine instrument rating provides instrument privileges…
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