Football season is upon us, and game footage is everywhere. Watching your favorite team take on their rival (whether on TV or streaming on a phone or computer) you may notice that one swooping angle is missing: drone coverage. While the spring football leagues, first the USFL and now the […] The post TFRs and Sports: Drone Footage Exciting and Dangerous first appeared on Learn To Fly ..read more

Pilots are one of the most weather-informed groups in the world. They must be, because a change in wind direction or a developing storm can make a mess of all their other careful planning. The aviation industry has recognized this, and they make many resources available for pilots, from continual […] The post Weather Map Resources: Graphical Forecasts for Aviation first appeared on Learn To Fly ..read more

On your road to becoming a certified pilot you’ll reach several milestones. Taking classes with an instructor and spending time in the pilot’s seat make up just part of the path. You also must pass both the written FAA Knowledge Test and a FAA practical exam, which includes both an […] The post Preparing for Helicopter Practical Test Scenarios first appeared on Learn To Fly ..read more

This week the ASA team is off to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to attend EAA AirVenture 2024. If you are planning to attend, you can choose to visit us at either our indoor or outdoor location. For decades, Hangar B, Aisle D has been the place to find the ASA crew and a 400 square foot display of new and updated ASA books, products, and pilot supplies. Come check out some of our newest products and experience them first hand. You will also find us in Aviation Gateway Park along with the National Intercollegiate Flying Association, and many college aviation programs exhibiting their aircraft and what th ..read more

Did you know that loss of control (LOC) is the number one root cause of fatalities in both general aviation (GA) and commercial aviation? More than 25% of GA fatal accidents occur during the maneuvering phase of flight. Of those fatal accidents, half involve stall/spin scenarios resulting in a crash. What can pilots do to prevent this? For starters, the use of advancing technology such as angle of attack (AOA) indicators can have a tremendous impact on reversing this trend. Figure 1. Types of angle of attack indicators. During your student pilot training you are taught to rely on speed and the ..read more

The pitot-static system is responsible for the operation of three of the six primary flight instruments, otherwise known as the “six pack.” The three pitot-static instruments include the pressure altimeter, vertical speed indicator, and airspeed indicator (see Figure 1). Understanding how each of these instruments operate is critical to flight safety. Today, we’re going to focus on just one pitot-static instrument, the altimeter, which is an instrument used to measure height (altitude) by responding to atmospheric pressure changes. In the Instrument Pilot Oral Exam Guide, Jason Blair includes ..read more

Before a flight, pilots must do all they can to prepare for or avoid factors that are out of their control, such as weather. One of the many weather charts that are available are the significant weather (SIGWX) forecast charts. SIGWX charts offer meteorological data that can be vital when planning longer flights, or when weather conditions may come into play. If a plane may run into areas with visibility issues, a pilot must be prepared for instrument flying rules to be in play. Or, create a different flight plan to avoid weather obstacles. SIGWX charts are available in three types, low-level ..read more

If you’ve been spending time near the aviation industry in the past year, you have probably heard about the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) reauthorization. Most of the FAA’s budget is financed from the Airport & Airway Trust Fund, which receives its revenue from aviation excise taxes on airline tickets, cargo, and general aviation fuel. This Trust Fund is maintained through the FAA Reauthorization Bill. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 expired on September 30, 2023, and the aviation community was expecting a replacement reauthorization bill in 2023. However, the current political ..read more

The fourth week in April is an important one for drone enthusiasts. First, April 22–25, AUVSI (Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International) co-hosts the Xponential conference and exhibition. Global leaders and end users in the uncrewed systems and robotics industry will gather at the San Diego Convention Center to learn about and share the latest about autonomous technology. Stop by the ASA booth (#4427) to check out some of our new drone training material and say hello! Then, on April 27, take part in the FAA’s annual Drone Safety Day, which was created to increase awareness around ..read more

The saying “in like a lion out like a lamb” is most often used for March, but April can also be a crazy weather month. While aviation training tends to focus on the go/no-go decision, equally critical are the continue/divert decisions that happen quite literally throughout the flight. Once the decision is made to divert, the next decision is to return to the departure, continue to the alternate (which was determined as part of flight planning), or pick a new destination to get out of the weather. Pilots must consider each of these factors, relative to both their capabilities as the pilot as we ..read more