All Posts
Flight training, Colorado GA news, and aviation stories.
Go/No-Go for a Solo Pattern Flight: The 5-Minute Brief That Prevents Bad Launches
The 5-minute go/no-go brief for your first solo pattern flight. IMSAFE, aircraft, environment, pattern-specific, and the spoken GO or NO-GO. Structured to 14 CFR 61.87, 61.89, and PHAK Ch 2.
Aeromedical Factors Student Pilots Actually See: IMSAFE, Hypoxia, Illusions, and Fatigue
IMSAFE decoded, hypoxia and 14 CFR 91.211 oxygen rules, hyperventilation, CO poisoning, spatial disorientation, visual illusions on approach, and 91.17 alcohol rules — sourced to PHAK Chapters 2 and 17.
Runway Incursion Avoidance for Students: Hotspots, Hold Short, and Heads-Up Taxi
1,758 runway incursions in FY2024. 62% pilot deviations. A student pilot's field guide to airport surface markings, hotspots, and the heads-up taxi habit set. Sourced to AC 91-73B and AIM 4-3.
METAR and TAF Decode Then Decide: A Student Pilot Weather Workflow for Local Flights
A student pilot's field guide to decoding raw METAR and TAF in under 60 seconds. The 7-step Decode Then Decide workflow, common student traps, and a full KAPA convective walkthrough. Sourced to NWS, FAA AWH, and AIM Ch 7.
Steep Turns: Stop Chasing Altitude and Pass ACS Tolerances
Why pulling harder makes steep turns worse, the AFH bank-for-altitude technique, and the ACS tolerances you will be measured against (±100 ft, ±10 kts, ±5° bank, ±10° rollout).
The Preflight Risk Check Students Actually Use: IMSAFE and PAVE
Most students learn IMSAFE and PAVE as acronyms in ground school then never use them honestly. Here is how to actually integrate them into your real pre-flight habits, with FAA primary sources.
Slow Flight and Stalls: The Cues and Corrections Cheat Sheet
A cheat sheet for slow flight and stalls. The cues to feel for, the corrections that actually work, the FAA stall recovery template, and the ACS tolerances. Sourced to AFH Ch 5 and the Private Pilot ACS.
Grounded Again: What Colorado's El Niño Summer Means for Front Range Pilots
Four weather cancels in three weeks at KAPA. A verified look at the developing El Niño, what it means for Colorado pilots through summer and fall, and ten things to do on grounded days that will make you sharper.
The PPL Acronyms Every Student Pilot Should Know (And the Ones to Ignore)
Every FAA-sourced PPL acronym worth memorizing — PAVE, IMSAFE, DECIDE, ARROW, AAV1ATE, GUMPS, OSUN — plus four common ones to skip and an honest take on why memorizing them is the easy part. Recalling them when your CFI kills your engine mid-cruise is another sport entirely.
Density Altitude: Why Colorado Pilots Feel It More
What density altitude actually does to your aircraft, why Colorado pilots are already starting the day at altitude that sea-level pilots cruise at, and how to calculate it before every flight.
Personal Minimums: Building Your Own Go/No-Go Framework
The FAA PAVE and IMSAFE checklists, what the legal minimums in 14 CFR actually require, and how to build a personal minimums framework that keeps you out of trouble before you get there.
How to Find the Right Flight School in Colorado
Part 61 vs. 141, what to ask about aircraft condition and instructor turnover, the real cost to certificate, and the Colorado-specific factors most students don't know to ask about.
Should I Buy a Plane for Training and Time Building?
The real costs of owning a 172, 182, or Archer — hangars, maintenance, engine reserves, insurance, LLCs, partnerships, and leaseback explained honestly.
Colorado Aviation Events Calendar 2026: Your Season Guide
Fly-ins, airshows, and conferences from April through October — every Colorado GA event worth putting on your calendar this year.
Your First 10 Hours: What Nobody Warns You About
The radio will terrify you, your body will feel wrong, and around hour 7 you'll think you're broken. Here's what's actually happening.
Women Who Fly Colorado: The 99s and WAI Building Community at Altitude
The Colorado Ninety-Nines and Women in Aviation International are doing the work that grows the pilot community. Here's what they're up to.
ForeFlight for Beginners: Your Complete Guide to the App Every Pilot Uses
How ForeFlight works, what it does, and how to actually use it — from your first flight plan to connecting an ADS-B receiver.
KAPA Dispatch: What's Happening at Centennial Airport This Spring
Tower rehab, unleaded avgas milestones, the Runway 5K, and the full 2026 Colorado fly-in and airshow calendar.
The Art of the Preflight Checklist
What experienced pilots know about the most critical 15 minutes of every flight, and why complacency is the real danger.
Reading Clouds Like a Pilot
A visual guide to cloud types and what they mean for flight planning.
VOR vs. GPS: When Old School Wins
Why instrument-rated pilots still train on VOR navigation and when it matters.
Barnstormers to Boeings: A Short History of GA
How general aviation evolved from post-war barnstorming to the modern cockpit.
ADS-B In: What Every Pilot Should Know
Understanding traffic awareness technology and how to get the most from your receiver.
First Solo: What Nobody Tells You
Honest notes from a student pilot about the reality of flying alone for the first time.