#aviation

No steenking square roots! How to calculate maneuvering speed (Va) at any weight, why it drops with weight, and the Va formula derived from the lift equation.

Aeronautical decision making in the twenty-first century. Flying to Mobile for an ASMS board meeting, instrument currency, and planning around storms.

What is induced drag? Clearing up the PHAK’s vague answer: aircraft induced drag is the rearward part of the lift vector, shown with a diagram and vector math.

One of the FOI’s defense mechanisms explained more simply: a checkride-ready flight training example of reaction formation and how an instructor should respond.

How hard is the CFI checkride? The pass rate was 73.7% in 2025. How I passed my CFI initial first try: Anki, FOI/FIA writtens, the oral, and the flight portion.

Another sad aspect to this tragic crash. The NTSB report shows JFK Jr.’s airplane had a working autopilot and that CFIs saw him use it competently.

ATOMATOFLAMES and then some. Airworthiness rules are scattered across the FARs: a tour of ARROW, FAR 91.203, 91.205, and 91.213, and a handy calculator.

Racing summer storms through an FAA commercial checkride: 61.123 requirements, scenario-based oral questions, the flight maneuvers, and a full cost breakdown.

I passed the FOI FAA knowledge test at a PSI test center just after the contract change. What to expect: registration, ID checks, testing, and scores.

Octal and human factors. Why transponder squawk codes use only digits 0 to 7: 12-bit Mode A/C codes, short-term memory, and no invalid inputs.