For most of us, long gone are the days of an over-the-phone weather briefing by calling 1-800-WX-BRIEF.  These traditional briefings are great for a complete top to bottom look at the weather affecting your flight, but all of the information they provide can be found in more convenient formats.  This convenience and time savings has lead many students/pilots to abandon the "standard briefing" altogether.  Although self briefings by using resources like...

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As you're already aware, earning a pilot certificate is a fun and rewarding experience that will provide you with a lifetime of thrills and excitement.  But it's also a license to learn and requires a system of continuing education and proficiency.

First, a word of caution -- while your flying fundamentals will no doubt be sharp when you earn your ticket, the majority of your training and checkride preparation was likely spent close to home.  This isn't a bad thing, but there is still a wealth of knowledge and skill to be gained during the flying that will come beyond the certificate.

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Back in October, I wrote about my latest training endeavor, my plan to obtain a LTA-Balloon rating. While this winter has been warm in Ohio, winds, daylight, and schedules have been a hindrance to making much progress.

VFR, Daylight, and Light Winds

Training in a balloon can only be completed under visual conditions. While the balloon would know which way is up even if it were in a cloud, you can't legally fly the balloon in instrument meteorological conditions.

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A few weeks ago I got a panicked call from a friend of mine who is a corporate pilot for a local company. He was worried about a possible airspace penetration violation that had happened to him that day. He and the other pilot were approaching their destination airport, Manassas VA (KHEF) from the west, when they were asked by the tower to make a 6 mile left base for 34R.

They needed him to make space for two departures out and an inbound all ahead of him. However, this clearance would put them in a restricted area south of KHEF.

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