When I was in college at the University of Cincinnati, I joined Air Force ROTC. Being part of this military college class meant wearing the uniform all day every Thursday on campus. We could either wear our 'dress blues,' or our BDU's (camouflage uniform).  A few of my ROTC buddies dreaded wearing their uniform because we stood out in the crowd.  But most of my ROTC classmates, including me, didn't mind because they liked getting the looks and attention from other students.  However, one of my ROTC classmates, Evan, not only loved to wear it, but...

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June 2, 2005.  I had just landed N73028 in a 15 knot crosswind on runway 5 at OGG.  "Maui Ground, Skyhawk 73028 to the Tee Hangars"

"Aloha 028 taxi ahead on Alpha, left on Golf cross runway 2 then straight on Kilo to the hangars"

Yep, you heard it right, I was on the ground at Kahului  airport on the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii.  No, I didn't fly there from the mainland, my flight had originated from OGG earlier that morning.  This was one of the most exciting flights of my life.  Sitting in the car outside the airport fence, I had a few moments to reflect.

This flight actually began about 6 months earlier when Erin decided her wedding to Tony was going to be a destination wedding in the wine country of California.  How is this related? Erin and I had worked together...

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At first glance you're probably wondering what Runway Status Lights (RWSL) have to with aircraft transponders. The short answer is that they both help make the airport surface environment safer by helping to reduce runway incursions. Both provide additional information to pilots and air traffic controllers to allow for better decision-making and an in increase situational awareness.

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A really thorough understanding of your aircraft--beyond the what and into the why--can increase both the safety of your flying and the confidence you have in the cockpit. There’s no written test and no rating to earn, just the satisfaction of being one with the equipment you fly. And once you’ve experienced that feeling, you’ll approach your next flight in a different way.

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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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