How Much Fuel Does IFR Really Require, Reading the Reg from Destination to Alternate to Reserve
IFR fuel under FAR 91.167 means destination, alternate, and 45-minute reserve - here's how the 1-2-3 rule and alternate minimums really work.
Towerflight planning
The PIREP, the One Weather Report Made by a Human in the Air, and How to Read One and File One on Your Next Flight
Learn how to read and file a PIREP - the only weather report made by a pilot in the air - to sharpen your go/no-go decisions.
PatternFive Ways To Prepare For Flying Into Busy Airports
Five practical ways to prepare before flying into a busy airport, from airport diagrams to airspace clearances and go-around briefings.
TowerNinety-One One Fifty-One, the VFR Fuel Reserves, and Why Thirty Minutes in the Tanks Is a Legal Minimum, Not a Plan
Radio Hangar explores Ninety-One One Fifty-One, the VFR Fuel Reserves, and Why Thirty Minutes in the Tanks Is a Legal Minimum, Not a Plan.
PatternA Japanese Destroyer Fires Its First Tomahawk, and Why a Pacific Missile Test Belongs on Every Pilot's Radar
Japan's first Tomahawk launch from the destroyer Chokai signals more Pacific naval exercises - and more sanitized airspace pilots need to watch.
TowerNinety-One One Fifty-One, the VFR Fuel Reserve Rule, and Why Thirty Minutes in the Tank Is the Number That Kills More Good Pilots Than Weather
FAR 91.151 requires 30 minutes of VFR fuel reserve by day and 45 at night - but here's why smart pilots plan for more.
PatternThe Winds and Temperatures Aloft Forecast, the Coded Table That Tells You Which Altitude to Fly and Whether You're About to Pick Up Ice
Learn to decode the Winds and Temperatures Aloft (FB) forecast to pick the best altitude, save fuel, and spot icing conditions.
PatternDecoding the TAF, the FROM and TEMPO Groups, and Reading Wittman's Terminal Forecast the Night Before You Launch for Oshkosh
Learn to decode a Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) and read the FROM, BECMG, TEMPO, and PROB groups before flying into Oshkosh.
PatternThe Graphical Forecasts for Aviation and Reading the Weather Map That Replaced the Area Forecast on Your Way to Oshkosh
Learn to read the Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA) with a four-question scan that turns the whole-sky weather map into a confident go/no-go decision.
PatternThe Question of the Day, What's the Plan Tomorrow, and Flying the Mass Departure Out of Oshkosh
How to plan a safe departure from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh: read the FAA notice, fly your assigned track, and beat summer weather and fatigue.
TowerAirVenture Wednesday - Reading the Oshkosh Daily Agenda and Planning Your Day on the Field
How to plan your Wednesday at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh - prioritize one-time events, decide your airshow strategy, and plan your departure early.
TowerNinety-One One Fifty-One, Fuel Reserves, and the Number That Keeps You Out of the Oshkosh Diversion Story
FAR 91.151 requires 30 minutes of day fuel reserve, but smart cross-country planning to Oshkosh demands far more.
PatternReading the TAF Line by Line - Decoding the Terminal Forecast for Your Oshkosh Arrival Window
Radio Hangar explores Reading the TAF Line by Line - Decoding the Terminal Forecast for Your Oshkosh Arrival Window.
PatternThe Convective SIGMET, the Afternoon Buildups, and Timing Your Oshkosh Arrival to Beat the Wisconsin Thunderstorms
How to read a convective SIGMET and time your Oshkosh arrival to beat Wisconsin's afternoon thunderstorms on a summer cross-country.
PatternDecoding the TAF - How BECMG, TEMPO, and PROB Groups Can Make or Break Your Cross-Country
Radio Hangar explores Decoding the TAF - How BECMG, TEMPO, and PROB Groups Can Make or Break Your Cross-Country.
PatternThe Area Forecast Discussion: The NWS Product That Tells You How Confident the Forecasters Actually Are
The Area Forecast Discussion reveals forecaster confidence and uncertainty that TAFs never show - here's how to find it, read it, and use it.
PatternThe Ohio Pilot Who Drew USA 250 Across the Sky in a Cessna Skylane
An Ohio pilot spent months planning and six hours flying a Cessna Skylane R-G to trace 'USA 250' as a readable ground track across the American landscape on July 4, 2026.
TowerThe ATC Staffing Crisis: What Three Thousand Empty Radar Scopes Mean for Your IFR Clearance
The FAA is running roughly 3,000 controllers short of its certified staffing target - here's what that gap means for IFR pilots right now.
TowerThe Winds Aloft Forecast - Decoding the FD Winds and Finding the Altitude That Works in Your Favor
Decode the Winds and Temperatures Aloft Forecast (FD winds) and learn how to use altitude-by-altitude wind data to pick the best cruise altitude for your cross-country.
PatternThe VFR Flight Plan - The Free Insurance Policy That Nobody Files
A VFR flight plan is free, takes five minutes to file, and activates search and rescue if you go missing - yet most pilots stop filing after their checkride.
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