Picture of the Day, an Open-Cockpit Morning Around Mount Hood and Why the Oldest Way to Fly Still Teaches the Most
A biplane over Mount Hood is a reminder that the simplest airplanes demand the most skill - and why hand-flying still matters.
Towergeneral aviation safety
Garmin Smart Glide, the One Button That Turns an Engine Failure Into a Managed Problem Instead of a Blank Stare
Radio Hangar explores Garmin Smart Glide, the One Button That Turns an Engine Failure Into a Managed Problem Instead of a Blank Stare.
VectorCarbon Monoxide in the Cockpit, the Cracked Exhaust You Cannot See, and the Ten-Dollar Detector That the NTSB Says Should Never Leave the Panel
A cracked exhaust can pipe deadly carbon monoxide into your cockpit - here's why the NTSB says an active CO detector should never leave the panel.
TowerGarmin Smart Glide, the Red Button That Pitches for Best Glide, Finds You a Runway, and Buys Back the Sixty Seconds You Waste After the Engine Quits
Garmin Smart Glide pitches for best glide, finds a reachable runway, and tunes your radio with one button - closing the deadly startle gap after an engine failure.
VectorMayhem Ten Swarm Demo, What Coordinated Autonomous Drones Mean for the Airspace You Fly In
A first-of-its-kind drone swarm demo signals more low-altitude automated traffic in the airspace GA pilots fly - here's what it means and how to prepare.
TowerAirVenture Sunday: How to Spend the Final Day of Oshkosh Before the Long Flight Home
How to spend the final Sunday of Oshkosh AirVenture - and how to fly home safely afterward.
TowerAirVenture Saturday at Oshkosh, How to Read the Final Day and Fly the Fisk Arrival Home Without Becoming a Statistic
How to make the most of Saturday at Oshkosh AirVenture and fly the departure home safely without becoming a statistic.
TowerThe Laredo Citation Crash and the Vibration That Should Have Been an Emergency
An NTSB preliminary report on a Laredo Cessna Citation crash highlights why pilots must treat unfamiliar vibrations as emergencies.
TowerElectronic Stability and Protection and the Autopilot Servos That Quietly Fly Alongside You Until the Moment You Need Them
Electronic Stability and Protection keeps autopilot servos active while you hand-fly, nudging you back from stalls, steep banks, and overspeeds.
VectorElectronic Stability and Protection and the Autopilot That Quietly Pushes Back on the Yoke
How Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) quietly pushes back on the controls to prevent loss-of-control accidents in general aviation.
VectorThe 2026 Diamond Buyers Guide and the Spin That Made Safety the Whole Point
The 2026 Diamond Aircraft Buyers Guide shows how one 1980s spin shaped a full lineup built around safety and Jet A efficiency.
TowerThe Garmin GFC Five Hundred: The Retrofit Autopilot Rewriting the Safety Math for Legacy Piston Singles
The Garmin GFC 500 brings envelope protection and modern GPS integration to legacy piston singles for $8,000–$16,000 installed.
VectorThe Open Door in Flight: The Scenario That Feels Like an Emergency and Almost Never Is
An open door in flight is alarming but almost never dangerous - learn the five-step response that keeps a startling non-emergency from becoming a real one.
PatternThe Impossible Turn: Finding Your Personal Numbers Before the Engine Quits
Learn how to establish your personal minimum return altitude for engine failure on departure - and why most pilots attempt the impossible turn with far too little altitude.
TowerThe Precautionary Landing: Setting It Down Before the Decision Gets Made for You
A precautionary landing is a deliberate choice to land while you still control the outcome - and it's one of the most underused safety tools in general aviation.
PatternClear the Prop - The Two Words That Can Save a Life on the Ramp
The 'clear prop' call prevents prop strikes - but only when executed correctly, with a full visual scan, open window, and audible shout before every engine start.
TowerThe Garmin GFC Five Hundred - The Certified Autopilot Retrofit That Changed the Safety Equation for Legacy Single-Engine Piston Flying
The Garmin GFC 500 brings certified two-axis autopilot capability with envelope protection to legacy single-engine piston aircraft for $10,000–$15,000 installed.
VectorThe Garmin GFC Five Hundred and the Level Button That's Quietly Changing General Aviation Safety
The Garmin GFC 500 retrofit autopilot brings digital envelope protection and a one-button Level mode to tens of thousands of aging GA aircraft already on the ramp.
VectorThe Fourth of July Rush and What Nineteen Million Travelers Mean for Every Pilot Flying This Week
The 2026 Fourth of July travel window brings 19 million commercial passengers and a dense TFR network - here's what every pilot needs in their preflight brief this week.
TowerThe Garmin GFC 500 autopilot and the two-axis brain transplant giving legacy airplanes a modern flight director
The Garmin GFC 500 two-axis digital autopilot replaces aging legacy systems in certified piston aircraft with modern envelope protection starting around $12,000 installed.
Vector