105-Year-Old Woman Celebrates Birthday With First Flying Lesson

Virginia Mills outside of a Cessna 172. The same plane she flew in celebration of her 105th birthday. Photo by Debbie Gliozzi On May 18, 2019, it was the 105th birthday for Virginia Mills. How did she celebrate? By going flying, of course. For the first time ever! She’d said she’d always wanted to fly,…
22/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

What’s Going On with Cessna Denali Turboprop?

Cessna Denali What exactly is happening with the emerging Cessna Denali single-engine turboprop and when can customers get theirs? The first question is easy. The second one is coming into sharper focus. In concept, the new turboprop is a direct competitor to the Pilatus PC12. Both planes are priced at more than $4.5 million. At…
21/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

Why Did The de Havilland Comet Keep Crashing?

The de Havilland Comet in 1952. Wikimedia Commons The Mystery: What was causing the crashes of the pioneering jet the de Havilland Comet. The Backstory: When it comes to lists of planes, the de Havilland Comet jetliner is often mentioned prominently. It was not only the first jet airliner, but many regard it as one…
20/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

Plane Facts: Parachutes

An early depiction of a parachute. We have compiled interesting facts about the history and evolution of parachutes. Derivation of “parachute:” From the Italian “para,” meaning “prevent,” and the French word “chute,” for fall. A device for preventing a fall. First known parachute concepts: China: Han Dynasty writer Sima Qian in a book of historical…
19/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

An Overconfident VFR Pilot Takes Off In Instrument Conditions

Feeling confident about yourself is an important part of piloting. After all, no one wants to fly with a nervous Nellie at the controls, and “no one” can be extended to include the person doing the flying. That appears to be where the pilot of a Beech A36TC got into trouble, according to the NTSB's…
18/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

News and Updates – FAA Establishes Restrictions on Drone Operations Near U.S. Navy Vessels

At the request of its federal security partners, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 99.7 Special Security Instructions to restrict drone operations over select facilities and assets.The FAA established special security instructions today that restrict drone operations in airspace up…
18/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

Going Direct: NY Times Alaska Midair Coverage Is Scary

A De Havilland Beaver similar to the one seen here, was involved in a midair collision in Alaska. Photo by Dllu [CC BY-SA 4.0]When two small planes, a de Havilland Beaver and a de Havilland turbine Otter, collided in midair near Ketchikan, Alaska, two days ago, it was sobering. The Otter was a charter flight…
17/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

News and Updates – FAA Highlights Changes for Recreational Drones

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is implementing changes for recreational drone flyers mandated by Congress in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.While recreational flyers may continue to fly below 400 feet in uncontrolled airspace without specific certification or operating authority from the FAA, they are now required to obtain prior authorization from the FAA before…
17/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

Going Direct: Back To The Moon? Really?

Buzz Aldrin, the second human to walk on the moon. The administration’s stated goal of getting back to the moon in five years’ time is ambitious. Can it happen? Theoretically. But it ain’t going to be easy. Here are the factors that put the goal into context. If you’re 55 or older, you surely remember…
16/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

News and Updates – U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces $779 Million in Funding for Airport Infrastructure

Selected airports will receive funding for construction or equipment to increase their safety, capacity, and security.
16/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

Pilots Are Losing Their Minds Over this Blue Angels Video

Video is cool, but it can only go so far, right? Yeah, we thought so too. Until we saw this U.S. Navy Blue Angels video and lost our minds, like about two million other viewers before us. The video is so realistic that we have to warn you to be sure you’re sitting down and…
15/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy

Superjet Lands In Flames

A Sukhoi Superjet 100, similar to the one pictured here, crashed in Moscow on Sunday, May 5. Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia [CC BY-SA 2.0]/ Wikimedia CommonsAn Aeroflot airliner, a Sukhoi Superjet 100, crashed in Moscow on Sunday killing 41 of the 78 aboard the regional airliner. Initial reports are that the plane was struck…
14/05/2019/by Miami Flight Academy
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