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Published: 15 September 2024

  By Howard Deevers   We all learn the “Alphabet Soup” of airspace when we are becoming pilots: Class A (18000 to 60000), Class B (Big, Blue, Busy), Class C (not so busy or big, but has rules), Class E (has rules, but not so restrictive), and Class G (uncontrolled and easy). Did I forget the Class D Airspace? Easily found on your sectional, they are inside a

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Published: 19 August 2024

  By Rebecca Burghy   In the May issue of our newsletter, Paul Wiley provided an excellent article titled “Why Get an Instrument Rating in Arizona?” He lists the many advantages to earning an Instrument Rating, all of which are true and lead to the key point: This rating really will make you a better, safer, more capable pilot. Taking on the challenge to improve

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Published: 15 August 2024

  By Howard Deevers   Two Boeing airliners have lost a wheel over the last few months. A Boeing 767 departing from San Francisco lost a wheel right after take-off. The wheel hit a car in the employee parking lot. A few months later, a Boeing 777 departing Los Angeles lost its wheel, which was subsequently found in a residential neighborhood. In both cases, the

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Published: 15 July 2024

  By Howard Deevers   If you have been flying long enough, you have probably given rides to friends or relatives. As new pilots, we were eager to show off our new skills. For some of the rides that I have given over the years, it was their first time in an aircraft of any kind. For first time riders, I always check to see if they have a problem with motion

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Published: 15 June 2024

  By Howard Deevers   There is little doubt that Parachute Jumping in Southern Arizona is a popular sport. Parachute Jumping is also called “Skydiving.” Skydive Arizona located at Eloy, AZ is probably the most busy jumping operator in the state, if not the whole U S. If you have ever seen a TV commercial with skydiving as a part of the commercial, it was probably

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Published: 16 May 2024

By Paul Wiley   As an experienced Instrument Flight Instructor (CFII) in Arizona, I sometimes hear private pilots talk about how you don’t need an instrument rating to fly in Arizona because of our good VFR flying weather better than 90% of the time.  While this is true, there are many other good reasons to get an Instrument rating other than just the ability

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Published: 15 May 2024

  By Howard Deevers   Some pilots I know are really good at writing things down as they fly, getting instructions from ATC, or getting the ATIS or AWOS. Some are not so good. I got into the habit of taking notes long ago in my early aviation training. There was so much to learn and to remember, and in some cases, read back to ATC. I was just overwhelmed. Of

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Published: 15 April 2024

  By Howard Deevers   Why do some new Private Pilots, even new Instrument Pilots, not talk to Flight Service? Those of us that have been flying long enough can remember when Flight Service Stations were located at many large and small airports all over the country. You could walk right in, go up to a counter and meet a Flight Service Specialist right across from

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Published: 14 April 2024

Greetings, As you probably saw in last month’s newsletter, the APA team had a great time talking with our members at the recent AOPA Fly-In/Buckeye Air Fair and the Cactus Fly-In. We also had the pleasure of meeting with some of our recent scholarship recipients to get an update on their journey towards their aviation careers. I’m happy to report that they are working hard

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Published: 15 March 2024

  By Howard Deevers   We all know that we must take an FAA “Written” test for just about any rating that we seek. It is part of the regulations.  On your first day of learning to fly, your instructor will let you know that you will have to pass a “Written” at some time before the check ride. There are books, test prep online courses, and ground school