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During my primary training, I started typing my own checklists, mostly as an exercise to commit tasks to memory, and establish a process flow that was more ergonomic and cleaner than the flight school's. One thing led to another, the inner geek kicked in, and I have automated the entire design...

As the use of sunscreen increases during the summer months, avoid applying sunscreen on the forehead. Verily, verily, I say unto you it is better to deal with a mild sunburn than a droplet of sweat carrying sunscreen into your eye; it's a heck of an irritant. On somehow related news, I can now...

I was out practicing between 06C and KDPA today under calm or very weak winds from the SSW. The airport asks pilots to use runway 29 in calm winds or direct crosswinds, for noise abatement. As I announced my entry into left downwind 29, a "blue RV" came on CTAF announcing a fly over the field...

Last Sunday, I took a dear old friend flying with me. It was a beautiful day. A bit bumpy but beautiful. We departed 06C, transitioned KPWK, and followed the shoreline to the south. My "standard" skyline route is to turn west over Monroe harbor and take I-290 back to 06C. This time, I did...

Anyone flying to KJVL tomorrow around noon? I'll be there around 1230 for lunch, flying N866US.

A year ago I earned my PPL. Since then I've been trying to make up for all the time I lost waiting to become a pilot. I logged 100 hours as PIC (55 of them solo), 322 takeoffs -- and, in case you are wondering, an equal number of landings. What did I learn in the past year? What am I looking...

I know this is last minute, but the weather in Chicago today is beautiful and I am taking the Diamond from 06C to KRPJ, departing 1245 local. Anyone around for lunch?

With at least two more threads on the 737 MAX here, why am I starting a new one? Because the article I am about to post is more about the engineering culture at Boeing than about the two accidents. I have a lot of respect for the IEEE and its flagship magazine IEEE Spectrum, where the article...

Are there any members here who can recommend an upset recovery school/instructor in the Chicago region, preferably not based at KPWK? Proximity to Chicago is highly desirable but I am willing to drive a bit extra and spend a couple of nights near the instructor's home airport, to complete the...

As student pilots, we spend a lot of time practicing landings. Our logs may show 30 landings in 6 hours of flight. Then we "graduate" and we start spending more time cruising than buzzing in a pattern. Our logs show fewer landings (maybe just 1) per leg. And later, some of us return for more...

At 06C we often joke that the airport's AWOS data collection platform is installed either inside Pilot Pete's kitchen or somewhere in the basement. Here's proof of it. Virtually all the airports in the vicinity report today west winds in the high 20s low 30s knots, with gusts from 40 to 50...

Yesterday there was a welcome break in the weather and I flew from Schaumburg to KJVL to celebrate my first 100 hours as PIC after earning my PPL. After the celebratory coffee and apple-cinnamon donuts at Bessie's, I climbed in the airplane for the flight back. This is my departure. It was quite...

Introduction: We are all told to depart the pattern at a single-runway, non-towered airport either straight-out or via a 45 degrees left turn, above TPA (AIM 4-3-3). At my home airport (06C - Schaumburg), when departing runway 11, you cannot leave the pattern via a straight-out nor with a...

This may be a trivial question but I need some help. Where do I find the phone number to call a facility and get information about flying in their space? For example, I'd like to do a night landing at Chicago's Midway. KMDW is a very busy class-C airport. I'd like to call ahead and see if there...

Believe it or not, this is the topic of a study led by a Harvard medical school team that just published its results in the BMJ (formerly known, as the British Medical Journal). The paper, titled "Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma when jumping from aircraft: randomized controlled...

https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/publicsafety/small-plane-crashes-near-valparaiso-killing-one-person/article_645fce4e-f542-5556-a9f8-dee42403e024.html

Weather permitting I'll be taking the Diamond to KMSN for breakfast on Saturday 12/8. ETA 9-ish AM. Any midwesterners interested in meeting at the JetRoom? (@Radar Contact @Mtns2Skies @UglyElvis @cowman; anyone else?)

https://wgntv.com/2018/12/05/dramatic-video-shows-planes-emergency-landing-at-chicago-area-airport/ Looks like the 310 that was parked in area 2 at KPWK, when I was training there. Great landing. Tail # N4120Q.

Sorry, this is too cute not to post. We have a 5-month of puppy (mix breed, shelter rescue), and yesterday was her first snow. Video is 1m10s long.

My (much older) brother-in-law is about to become a grandpa for the first time. He is also my designated recipient for this year's Xmas gift exchange. I'd like to buy him something relevant to his future role as a grandpa. Nothing as crass as The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grandparenting, yet...