John E. McLain

I came back recently from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to Raleigh Durham, N.C., in a Cessna 150 with a single nav/com radio, in solid instrument conditions, and terminating in a 600-1 VOR approach. Back in the early days of my flying…

I have been a instructor for more than 40 years, and a pilot examiner for 26. In these two positions, I have seen students and pilots with a wide range of abilities, education and experience. I can honestly say that…

This year is my 45th year as a pilot. In that time, I have benefited greatly from the advice and guidance of many experienced pilots. Recently I unpacked all of my old log books and went through them, enjoying the…

Over the past year or so while conducting flight tests and recurrent training, I've noticed an alarming trend: the almost total dependence on advanced navigation systems such as GPS, flight data systems, and the so-called glass cockpits. While these are…

The toughest flight test by any standards is the Private Pilot Flight Test. This starts from square one. The applicant is not assumed to have demonstrated any aviation knowledge or skill beforehand. Through oral and in-flight testing, he or she…

A recent letter to the editor raised the question of Pilot in Command (PIC) and whether a safety pilot could log PIC time. This is one of those "can of worms" questions. In my opinion, the FAA lawyers who prepared…