My dad has said to me many times “A great pilot never has to use his superior skills to get him out of a terrible situation, he simply never puts himself in that situation in the first place,” and I suppose this is the best advice I’ve even heard. Now there are many private pilot accidents, and there are always lawsuits when they occur and they always make the news, unlike the 20,000 to 40,000 fatal car deaths per year. My acquaintance mentioned to me that it took 10,000 hours to master something.

Indeed, and I agree with Maxwell Gladwell in his book Outliers that it takes 10,000 hours to master just about anything. The trick is to not let an unearned “ego” to trick you into believing that you have gotten there long before that muscle memory (Martial Arts theory) has taken place, where prudent flying skills and decision making is a reflex. The pilot who knows he lacks experience is generally safe when he acts accordingly and the Doctor who rips the wings and “V-tail” off his Beechcraft Bonanza because he gets vertigo in the clouds and then tries to pull out of a dive in that very clean configuration is a perfect example of what not to do.

You know after watching the Augusta Masters Golf Tournament, it reminds me a lot of flying skill in that regard. I don’t know perhaps you, the reader of this article agrees? You see there is always more to learn in flying, it doesn’t just stop when you get a good number of hours written in your log book.

I’ve had a number of very good friends die in aircraft, I’ve personally witnessed crashes which killed people many times, and I watched two people burn to death after a crash in a homebuilt T-18 Thorp. I’ve also had friends with horrible injuries who’d survived. I have studied many accidents, and constantly read the “I Learned About Flying from That Column” by Collins. I’ve had several engines quit on my, dead stick’ed several times while near the airport, all but one landing on a taxi way or runway, only once in a
field.

Much of an accident, or incident is about attitude, your attitude at the time will most likely determine the outcome, barring some massive structural failure. Many folks do stupid things, such as flying over mountain ranges at night in single engine aircraft at altitudes impossible to make it to one side or the other, or trying to sneak in under clouds or drop in through clouds when they see a space, or they do not properly manage fuel.

Well, those are the common ones, but there are enough Darwin Award Winners in NTSB reports to fill an encyclopedia, so don’t let anyone in the club become a statistic. Ah, what the heck, it’s all just common sense and philosophy really. And I guess I am preaching to the choir, because if you are reading this article, you already care about aircraft and flying safety. So, it’s those other folks that we ought to be talking to, although I’ve always found the best way to tell someone something, is to show them, and lead by example and in that way, you may save someone’s life in the future, simply because your wisdom, prudence, and adherence to safe flying rubbed off on them. I hope you agree.

Many people have now started considering a helicopter charter as a unique gift to friends and loved ones. This means that there is an opportunity to provide this service and make some money. Not only does this provide you with something to do but it can also be a great way to help fund the upkeep of your aircraft if you own it.

Another benefit is that it can help to make your holidays extremely unique. How many people can say that they fly themselves on holiday? If you can do this it means that you can avoid long queues and check in times at airports and actually get on with your holiday. Obviously this is not practical for long haul flights but if you are going somewhere within Europe flying yourself there could be an exciting adventure.

A helicopter charter could prove to be very influential if you have a business client that you are trying to impress. Picking a customer up in a helicopter and then going that bit further by flying it yourself will no doubt create a lasting impression and they are unlikely to ever forget you.

Having a private pilot’s licence can provide you with a level of freedom that you have never had before. Sometimes when people are stressed out or have had a hard day they go for a drive or a walk to calm down. However, flying somewhere is likely to make you relax far more than anything else as there is no traffic and just beautiful views.

Having a pilot’s licence can also provide you with brand new business opportunities. For example, you could set up a helicopter charter company on the side which is more than likely to bring in some extra money. Taking out a couple of customers a week can be a very beneficial source of income and can help fund the costs of your helicopter if you own it.

Having a hobby such as flying and then having your pilot’s licence also looks good on things such as CVs and can also create a very interesting talking point. It is a unique thing to have and therefore people will be very interested to hear about it especially if you are running a helicopter charter service as well.

A person who is trained before actual skydiving is taught about the altitude awareness, how to operate the parachute, hover control, turning techniques, radio assisted landing and other important lessons for high speed free fall skydiving. If at any time the person thinks that he could not do it, he must take the final decision before attempting to skydive and not later. But if the person has made up his mind and decides to attempt the sport, then he may head towards a good skydiving school and get started. One must choose an old learning school which has got some reputation with history and successful and safe jumps.

Skydiving takes a place in the heart and body so one must pay a visit to his personal physician and let him know about his plans and that he intend to do a program in physical training. If the personal physician agrees for it, then one must go for it. There is no need of very good body strength or stamina to learn the basics of skydiving. But the more healthy and fit one is, the more enjoyable the experience is likely to be.

One must always be prepared mentally for the new and adventurous experience. One is always more comfortable when his feet is on the ground. So, one must take his time to prepare himself emotionally and must imagine himself doing the adventurous sport. If possible, one must contact other skydivers and should interact with them. One could actually be skydiving with them without the fear of skydiving alone! It is always better if you interact with experienced skydivers and be buddies with them. The skydiving jump could always be recorded if somebody could be arranged who could capture the moments for you. Filming the jump is a great way of examining your jumping techniques!

Block time agreements are a reasonable option for one-way itineraries. Traditional charter requires two hour daily minimums when the overall flight time is less than an average of 2 hours per day. By being dropped off and picked up you can avoid minimums and benefit from the one way pricing that these agreements offer. The pricing represents an inflated hourly rate and therefore is quite expensive for round trips. Another down side is that thin a 12-month period. With some block time agreements, if you don’t utilize those hours within the allocated time, you forfeit the money that you have spent!

Charter allows the flexibility of choosing the best aircraft on a trip by trip basis. It is almost always more economical than being tied to a specific aircraft that doesn’t work for every itinerary. By utilizing the services of an air charter broker, you benefit from the knowledge of an experienced charter coordinator who examines the independent audits of safety auditing firms, negotiates costs involved with your charter, researches the qualifications and experience of crew and maintains a worldwide network of thousands of aircraft available for charter.

Exquisite Air Charter is confident our standards will allow us to continue to thrive. We guarantee to guide you honestly – even if into the hands of one of our competitors. In many cases, we’ve help our clients find a happy medium that incorporates both a block time agreement and traditional charter. Feel free to contact us to go over your charter needs so we may help in determining the best options for you. We’re proud to have earned long-term business relationships with our clients; an honorable achievement!

Whether you’re going to fly professionally and continue to get ratings, or just use your pilot’s certificate for recreational purposes, joining a flying club is always the right move. Many flying clubs require little more than a minimal annual dues, sometimes only as much as $40 or $50 a year. Most flying clubs meet on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, where pilots can share their knowledge, keep each other up to date on the latest airport or FAA regulations, talk about weather conditions, and most of all plan to fly places together. These types of clubs often arrange club fly-in’s to local restaurants at neighboring airports, and some plan even more ambitious cross country flights. At a good flying club you’ll meet aircraft owners, aircraft renters, and even some non-pilots who joined the club just for the love of flying. Together you can go and see places you wouldn’t normally have thought of without the benefit of meeting all these other people.

Choosing a flying club might be as simple as going down to your home airport and seeing that there’s only one available. Sadly, rising fuel costs and reduction in disposable income has put a big dent in General Aviation as a whole. Still, pilots who love to fly will always find a way… and these pilots generally stick together in their flying clubs and flight communities. Find yourself a flying club that’s local, and that flies out of an airport you’ll be comfortable with. Ask them where they meet, and when their next meeting is. Most of these clubs will be thrilled to have you, and will invite you to sit in on a meeting or two so you can see how they operate.

Some flying clubs maintain video libraries for flight training purposes, and many have close relationships with an FBO or home air base. Joining a club could get you special privileges at such an FBO. Sometimes your dues can even grant you the benefit of reduced aircraft rental rates. If you’re an aircraft owner, you’ll find pilots who will be willing to fly with you just for the joy of being in the skies. Most of them will offer to split fuel costs, or grab the stick for the return trip. And even if you don’t own an aircraft, a local flying club will put you in touch with people who do. Building relationships with other pilots will teach you much more than any book or video ever could, and flying with other flying club members is the best teacher there is. Observe their flying techniques, seek out unknown airports, and if you’re a very experienced pilot, you can even share your own knowledge with others.

Flight schools of USA work under the rules and regulations of Federal Aviation Administration. Some flight schools are specialized in fixed win aircraft training whereas others give the training in rotary wing aircrafts. Some specialized centers also give the training of flying helicopters. Some fight schools also offer commercial pilot training to the pilots. These schools offer these training by the help of professional and experienced pilots. These trainings are the combination of ground school training and practical classes. After this training pilots can do job as the airline pilot. But this is not the highest level of certification in the aviation industry. The highest level of certification in aviation industry is ATP certification.

Flight schools offer very good facilities to the pilots during the training of aviation. There are also few schools that give the facility of pilot shop. Some schools also offer scholarship to their students and give the facility of low interest rate loans. Thus these facilities are making great help to those who were not able to pursue these courses because of the problem of fund. In the ATP training, pilots not only lean to fly the airplanes in the difficult and different conditions but also learn technicalities related to air crafts. In ATP pilot training programs, pilots get rigorous ground school training and learn by the experience of their instructors. To become the pilot in command in the airlines pilot must be certified as ATP.

Full flight simulators and flight training devices are used to train a student pilot in several conditions, at much lesser prices and danger than being airborne. Private pilot flight trainings have a minimum amount of 40 hours. However, most of the students are required to have 50 to 58 hours of flight training.

Flight training can be extremely demanding emotionally, mentally and physically. Once the student made the decision to start to flight training, a student should do so with great self discipline and determination. With the training and the right resources, most people can learn to fly an aircraft at the basic level.

Check out some local FBO or Fixed Base Operators. Flight trainings are usually done at the fixed base operator which can be found at some small airport in your area. These Fixed Base Operators are here to control hangar parking, dispense fuel and ramp usage. It usually has an aircraft you can rent out as well as numerous flight instructors that are available to train new students. Training at Fixed Base Operators are great choices for student who want to fly as a hobby and for fun.

Consider an Aeronautical University or College. Numerous universities and colleges in the United State offer full training for pilot bachelor degrees. These colleges or universities may solely emphasize on aeronautical based trainings like Embry-Riddle or may have aviation degrees within a larger umbrella like Central Missouri State University, Purdue University, the University of North Dakota and Parks College at Saint Luis University. This is a great choice for students who want to become a pilot and get a college degree.

Get an instructor. Regardless of who can make it to the flight training facility, students need a pilot instructor that well fits them. This could be one of the most significant decisions you can make throughout the flight training. Do not just accept the first pilot instructor they offer you, especially if you sense that you have different personalities.

You need to get along with this person in close quarters and be able to respect as well as trust their judgment and skills. Once you find a good pilot instructor stick with her or him. Changing pilot instructors numerous times can become confusing since they vary in expectations and techniques.

If you looking for some real fun and adventure then you can opt for the hot air ballooning that is available in various parts of the world. For instance, if you reside in Spain then you can get them easily. The hot air ballooning in Spain is generally provided in the morning and the adventure package includes lunch as well. The ride lasts for 1 hour and allows you to enjoy the beautiful Spanish landscapes.

The hot air ballooning in New Hampshire provides you with postcard like scenic beauty which would mesmerize you. The balloon rides are safe for people of all age groups and can be enjoyed by all of them. It is however, available only when the weather is favorable and provides with sunrise balloon rides and evening sunset rides

For the residents of South California, hot air balloon rides are provided in Perris, Del Mar, California, Palm Desert and various other parts as well. Here you can enjoy safe hot air ballooning which are lead by the professionals. The Del mar hot air ballooning is available for the evening only where you get a chance to ride over the golf courses. The ride also allows you to enjoy the mesmerizing sunset on the pacific.

Egypt also offers Hot air ballooning wherein you get the chance to fly over the Nile River and Luxor. It is better to opt for the sunrise rides as they provide you with magnificent view. Similarly you can also get hot air ballooning in other countries and places like Florida, Carolina, New Zealand and other parts of the world. These different hot air ballooning packages provide you with various facilities as well. Some of them may have age restrictions as well.

You also get more information about hot air ballooning that are available in your country or near by areas though some website of adventures. These website provide with various adventurous trips like Bike trips, Canoeing trips and various other adventurous trips. With their provided package, you could enjoy adventurous dream easily and save more on your adventure trip.

There are three possible ways to train as an officer – service academy, Officer Candidate School (OCS) or Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). As a high school student, you should apply to a service academy if you want to become an officer. You can choose between the Air Force Academy, Annapolis (Navy & Marines), West Point (Army) or the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. All of them put you through rigorous military training, and you also obtain a Bachelor of Science degree. If you have a strong aptitude to advanced math and science then you’ll have a much better chance of succeeding.

If you’re planning to enter one of the academies, then be aware that the competition to get in is fierce. You’ll need a high school grade point average of 3.8 as a cadet, as well as a SAT score of 1300. This has to include a minimum of 1050 for verbal and math. It’s a good idea to have a strong extra-curricular activity record as well, even more so if those activities demonstrate leadership or athletic skills.

So if you want to enter a service academy, earn a commission and receive a college education, the path is simple. It’s not easy though – you’ll need to perform very well in high school, and not just inside the classroom. It takes a long time to work your way through the application process. You certainly don’t just hand over a simple form and expect to be accepted into a service academy. You need three letters of recommendation, extensive paperwork, and even to be nominated by your Congressman. To improve your chances of success, start preparing your application early, and certainly don’t start any later than your junior year.

The bad news is that just because you made it into the service academy, pilot training slots are still extremely limited. Being accepted by the academy is a piece of cake by comparison. However pilots are in demand right now, as all the military streams are struggling to retain the pilots they have. So if you’re keen to be a fighter pilot, it’s a little easier than usual to obtain a slot. How long that lasts, nobody knows.

You might also find that The Reserve Officers Training Corps is the best option for you. With this, you study at a college or university as normal, but add in the officer training requirements. On top of your regular studies you will have to attend military training and courses, spend at least one summer on a training camp and attend weekly meetings. Most of the time you live as a civilian, only donning your military garb when you’re actually attending military classes. When your officer training is complete, you can then apply for specific programs such as pilot training. Competition is tough, and you’ll need to pass some rigorous academic, medical and testing requirements to be successful.

If you decide a little later in life to become a fighter pilot, you ned to o begin training as a fighter pilot before you turn 27, so this third option is only available for a limited time. The Officer Candidate School (OCS), sometimes called The Officer Training School (OTS), is the best route. You would spend 4 months OCS to take a college graduate with no background in the military and turn him into an officer. Beside, you have the opportunity to apply for pilot training school when you qualify as an officer, but the competition is just as fierce.

Helicopters are measured in terms of passenger capacity, comfort, versatility, speed, and of course cost.

Choosing the right one for you depends on these criteria. For example, if you want a cost effective helicopter strictly for personal use, you can take the Schweizer 300 or the Robinson R22 (helicopter for 2). It has basic comfort and few features.

The exact opposite are the McDonnell-Douglas 500, Enstrom Shark, and the Agusta 109A. They are fast and more convenient to fly.

In between these 2 extremes are Eurocopter Squirrel and the Bell Jet Ranger. These are single turbine-engined helicopter that are more commonly used for filming work and charter flying. The Eurocopter Squirrel and the Bell Jet Ranger are agile, fast, and comfortable, but are constrained to fly on a fair weather.

This is not the case with the Sikorsky S76 and The Eurocopter Dauphin 2 which can fly at 200mph and can accommodate up to 14 people safely and comfortably.

With these, we can narrow down your selection into 3:

Light Piston-engined Types – If you want a cheap personal helicopter that could sit for two, the Schweizer 300 or the Robinson R22 would be your choice. They can fly at the speed of 80-110 mph. With a seating capacity and small size, these helicopters are light, easy to fly, and easy to maneuver. Surprisingly, the light piston-engined helicopters use a more expensive fuel than that of the kerosene based turbine engines but they consume less fuel. However, the Schweizer 300 or the Robinson R22 is less buyable for charter and corporate use. They are more popular, however, on training and personal use.

Light turbine helicopters – McDonnell Douglas 500E, Eurocopter Squirrel and the (Agusta-) Bell Jet Ranger are widely used around the world for its practicality and mid-range amenities, comfort, size, speed, versatility and price. Private owner often prefer light turbine helicopters among other types for these given reasons. The look is sporty and performance is almost perfect (if not perfect).

Twin Engined Helicopters – Stronger, safer, faster and more versatile helicopters are the likes of the Dauphin, Sikorsky S-76, Agusta 109, and Eurocopter Twin Squirrel. These are powered by 2 engines and can go places that other smaller helicopters can’t go. These are far better choice for high-end market with high price bracket.

Once you get these information, you will be confident to choose a suitable helicopter for yourself.