Advanced skills

Articles to help increase your flying knowledge and practical skills.


LEARNING FROM MISTAKES: Low time, low cloud, high ground

FR172F Reims Rocket

Jim Davis analyses what happened when the pilot of an FR172F wandered into cloud.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES: Beware of "Experienced" Pilots

The Piper Seneca. (Piper)

Jim Davis analyses how an ATPL managed to crash a perfectly good Piper Seneca.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES: Landing a Cessna 210M on its belly

Aiming to make safer pilots of us, veteran instructor Jim Davis looks at extracts from official accident reports and analyses why things went wrong and what can be learnt.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES: Skidding off the runway

Aiming to make safer pilots of us, veteran instructor Jim Davis looks at extracts from official accident reports and analyses why things went wrong and what can be learnt.

PILOT TIPS: Are you ready to fly a twin?

(Tecnam)

In the second of our two-part series, Jim Davis takes you into the cockpit for some practical twin-engine flying.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES: Overconfidence – the biggest killer

Aiming to make safer pilots of us, veteran instructor Jim Davis looks at extracts from official accident reports and analyses why things went wrong and what can be learnt.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES: Understanding & employing command-ability

Aiming to make safer pilots of us, veteran instructor Jim Davis looks at extracts from official accident reports and analyses why things went wrong and what can be learnt.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN: How to add up known threats

Aiming to make safer pilots of us, here veteran instructor Jim Davis looks at extracts from official CAA Accident Reports from his own homeland of South Africa and analyses why things went wrong and how we may all avoid making similar mistakes.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN: Judging when to initiate a go around

Aiming to make safer pilots of us, here veteran instructor Jim Davis looks at extracts from official CAA Accident Reports from his own homeland of South Africa and analyses why things went wrong and how we may all avoid making similar mistakes.

PILOT TIPS: Are you ready to upgrade to a twin-engine aircraft?

The Piper Seneca. (Piper)

Are you ready to upgrade to a twin? In the first of our two-part series, Jim Davis takes you through some of the drawcards and drawbacks of having two engines.

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my story »

Circuit Suicide at YSBK

(Bill Wardle)

For all the budding and eager student pilots out there looking forward to their first solos, we hope this story will give you a revived respect for circuit emergencies.