You are here:
- Home
- Shopping
- Air Travel
- Aviation/Flying
Aviation/Flying/Questions Answered by Expert Malcolm Dickinson
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Are pilots of commercial aircraft such Delta required to monitor 121.5 MHz | 11/24/2009 |
| Q: Are pilots of commercial aircraft such as American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, US ... A: I believe pilots of commercial aircraft are encouraged to monitor 121.5 but are not required to do ... | |
| Gyrocopter requirements | 4/14/2009 |
| Q: I am currently in flight training I will be getting my private license within a few weeks and then ... A: Yes, in order to fly a gyroplane (a.k.a. gyrocopter) you would need to add a gyroplane rating to ... | |
| Just one more thing, | 3/12/2009 |
| Q: I'm a 16 year old Junior in high school. I have been so confused on just trying to figure out the ... A: Standard college scholarships pay only for tuition, room, board, books, and could not be used for ... | |
| Where to get pilot training | 2/23/2009 |
| Q: I'm a 16 year old Junior in high school. I have been so confused on just trying to figure out the ... A: Any flight school at any airport can give you the training required for your private, instrument, ... | |
| airport airspace | 12/1/2007 |
| Q: Malcolm....what are the horizontal dimensions of an uncontrolled airport's traffic pattern? In FAR ... A: As you read in 91.113(g), aircraft on final DO have right of way over aircraft on other legs of the ... | |
| Private Pilots License | 9/9/2007 |
| Q: Im 16 and am looking into getting my Private Pilots License within the next year or so. In fact, I'd ... A: Almost all airplane accidents are caused by human error. The vast majority of private pilots will ... | |
| gliders and wind | 8/14/2007 |
| Q: Dickinson, As a writer (not published yet), I find myself asking a lot of very specific or unusual ... A: I'm sure you can purchase a back issue of the August 1997 issue of FLIGHT magazine from the ... | |
| flying & turbulence | 1/29/2007 |
| Q: i have three quick questions: over the last 3 years i have noticed turblence everytime i have flown, ... A: Roberto, There is no such thing as an "air pocket." This is a name that some people use to describe ... | |
| How to become an airline pilot | 1/9/2007 |
| Q: I've been interested in becoming an airline pilot for sometime now and I've finally decided that ... A: Mike, You may think you want to become an airline pilot, but before plunking down $15,000 or more ... | |
| take off speed | 10/3/2006 |
| Q: What is the average ground speed needed for a commercial airplane to take off and are any ... A: I fly small propeller planes, not airliners, so I'm not sure what the takeoff speed of a commercial ... | |
| landing | 9/29/2006 |
| Q: Is this happening in the air a few miles before the airport? When standing outside and the airliners ... A: Your question asked about a change in the pitch of the engine noise during landing. As I mentioned, ... | |
| landing | 9/28/2006 |
| Q: What is happening when during landing I here the engines change pitch and it sounds as if they are ... A: I assume you are referring to jet aircraft like those used by the airlines. Jet aircraft are ... | |
| Class E airspace extension (surface area) | 9/17/2006 |
| Q: Malcolm, As a CFI I'm sure you'll be able to help me out here. I fly in the San Diego area. In ... A: Class E airspace never falls under the control of a control tower. Any airspace controlled by a CT ... | |
| Landing a Lake Amphib | 7/21/2006 |
| Q: I am a commercial pilot, CFIA, CFII, ASEL, AMEL. I want to start my own business. I tried a ... A: Seaplanes operate in smooth water. Waves are VERY hard on seaplanes, and very uncomfortable for ... | |
| learning to fly | 3/29/2006 |
| Q: i'm flying a cessna and also bellhoppers. i want to know how easy it is to become a commercial ... A: Anthony, To become an airline pilot, you need a bachelor's degree and an Airline Transport Pilot ... | |
| Flying Hours | 2/28/2006 |
| Q: - ------------------------ Followup To How much do first year co-pilots make in the regional ... A: You should try another expert with your question about starting salaries. My information is from ... | |
| Flying Hours | 2/27/2006 |
| Q: Is it true that you need 250 hours to fly commerically and 1000 hours to fly for regional airlines? ... A: If you have a private pilot certificate already, then you must have more than 12 hours. If you ... | |
| Learning how to fly | 6/13/2005 |
| Q: About the fastest thing I've ever driven is my Ford sedan, but I've always been interested in ... A: Training for the Private Pilot Certificate will involve about 60-70 hours of flight time, most of it ... | |
| cabin lights | 4/28/2005 |
| Q: Sir, I have a question regarding cabin lights in commercial aircraft. When coming in to land during ... A: Chris, I have often wondered about this too. I used Google to search for an answer. I found this ... | |
| careers | 1/14/2005 |
| Q: Dickinson! I am Travis and I am a student in Michigan and I am very interested in aviation. I have a ... A: Travis, The training for the private pilot certificate involves about 55 hours of "dual ... | |
| Cessna 182 Circuits | 12/16/2004 |
| Q: I'm a student pilot learning to fly the Cessna 182 and was curious as to the setup for an approach. ... A: Your instructor will be able to tell you approximately how much power to take off and when... I ... | |
| Handling emergencies in piston singles | 12/2/2004 |
| Q: Malcolm: I am close to getting my private and have been training in a Skyhawk. I have been ... A: Good question! I can recommend the following: 1. a book by Avram Goldstein called VFR FLIGHT ... | |
| unsual attitude recovery | 11/19/2004 |
| Q: in recovering from unsual attitude what is the first second and third control sequence A: you should look in your flying book for the correct answer. My actions would be 1. determine what ... | |
| Air distance between two points | 5/21/2004 |
| Q: My 3.5 year old daughter launched a balloon with a note attached from Northbrook, IL (zip 60062) and ... A: I don't have access to any special information about distance between two points. You can do this ... | |
| VFR flying. | 4/22/2004 |
| Q: Im learning how to fly in a Flying School in New Zealand. Ive got my 1st solo and it was brilliant.I ... A: Your first VFR cross-country flights will be dual with your instructor. He will coach you about ... | |
Aviation/Flying
Answers by Expert:
Malcolm Dickinson
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Certified flight instructor and commercial pilot, rated in all categories of aircraft. I specialize in primary instruction in airplanes and gliders; gyroplanes; and transition instruction in Lake Amphibians (seaplanes). As a search-and-rescue pilot with Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard Auxiliary, I can offer information on joining and flying with those organizations.
Experience
Experience:
As a pilot, earning ratings in all categories of aircraft, including rotorcraft and lighter-than-air.
As a flight instructor, instructing eight high-school aged Civil Air Patrol cadets
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.