Everyday for the next 31 days i’ll be releasing a video. The videos are short, sweet, and too the point. The purpose of them is to challenge you to think and apply the maneuvers i’ll be teaching over the next 31 days. The videos are posted on a subset of this website and you can view the first clip below and view the preceding days using this link I Want To Take The Challenge!

So this week I’m bringing you guys a story along with an FAA Regulation that you need to know and understand. I know that the FAR/AIM is a very difficult book to read. It’s not exactly a bed time story well maybe for some insomniacs it is haha The regulations hidden in those pages though are rules we all need to fly by and it’s vital that we can apply these regulations to our everyday flying. Let’s take a look at the video below.

Want to grab a copy of The FAR/AIM In Plain English? You can do so HERE

Ground reference maneuvers are something we practice early on in our flight training and seem to neglect later on down the road. We practice specifically S-Turns to learn how the wind affects our ground track. The ultimate goal of S-Turns is to roll out wings level across your point (road, tree line, fence etc…). The main thing I want you to take away from this video is always enter on the downwind. I’ll explain more below in today’s video.

What are your tips when it comes to S-Turns? I’d love to hear! Leave me a comment below.

In this weeks video i’ve compiled 3 presents that every pilot will love. The best part is I bet it’s 3 presents you may not have heard of before. (you can learn more about the products using the links below the video) Take a look at the video and enjoy.

Check Out These Products Using The Links Below

Airshow America DVD

Pilot Life T-Shirts

The FAR/AIM In Plain English

What factors can increase or decrease our stall speed? In this video we’ll look at a few things you may not have thought of in regards to changing our aircraft stall speed. As always after the video be sure to leave me a comment with some of your ideas from the video.

Low level wind shear is the topic of todays video. It’s a term you might be familiar with but may not fully understand. Wind Shear comes in many shapes and sizes. In this weeks video we’ll not only cover what it is. But also how to identify and react to wind shear.

Your Instrument Rating will be one of your more difficult yet most rewarding rating you’ll pursue during your flight training. I’ll never forget my instrument rating. (Mostly the yelling voice of my flight instructor) haha. There are some many great reasons to get your IFR rating. In this video i’ll show you some very neat IFR footage and give you 3 great reasons to take the plunge.

Crosswind Landings. You either love them or hate them. One thing I find is too many students run away from them. With multiple runway choices it’s easy to almost always get a pretty favorable wind. But what happens when a runway is closed or you’re flying somewhere and they only have a 1 runway option? Could you safely land that airplane? Track centerline? etc…

If crosswind landings have always been a fear of yours, or if you wish to brush up on them. Check this video out. Then as always leave me a comment below to share your opinion or experience with crosswind landings.

Did you miss Monday’s video on crosswind takeoffs? You can view it here: Crosswind Takeoff

Let’s face it… Crosswind Takeoffs get neglected. Everyone focuses on making great crosswind landings (and we’ll get to that later this week) Making a great crosswind takeoff can be just as tough. In this video we talk about taking off into a perfect 90 degree off the runway crosswind. We’ll cover how to hold centerline not just on roll out but even through the upwind. Enjoy!

I never realized how important it was to calculate and understand density altitude until my trip flying the 150 across America. You really get to know Density Altitude first hand as you’re cross over mountain ranges with a 200fpm climb rate!

So in this video I want to show you a neat formula to calculate Density Altitude.

What’s been your experience with Density Altitude? How do you calculate it? Let me know in the comment box below.

So I’m assuming it’s pretty safe to say you guys really enjoyed yesterdays Private Pilot Quiz. If you don’t know what i’m talking about or haven’t taken the quiz yet use the link below to take it

Private Pilot Quiz

If you want to hear the explanation on any of the questions I did a video this morning showing you what you need to know…

Link To Aircraft CG Video

In this weeks video we’re going to test your knowledge with a Private Pilot Quiz! The questions will start off easy and gradually get more and more difficult. Check out the video for a full explanation.

We’re creating the ultimate Private Pilot recommended reading list and need your input in doing so. To thank you for your help i’ll be giving away each book that makes the top 10 to 10 very lucky people. Watch the video to learn more.

The Top 10 Must Read Books For Private Pilots

1. Stick and Rudder

2. Pass Your Private Pilot Checkride

3. Flight of Passage

4. Say Again Please

5. Making Perfect Landings In Light Airplanes

6. The Student Pilot Flight Manual

7.You Can Be A Pilot! Answers to 25 Questions About Learning To Fly

8. Flying Carpet: The Soul of An Airplane

9. Controlling Pilot Error: Situational Awareness

10. Logging Flight Time

A Power Off 180 is a commercial pilot flight maneuver. However that doesn’t mean that private pilot’s shouldn’t practice it. The purpose of a power off 180 is to learn how to land your aircraft on a specific point without the use of power. This helps students realize in emergency procedures what alternate landing areas are “makable” and which aren’t. Check out this video for a great way to practice power off 180′s.

So we’ve all left the airport and the winds were calm. It was a beautiful day. The after our quick hop over for lunch at another airport we return to find the winds BLOWING! I’m talking gusting over 15kts. Now let me be the first to say there is a big difference between steady at 15kts and gusty at 15kts i’ll take a strong steady wind any day over a gusty inconsistant wind.

In this weeks video i’ll show you guys a gusty day I did some flying and what to do in that situation.

Enjoy…

PS: No comments on the 150 shoulder room haha

It’s something we train so much for. Yet it’s so unpredictable and the situations vary. However as pilots it’s so important to prepare ourselves for each possible situation. In this video I’ll share with you guys how I practice simulated engine failures.

How do you practice? Ever had to put this into action? Leave me a comment below

(Scary Music) Let’s be honest turning stalls are pretty nerve wrenching. Power on turning stalls really get most people going. Now put yourself in my shoes I teach these things to these nervous pilots!

But with this video and a little practice you’ll overcome the obstacles and knock out power on turning stalls like they’re nothing.

Keep in mind this WILL be on your checkride.

CORRECTION: In the video I said the maximum bank angle is 15 degrees when I doubled checked it’s actually 20 degrees… Sorry… Jason (Source: Private Pilot PTS)

Why is it some students find stalls….Power on Stalls “Scary”? Maybe they weren’t taught right? Maybe they weren’t ever explained the reason why we practice them?

Power on stalls can be intimidating, we’re at a high angle of attack, high power setting etc…

However when you have a proper procedure and understand the reason why we practice stalls you’ll not only make yourself safer but a better pilot.

Check out this weeks video as I take you through my power on stall procedure.

Don’t forget to leave me a comment on what you think. Any advice on helping others with stalls? Or What’s your experience with stalls? Leave me a comment below.

David who started as a member of my online ground school and is now a friend suggested this video you’re about to watch. If I could go back in time and do my flight training over what would I do? How would I have done it differently? I’ll share with you 3 things I wish I would have known to do when I first started my flight training.

What would you have done different in your flight training? Tell me in the comment box below.

This is a really neat video. Not like the typical formal instruction videos I put out on the site. This is a video actually of myself flying with a student on our way to North Captiva Island (FL90) with our wives. How could you not make a video of landing into an 1800ft grass strip on an island!?!? It would be a crime if I didn’t! Enjoy

What did you think? Leave me a comment below.

You guys asked and you got it! Forward slips to landing. Thanks to all who left comments on m0a, facebook, and twitter for making this video happen!

I can only cover so much in a quick 3 minute video… What other tips might you add? Leave your comment below.

This weeks video comes from an idea by Richard R an MzeroA fan who wrote me an email asking about judging distances as you’re flying inbound to the airport.

So this week I jumped in N512R flew out 10 miles flipped on the camera and started filming.

Now keep in mind this video is simply just a reference. Really more of an encourager to get out there and see these distances at various altitudes first hand. Enjoy – Jason

Man oh man do I have some neat inflight footage to share with you! This weeks video I’m not only working with some new cameras I’m working on a neat new approach to teaching steep turns. It’s all about keeping thing consistent! Which you’ll learn all about in this weeks video.

Spin recovery is a crucial part of any pilots training…However you don’t EVER have to actually perform a spin until your CFI certificate…Crazy huh? Regardless you need to understand how a spin works and it’s proper recovery procedure behind it. In this video i’ll reveal the acronym I teach to help students remember their spin recovery procedures. Enjoy! – Jason

Have you practiced spins? (yes even on accident counts too!) leave me a comment below!

Want to Grab A Copy Of Aviation Acronyms? Click Here

Jax Winds Aloft report for 18,000ft “781245″ Say what? How the heck do I decode that? Sometimes as a pilot I feel like a medical coder. Or better yet my wife who codes PHP (web-based programming language) for a living and tries to explain it all to me.

Yet I guess we’re all guilty of having our own language in aviation. METAR’s TAF’s and now i’m showing you how to decode FD’s that’s a fancy way of saying Winds and Temperature Aloft Forecast.

The only problem with our fancy aviation language… It seems like each chart, table, and text shares a lot of differences with some of the other stuff. However they do share some commonalities as well.

Anyways I’m done rambling lets cut to the video