News & Resources
Do You Fly or Are You A Pilot?
You may have heard us say here at Charleston Flight School that we don't want to just each you to fly- we want to teach you to be a pilot. There's a difference. Whether you intend to fly for a career or fun, here are a few things that every pilot should do: 1) Arrive...
Logging Time (Sim and Otherwise)
Logging Time (Sim and Otherwise) When I was working on my private pilot license, I don't remember getting a whole lot of instruction on how to fill out my logbook and as time went on, I learned even less. In my early years, my logbook was always completed by my CFI...
What Does “Maintain Runway Heading” Mean to YOU?
What Does "Maintain Runway Heading" Mean to YOU? When leaving from a non-towered airport, we are taught to add the crosswind correction required to remain aligned with our departure runway, but what does it mean when Tower tells us to "Maintain runway heading"? As it...
Be a Drone Pilot!
By now, we all have seen the proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or drones. They are everywhere. Anybody with a few bucks can go on-line and buy a very nice remote flying machine with a camera. Unfortunately, anything much bigger than a stocking-stuffer can do...
TSA Requirements in Pilot Training
After 9/11, there was a push to immediately do something, anything, that would prevent a repeat of the hijacker's actions. One of the very first things that was done was the grounding of all general aviation airplanes. Then, you could fly GA but only with a...
Positive Exchange of Flight Controls
You would think that having more than one pilot in an airplane would automatically make it twice as safe, but you would be wrong. In fact, the NTSB has files of airplane accidents where the presence of more than one pilot actually contributed to the accident. What's...
Flying to Nowhere Part 4
Flying To Nowhere Part 4 Author's note: I have decided to make a random flight with no goals except to fly. This is the final part of my adventure. I departed Camden on Runway 6 and made a turn due east towards Fairfield County Airport, southwest of Winnsboro. In just...
He’s Talking About You!
Less than 1/2 of 1% of the U.S. population holds a pilot certificate of any kind. Active pilots represent an even smaller percentage of the general population. And despite the general tone of our cartoon, that number includes women pilots as well. There are...
Flying to Nowhere Part 3
Author's note: I have decided to make a random flight with no goals except to fly. This is Part 3 of my adventure. The flight from Manning was short and quick, just a bit more than 25 miles as the Piper flies, over a landscape of trees, roads, and small towns. Sumter...
Flying To Nowhere Part 2
Author's note: I have decided to make a random flight with no goals except to fly. This is Part 2 of my adventure. My airplane leapt off the runway and why not? With just me and partial fuel, on a crisp morning with temperatures in the low 40s, it was a perfect...