Hank Gibson

Okay, so maybe that’s a little harsh. Missed approaches don’t inspire terror. Stress? Absolutely. But, they don’t have to. Have you heard the phrase “Expect the Unexpected”? That certainly applies to any type of flying, but especially to instrument approaches when the ceilings are low. How low? I have a personal rule of thumb that […]

In the world of modern aviation, the transition from steam gauge cockpits to glass panel avionics has revolutionized the way pilots navigate the skies. With its sleek displays and intuitive interface, glass panel avionics offer unparalleled situational awareness and precision. However, mastering these sophisticated systems requires comprehensive training and understanding. No need to fear those

You have just pulled the trigger and upgraded your legacy Garmin GTN 750 and Garmin G500 to a brand spanking new Garmin GTN750Xi, Garmin G500TXi, and the Garmin GFC 600 Autopilot. You are amazed at the processing speeds, the bigger font, the better pixelation. All Garmin promised has come true in your airplane. The chapters

The M600 SLS debuted in 2020 and was the first of it’s kind. A single engine turbine with AutoThrottle and the Halo autoland system. It was a new level of safety, engineering and just plain coolness (yes, coolness is a word). However, flying the AutoThrottle in the M600 SLS is not a simple hop in

I recently gave a presentation at the Piper M-Class Owner’s and Pilot’s Association (PMOPA) East Coast Regional Seminar at the beautiful Greenbrier Resort in White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia on Icing. It’s that time of year in the US where Icing becomes a much more relevant topic for pilots, especially pretty much anywhere outside Texas

A lot of general aviation pilots don’t know what a flight director is, let alone how to use it. Most of us received our instrument training on either steam gauges without a flight director, or a glass panel with not autopilot (hence no flight director). Or, your CFII didn’t know how to utilize the flight

It’s time to pick up your airplane with its new modern avionics package. The plane has been at the avionics shop for 3 months getting upgraded from all the old steam gauges, the trusty Garmin 530W, and the ancient autopilot that didn’t fly a glideslope well for the last 10 years. You’ve seen pictures of

We live in a day and age of amazing aviation technology. 20 years ago, GPS was brand new to the GA marketplace and Avidyne had a cutting edge full glass panel running on Windows ’98 technology. Garmin was still a year out from debuting the G1000. Fast forward to 2023. We have GPS approaches that

The autopilot is a great tool for pilots.  It’s vital for a pilot to fully understand the autopilot in his/her airplane, what it’s there for, and how to work it.  We at The Aviator’s Academy see lots of pilots struggling with what button to push or experience confusion when the autopilot is doing something unexpected

I recently got the privilege to go on a tour of the Ft. Worth Center facility.  It was with our annual fly in group with Texas Top Aviation.  The event was in Dallas, which made it very easy to get to the Ft. Worth Center facility by the DFW Airport. Pulling into the parking lot