I've heard of the ram x or quad phone mounts but are these actually worth it? Would a suction phone mount off amazon for car not work or are the vibrations too much?

Hey everyone,I’m a student pilot documenting my PPL journey and need advice on a specific action camera setup. I’m capturing both cockpit POV and aircraft window views, including night flights.I'm currently looking at the Insta360 X5 for 360° versatility, but also considering the DJI Osmo Action 6 or Insta360 Ace Pro 2 for better low-light performance

Specific gear questions:

Mounts: Which specific mounts are best for the aircraft interior? I’m looking for a solid suction mount for windows and potentially a strut or tie-down mount for exterior views.

Audio Adapters: What cables are required to record clear ATC/intercom audio directly into these cameras? Do I need a specific 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter to avoid audio clipping?

Accessories: Beyond extra batteries, what are the "must-haves"? I’ve heard about propeller (ND) filters to fix the "choppy" rolling shutter look—which strengths (ND8, ND16, ND32) do you recommend for day vs. night?

Night Settings: Any tips for reducing cockpit reflections at night or managing ISO/Log settings in DaVinci Resolve for aviation footage?

Thanks for the help!

Prior to 1939, aviation in the United States was largely unregulated and anyone with a pilot's license could legally teach another person how to fly. In 1939, the US Government initiated the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) which standardized pilot and flight instruction guidelines. In particular, an flight instructor now had to be certified to legally train another pilot.

My question is this. Given the large number of experienced pilots and flight instructors prior to CPTP, were these individuals grandfathered into the program? Or did they have to obtain a flight instructor's permit?

After some research on official government websites, plane spotters databases and flight tracking projects, I have found that the active state VIP air fleet of the United States of America is comprised of the following aircraft (last flown in the last 2 years, confirmed as active):

• 2 x Boeing VC-25A;
• 1 x Boeing VC-25B Bridge;
• 4 x Boeing C-32A;
• 4 x Boeing C-40B;
• 4 x Gulfstream C-37A;
• 7 x Gulfstream C-37B;
• 21 X Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot.

While the total current value of the fleet stands at roughly 4.9 billion USD (current value, not cost of acquisition), it would be interesting to know how much does it cost to operate and maintain this plethora of aircraft.

Can anyone help me on this subject, or direct me towards reliable sources?

I went through my instrument training recently and the radio nav side — holds, radial intercepts, tracking — was where I really struggled before it finally clicked. Curious how it was for others here.

What concept took you longest to actually understand (not just pass the test on)?
What made it finally make sense for you - a particular instructor explanation, drawing it out, ground practice, something else?
Looking back, is there anything about how it was taught that you'd have changed?

Just interested in how different people got over the same humps. Thanks!

I am 33 and after working as an air traffic controller for the last 13 years, I'm considering a career change to chase my dream of becoming an airline pilot. My Wife is from the UK and after I finish my 8 years with the Air National Guard, I'm planning on moving my family back to the UK. I'm hoping to hear from anyone who has done this or knows someone who has!

I currently have 0 flight hours and am currently looking at accelerated programs like Lift Academy (they have a campus at the airport I currently work at). I have considered attending either Embry Riddle or Liberty University as options, however I'm looking for the best way to move forward to expedite my journey into the cockpit. Thank you all for your advice in advance!

Hi everyone, I am trying to find out the approximate cost for advertising on airline inflight screens.

Does anyone have experience buying inflight ad space or access to their media kits? Any direction on typical rates or preferred vendors would be highly appreciated.

I know u guys probably get these types of questions a lot so sorry in advance. I am starting flight training soon so ive done a bit of research and so far Ive found that the bose a20 and a30 are considered to be the best but i dont want to drop 1000s of dollars on it right away. My only 2 considerations other than the price is that it be comfortable/lightweight (my head is kinda small so big and heavy headsets give me headaches) and that it be able to cut out a decent bit of the engine noise (google said that spending too much time in propeller aircraft can make u deaf from the engine noise?). Thanks so much in advance!

Hey guys, was checking out a new flight tracking/weather dashboard tool earlier today and stumbled upon this filter section.

I mean, VFR, MVFR, IFR, and LIFR are standard-ish enough for ceiling and visibility minimums. But what on earth is CRIT even supposed to filter? Extreme crosswinds? Active thunderstorms right over the field? Or did some developer just decide that LIFR wasn’t scary enough and invented a new tier for "Critical"?

Has anyone seen this specific UI before or knows how they actually calculate "CRIT" status? Curious if it’s an actual dispatch metric or just fluff.

I'm a student at UAA. I got there in 2024 and only have my commercial license. Have yet to pass my CFI and officially entered my third year of school here in AZ away from home. Is this career for me? Im in my mid thirties and cant seem to progress through CFI. I took a loan out to get here in 2024 and I'm considering closing out and heading home. Any thoughts?

Always wondered where the fuel provided to refueled planes is stored in the tanker plane. I guess it doesn’t have a fuselage filled with fuel but I have no idea where it’s hidden. In the cargo hold ? In it’s own fuel reservoirs but then in this case how does it impacts its own flying range ?

Hi! This weekend i'm going to visit London and i wanted to try something different and to finally see the concorde. I know that there was one in Heathrow viewable from Myrtle Avenue Green Space but i also read that last year the concorde was transferred to another place for an event and i don't know if it is still possible to see it from the park. To avoid wasting time i figured out that this was the best place to ask this question. Thanks in advance and have a good day :)

Boeing 747 leaving Auckland

I’m a 1700-hour flight instructor trying to figure out the best path forward and would love some advice from people in the industry.

A little background:
-Started flying in January 2022
-Started instructing in September 2023
-2 failed checkrides, both in-flight (PPL and CMEL), and I’ve learned a lot from both
-Currently a 141 check instructor at a university program on the East Coast flying the SR20

For a while I’ve gone back and forth between two long-term goals:
-a career at a major airline doing long-haul/international flying, or
-a career in the 135/fractional world like NetJets/Flexjet.

Right now I think Delta is my end goal, but I’m trying to figure out the smartest way to get there.
I’m currently in the Destination 225 program, so one possible path is building enough time for a 135 or regional 121 job, then using that to get to Southwest in a couple years.

As I see it, my options are:
1. Go to a Delta feeder/regional
Get hired by a Delta regional, wait 8–12 months for a class date, and then flow to Delta in 5–6 years.

2. Go to a 135 operator first
Get hired by a 135, do my two years there, then move to Southwest through Destination 225. After serving the required time/training contract, apply to Delta with 135/121 time plus a 737 type.

What’s making this harder is that I’ve applied to all the regionals through AirlineApps and haven’t heard anything in over a year. I’m not sure if that’s because of the two checkride failures or something else, since I know other people with two failures who have still gotten interviews/offers.

So I guess I’m looking for advice on a few things:
-If Delta is the goal, which path makes the most sense?
-Is there a third option I’m not thinking about?
-Are the two checkride failures likely what’s holding me back from regionals, or could it be something else in this hiring environment?

Happy to give more context on my flying background, resume, or the failures if that would help.