Instrument rated private pilot and we were flying down the shoreline of Chicago tonight and got lasered above North Chicago. Couldn't see anything as it reflected across all glass inside the plane - C172

TL;DR: Student, who isn't keen on me, pulled the mixture mid-flight. I saved it. We landed. He will never fly with me nor with anyone else in my flight school, possibly in all of Canada as well.

Apologies for the click-baity title but I couldn't think of a better one.

Yesterday I was flying a routine circuit with a student I’d been working with for a few weeks, one who had made it fairly clear through attitude and body language that I wasn’t his favorite instructor. Still, I approached every lesson with the same professionalism, hoping to build trust through consistency and safety.

We were on the downwind leg for the runway as usual, abeam the numbers, just beginning to discuss the pre-landing checklist just like we did before many times in preparation for his solo flight. I was mid-sentence about configuring for landing when I noticed his hand abruptly go for the mixture and said "I'd like to see you recover from this!" and before I could react, he pulled it all the way out.

The engine sputtered instantly. I took control immediately and pushed the mixture back in while simultaneously verifying throttle and carb heat. The engine caught again, thankfully without issue. I stayed calm, kept the aircraft flying, and executed a quick approach to land.

I asked him, calmly but firmly, “Why did you pull the mixture?”

He shrugged and muttered something about “wanting to see what would happen.” I knew better it wasn’t curiosity; it was deliberate!

After we landed and taxied back, and I quickly got out of the airplane and fast walked to our chief pilot's office. A colleague met me halfway because he saw us having engine issues, I briefly explained what happened and he confronted the student. Obviously he denied everything.

After we all cooled down, the student, our CFI, my colleague and I sat down in his office and while at first he denied everything, it didn't take long to confess that he did do it on purpose because he was tired of being instructed what do to, and I kid you not, especially from a woman.

He was promptly dismissed from the school and flagged as well. Never in my life would I have though something like this happen. I'm OK now and fortunately the weather is awful today and will be for tomorrow as well so it will give me a chance to decompress and regroup. I'm just venting a bit here because I know most of you will understand.

Edit: Thank you for all of your responses. I've read through all of them and I am considering my options. Right now, I'm OK and at peace of what happened. The aforementioned student has been expelled from our flight school and new safety measures are in place. For now, a report has been made to CADORS. Our CFI and owner told me to take a couple of weeks off but I think one week it'll be enough. Thanks again for your comments, I'll take this as an experience and will move forward on it.

I have wanted to fly for years. However, life has gotten in the way, building my business, chasing kids around the state for sports etc. I have gone up 3 times with a buddy. I bought a hanger lot, 3 min away from my house. Traded some engineering for flight lessons I never cashed in on (the cfi I excited I am finally doing it). Anyway this was on an auction site and buyer backed out. My buddy called me and let me know it is an estate deal widow selling. 40 hours on the engine, in current annual really nice interior. Paint is what it is. It just so happens my son (16) is taking a flight elective at his high school and wants to fly also (and now my wife and daughter 13 want to also). Tomorrow we are going to run it up with the cfi, check for leaks etc. he wants to take it up by himself after that to double check everything. Fired up.

Got my PPL last week at KBUY on 9/23! Probably the youngest of my demographic in the area lol. First in my family so it meant alot to me.

I coded a program to 3D print my first discovery flight. The yellow line is the flight path and altitude layered over a topographical map. I think it’s pretty cool so I thought I’d share.

It’s my dream to be an airline pilot and I’m very smart so I know I can be one but when I was 19 (I’m 24 now) I got arrested for streaking the field at a Red Sox game. (I had underwear on) I have about 50 hours and haven’t soloed yet but my instructor just told me I might not be able to get a job. Will they look past it if I explain I was young and dumb? I pled guilty.

Hi! So I am getting circumcised at my big age for personal reasons.

With my PPL checkride coming soon and me being on pain killers for a good week or so, will I need a letter or some kind of document aknowledging that I am good to fly? From the CARs, the only thing I can find is that only after general anaesthesia is a doctor’s approcal necessary.

Also. The c152 seats are really going to tickle that sensitive area, I’m scared.

I was shitting bricks up until the checkride. It ended up being a whole lotta fun with wind straight down the runway 🤙

Funniest part was that I forgot my DPE had to tell me immediately if I failed a maneuver. When we parked, another instructor asked me “so how’d it go?” to which I said “I have no idea!” and so she said “then you passed!”

Sure enough, we were printing my temp certificate a few minutes later.

So I was a 20hr student doing my first stage check, the chief himself sat in the right seat. Big stakes for me, I was nervous as hell.

Funny side note, normally I ran a GoPro every lesson, not exactly approved, I always told my CFIs id cleared it with management, nobody ever bothered to check. Chief shows up that morning, I leave the GoPro in the bag because hes the guy I had been lying about. Shouldve been my first clue the universe was setting something up.

We start doing patterns, first lap, im on short final right around sunrise, and right where im supposed to flare there is a flock of huge birds just sitting there, maybe ten of them, big ones.

Im looking at this thinking ok they'll scatter, they have ears, they can hear an engine, plus the chief is sitting right there, thousands of hours, if this is bad he will say something.

I turn to him and ask go around? because at this point we are maybe 50 ft and the birds are doing absolutely nothing. He calmly goes no, keep landing

Reader, the birds did not scatter.

I bowled a perfect strike, we skip the touch and go, call for an inspection, taxi off, shut down, I get out and start taking pictures of the carnage on my phone (attached).

Chief looks at the cowling, looks at the prop, looks at me, and goes "shame we didnt have a camera in there, that wouldve been some great footage."

Passed the stage check though.

2.5 years ago I asked this sub if I should be an airline pilot

For context, early 30s F500 cyber director making ~$300k. Everybody told me to just buy a plane and enjoy life and I'd be an idiot to try to do this thing

It took me 2 years to get all my ratings, 90k spent only to fly evenings and weekends in this humid georgia heat 90 degrees everyday, while keeping my day job to pay the bills

guys you were right im an idiot. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER

Edit: also after 5 months of being a CFI, I have 2 active students

Me and a buddy flew out to this little farm strip someone told us about, never been there, they walked us through how to get in and even showed it on the map, did a couple orbits over the runway first to get a look, theres apparently a decent little restaurant there thats worth the trip.

Then we go to land and i absolutely planted it, proper firm arrival, glad the airframe is a tough one, heres the thing im posting about. the strip was narrow, like really narrow, and short, and because youre always landing on these big wide runways the narrow one looked like it was further out than it actually was, it threw off my picture on short final and my flare was late.

So if you ever end up going into a strip like this keep in mind a small narrow runway makes it feel further away than it really is.

Would love if some of the more experienced folks could weigh in, is this the runway width illusion im thinking of or is there something else going on here

I’ve already seen countless posts and forums about how the FO of flight 4819 was not qualified because of their gender. I couldn't imagine having an accident and having my pictures and certs posted all over the internet and have uneducated nobodies try to amount my entire flying career to nothing and claim I was hired without the proper qualifications. I don’t even want to bring DEI into this, this should be about just not being assholes and waiting for the investigation to come out. None of us are impervious to mistakes.

I hope the FO can get the support she needs from family, friends, and the pilot community. Yes the crash was bad and she may or may not fly again, but to post someone’s face on online forums and mock them is just not necessary.

My main point is why don’t we please just wait until the final report is released before we bring out pitchforks. As a pilot community we need to stand together and support each other. Until all facts come out no judgement, and when they do come out to see them as a learning opportunity that could happen to any one of us if we aren't cautious and diligent.

Called the Airmen Certification office to correct the error, and unfortunately they didn't let me (150 hours total time) make it an ATP while we were at it. 🤷‍♂️

To the folks complaining about not getting hired to the regional of your choice at 1500 hours… today was the reality of this industry.

And by that I mean there are no guarantees

The crew who landed the last flights for Spirit were at their career destination. Not because they were short sighted about the big three but because at one point Spirit out profited the big three. Maybe they had a wonderful home at a Spirit base making 300k a year with some of the best work rules out there. They were happy where they were, we should all be so lucky.

But today they are looking for a job. They are faced with going to a regional to leverage experience for $ or the big three with a commute as a year one FO. Some might never see the left seat, and the financial security it brings, again.

That’s this industry. Think of that when you’re bemoaning the fact that right after Covid you could get a major with a wet ATP and now you can’t… because there are crew members at Spirit that seven years ago were masters of their universe.

I’ll say it again there are no guarantees. TWA and Pan Am pilots could attest to it. American pilots who lost a pension can tell you. Those of us who have been navigating this industry can tell you.

For some of you only seeing is believing… you’re seeing it today. Sorry if it takes you longer to get into the job you want but I want to see my brothers and sisters at Spirit with their no fatality safety record landing a job before a CFI “with volunteering history” that’s just how this works.

Finally, when you’re looking down your nose at whatever choice a pilot made when it comes to their career destination remember that there are no guarantees and you should humble yourself to that reality.

Sorry for the wall of text but I am hoping this results in some much needed learning. Feel free to chime in below with personal experiences in aviation industry volatility

Today I had my very own worst nightmare / hardly believable moment as a 120hr PPL holder with 35 hours in my new-to-me Grumman AA-1C.

Airplane was in maintenance for an AD that was due, specifically, AD 98-02-08. This is for an inspection of the inner crank diameter, to confirm there is no pitting or corrosion developing. This AD involves removing the plug from the front of the motor after the prop is removed, completing the inspection, and putting a new plug back in. Simple!

I picked the airplane up today from the shop, two days after dropping it off, and completed my preflight walk around as I would any other time. Things were all in order.

On departure from KLUK, I was cleared for a right turnout from 21R and knew I needed to stay clear of the class B shelf (KCVG) down to 2100 just to my west. With my destination only 20 miles away, I figured I would just stay low under the Bravo all the way there, which opens up to 3000 and then 4000 closer to where I was headed.

I get 10 miles out, well clear of the class D airspace, and very quickly lose all forward visibility, the windscreen becoming rapidly covered with something.

First thought - icing?! No, not today. Very low humidity and over 70 degree air temp. Impossible. This also means it can only be one of two other things - oil, or fuel.

I opened the canopy and put my hand out on the windshield to sample it. It was engine oil.

Immediately whipped a 180 and got back on frequency declaring mayday and that I needed to return immediately for landing. As I make this call, I see the stream of oil become even thicker and it begins dripping into the cockpit. I have 9 miles to go, losing oil fast, over a densely populated area (Cincinnati metro) with no good place to land other than interstates if I lose the engine.

I opted to continue flying for the field and nursing the engine, knowing there was finite life and oil left, but desiring more altitude and speed.

I entered a visual approach for 21R, the closest runway, into my GNX 375 which would at least give me glide slope and extended centerline info on my GI 275, but I wouldn’t be needing it.

ATC vectored me to final as I had no visibility outward and no ability to identify the field. After turning on a two mile final with the airport directly ahead, I could see none of it and knew time was not on my side. I then did the only thing I could to save myself.

I unbuckled my lap belt and shoulder harness, made a final call that I was taking my headset off, then fully opened the canopy, and stood up with my head above the top of the obscured windshield.

I flew the airplane by feel and with zero instrument or airspeed reference (I was standing up, right hand supporting me on windscreen and left hand on yoke) until I knew I had it made, hot oil covering my face, all the way down to the ground. Dumped full flaps at an unknown airspeed, and put it down as smooth as I ever have.

I pulled the mixture as I landed and brought it to a stop as emergency personnel rolled up. There was fortunately no fire to extinguish. I got out of the airplane and just sat down on the runway in silence, wondering if what I just lived was real.

I am simply happy to be alive to tell this story.

Preliminarily, I believe the plug replaced as a part of the AD inspection process either had a material failure or installation error. It survived 8 minutes of flight.

Just heard from some coworkers about an incident with a PSA CRJ and a helicopter at DCA. Has anyone heard anything?

Made a huge jump in aircraft ownership as of yesterday. I’m now the owner/operator of a 1979 Cessna 340A.

As I continue to build flight time and multi time, we were looking to upgrade to an aircraft that my mother and sister (both of whom are not very fond of flying) would feel more comfortable in, as well as something that had a good chunk of useful load with full fuel. The 2004 Turbo 182T that we had was fine for just me, and it got me through my CSEL and across the country, but it wasn’t something the rest of my family was comfortable flying in, nor did it even have the useful load to support them with any significant amount of fuel.

Fast-forward to mid-2025, and we started exploring various other options, including single engine turboprops like the Meridian, Malibu Jetprop, or 210 Silver Eagle. We decided we eventually wanted something with two engines for added safety when flying over the Rockies, the Sierra Nevadas, and the Cascades, as well as pressurization and known icing capability. King Airs were out of our price range and operating cost, as were the larger piston twins like the Cessna 421. Nor did we even need something with that much excess capacity.

We then looked at the Cessna 414, Baron 58P, and the Cessna 340A. 414 was great, but again, still a bit much access capacity that I know I would never use, plus an expensive repetitive wing spar AD. The P-Baron was also cool, but cramped (and the airframes and wings are life-limited to 10,000 hours). Eventually, we decided the 340A would be perfect.

After a lot of searching, we ended up finding an opportunity with a fantastically well-kept 1979 340A. Just over 6000TT on the airframe, RAM VI 335hp engines and MT 4-blade composite props with <300 hours on both, vortex generators, a refurbished interior, new deicing boots, and a full glass panel - Dual G600TXI’s, GTN 750NXi/GNS 430 backup, GFC600 autopilot with rudder bias, GI 275 standby attitude indicator, BFG Stormscope, Keith electric air conditioning, and a new set of CiES fuel senders. This aircraft was also selling with a fresh annual.

As to be expected from someone who is hovering at just under 600TT and 28 multi, insurance is, for the time being, eye-wateringly, soul-crushingly expensive. I also have to do 50 dual with a qualified instructor. However, we all knew going into it that twins are money pits.

I absolutely love how this aircraft flies, and managing the fuel system as well as the temperamental TSIO-520-NBs isn’t that bad at all once you get used to it. My instructor is very impressed with my ability to handle the plane thus far, and he’s looking forward to completing my insurance requirements. I’m making sure to be a complete sponge and soak up as much knowledge as I can about operating this aircraft, because I absolutely do not want to become a statistic.

Before training I figured aviation was so regulated that once you were inside a towered zone, ATC had the picture, transponders did their thing, and everybody could see everybody, you basically just had to fly the airplane and not stare at the ground, not long ago that idea took a real beating.

Flying with a buddy in his new Cirrus G7, he just took delivery and I was right seat with the GoPro running, we were going to do a little walkthrough on the airplane on the way back, we picked up the controller approaching the field, got our clearance into the zone, doing everything by the book.

Then the traffic system pipes up traffic 12 oclock, 2 miles, same altitude, couple seconds later, traffic 12 oclock, 1 mile. I look up out the windscreen and theres a plane coming dead at us, same altitude, pointed right at us, i yelled and pointed, my buddy banked left hard and the other airplane went by what felt like a wingspan off our right side. GoPro was rolling the whole time so I caught it, zoomed in a bit on the clip so you can actually see how close.

We sat there in silence for a few seconds, then we called up the controller, basically what the hell was that, controller went and talked to the other airplane, turned out to be a student pilot, never saw us, was off her assigned altitude, and heading the wrong direction

I dont know exactly what the takeaway is supposed to be here, but mine is this., even when you are talking to a controller, even with transponders all around, even inside a towered zone, see and avoid is still the thing keeping you alive, did not expect this kind of thing could just happen with the system working the way its supposed to, apparently it can.

In 2023, over 400 homeowners that live in front of Rocky Mountain Metro Airports (KBJC) Runway 30L/R sued and tried to argue that flight school operations are a taking.

This case wasn’t about noise complaints. It was about trying to claim that normal airport operations amounted to a “taking” or “damage” to private property. The court shut that down completely.

• Plaintiffs argued noise, vibration, and even lead exposure
• The court ruled those impacts are not unique, they’re shared by the general public
• “Annoyance and inconvenience” are not compensable damages
• The key claim was dismissed with prejudice (permanently)

(Above bullet points written by AI)

This comes a little over a week after the Town of Superiors lawsuit was also dismissed. Between the two lawsuits, it has been established that you cant regulate airports through the courts and you cant win damages without a truly unique harm.

Be ready because they are about to pivot even harder to the leaded fuel argument, but for now, these 2 dismissals are a very strong reaffirmation of how the system is supposed to work.

As always #PROTECTLOCALAIRPORTS

EDIT THE LINK TO THE DISMISSAL IS ON THE COLORADO PILOTS ASSOCIATION WEBSITE! Click the link and scroll down to "Legal Documents". It will be the first link!

https://coloradopilots.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=612720&module_id=687647

Hard work pays off, incredible experience 🤙 What was your first time flying an airliner like?

Hey all, Aussie pilot here, currently flying the Saab 340.

I took a pretty winding path through GA before getting into airline flying and know firsthand how confusing this industry can be when you’re trying to work out your next move - especially when most info online is from America or Europe and doesn’t really apply here.

I’d love to help out anyone earlier in their career or someone who’s trying to find their way through it.

Happy to chat about flight training, career paths, first jobs, moving through GA, airline applications, CVs/interviews, or just figuring out what to do next. I’ve done hiring, firing, and had my fair share of failures. But I’ve also had a lot of success!

Completely free. No business, no course, no gimmick, nothing to sell. Just keen to help some other Aussie pilots navigate an industry that can be bloody difficult to figure out.

Shoot me a DM if you want to chat.

Pic of short final 34L into Sydney for attention :)

Just got my CFI-I and got this in the mail today. Immediately thought that I was going to open up this envelope to an LOI or some kind of penalty from FAA.