Flying By The Book

Light sport is aviation with the weight — and some of the barriers — stripped out. Chapter 17: what makes an airplane a light-sport airplane, what sport pilot privileges do and don't include, and the flying qualities of very light machines: wind sensitivity, quick energy bleed, and why 'simple' still deserves real transition training.In this episode:What counts as light-sport: the category, the limits, the paperwork Sport pilot privileges and the fine print around them Light airplanes in wind: low mass, big control response, short attention span Energy bleeds fast: approach speeds and flare timing in a light machine Transition training: 'easy to fly' still means different to flySources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 17. Also referenced: **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C (Airplane Flying Handbook); 14 CFR Part 1, §1.1 — definition of light-sport aircraft (weight, speed, stall, engine, gear, prop, occupant criteria); 14 CFR §47.3(b) — aircraft registration requirement; 14 CFR §61.101(i)(3) — recreational pilot night operation for additional certificates/ratings under instructor supervision (5 statute miles visibility); 14 CFR §61.303 — pilot certificate / medical or U.S. driver's license eligibility table for LSA; 14 CFR §61.315 — sport pilot privileges and limits, including §61.315(a) endorsement and §61.315(c)(5) no-night-flight limitation; 14 CFR §61.413 — flight instructor-S limited to instruction in LSAs; 14 CFR §91.205(c) — instruments and equipment required for VFR night operations. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Jets aren't just faster — they think differently. Chapter 16: spool-up lag and why jet power demands anticipation, swept-wing behavior near the stall, high-altitude aerodynamics and the narrowing margin between too slow and too fast, V-speeds and the takeoff decision, and the energy discipline jet flying demands.In this episode:Spool-up lag: why jet thrust arrives late and approaches are flown ahead of the airplane Swept wings: drag, Dutch roll tendencies, and different stall manners High-altitude aerodynamics: where stall speed and Mach limits converge V1, VR, V2: the takeoff as a briefed decision, not a reaction Energy management at jet speed: planning descents in tens of milesSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 16. Also referenced: **Chapter taught:** Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 16 — Transition to Jet-Powered Airplanes.; **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C.; 14 CFR 91.117(a) — 250 KIAS speed limit below 10,000 feet MSL.; 14 CFR 91.213(a) — inoperative instruments/equipment; MEL requirement for turbine-powered airplanes (incl. 91.213(a)(3)(ii) and 91.213(a)(5)).; 14 CFR 25.125 — landing distance definition (transport category).; 14 CFR Part 25 — airworthiness standards, transport category airplanes.; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

The turboprop is where piston habits meet turbine reality. Chapter 15: how a gas turbine actually makes power, free-turbine versus fixed-shaft designs, torque and ITT limits, beta range and reverse thrust, and what changes about engine handling when there's a fire section instead of cylinders.In this episode:Gas turbine basics: compressor, combustor, turbine — suck, squeeze, burn, blow Free turbine vs fixed shaft: why a PT6 and a Garrett feel different Torque, ITT, and NG: the new gauges that own your attention Beta range and reverse: prop control past the idle stop, on the ground only Starts and hot starts: the two minutes where turbines get expensiveSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 15. Also referenced: **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C; 14 CFR 91.211 — Supplemental oxygen requirements (referenced in the chapter's high-altitude ground-training outline); **Other references named from the chapter:** RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum) operations; RNAV/RNP and RAIM; example engines cited by the handbook — Garrett TPE331 (fixed-shaft constant-speed) and Pratt & Whitney PT-6 (split-shaft/free turbine).; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Tailwheel airplanes aren't harder to fly — they're just brutally honest. Chapter 14: why the aft CG makes a taildragger want to swap ends, ground loops and how they start, three-point versus wheel landings, and the rudder discipline that tailwheel flying installs in every pilot who learns it.In this episode:Why taildraggers swerve: the CG behind the mains and directional divergence The ground loop: how it starts, how it grows, and catching it early Three-point landings versus wheel landings — and when each earns its keep Takeoffs: the tail comes up, the gyroscopic yaw arrives, the feet answer Taxiing in wind: stick position and never trusting a quartering tailwindSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 14. Also referenced: **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C (Airplane Flying Handbook).; **Regulations cited on-air:** 14 CFR 61.31(i) — tailwheel endorsement: training + logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor covering normal/crosswind takeoffs and landings, wheel landings (unless manufacturer recommends against), and go-arounds.; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

A small multiengine airplane flies almost exactly like a single — right up until one engine quits, and then it becomes a completely different animal. In this episode Maya and Rico take on Chapter 13 of the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook, “Transition to Multiengine Airplanes.” They unpack why losing one of two engines costs you fifty percent of your power but eighty to ninety percent of your climb, decode the two most important markings on the airspeed indicator (the red line VMC and the blue line VYSE), and walk through exactly what your hands and feet do when an engine fails after takeoff. Along the way: feathering propellers, why VMC is not a fixed number, finding zero sideslip, and the one ground rule that never changes — the manufacturer’s AFM and POH always win. In this episode Why multiengine is its own class rating — the second engine is conditional safety, not free safety. The climb math: climb runs on excess power, so a 50% power loss can erase 80–90% of your climb performance. The two markings that matter: red line VMC (can I steer?) and blue line VYSE (can I climb?) — two separate problems. Why VMC is not a fixed number: it moves with power, aft CG, a windmilling prop, lighter weight, and dramatically with bank — more than three knots per degree. The engine-failure-after-takeoff response in four words, in priority order: Control, Configuration, Climb, Checklist. Feathering the dead engine — and why you do it while the prop is still spinning above ~800 rpm. Finding zero sideslip: about two degrees of bank toward the operative engine, ball a third to a half out. The takeoff safety brief, common errors, and what the checkride actually asks for. Sources This episode is built from the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 13 — “Transition to Multiengine Airplanes.” Regulations and references cited on air: 14 CFR § 23.2135(c) (current definition of VMC); 14 CFR § 23.149 (historical VMC determination, including the 5-degree bank and 150-lb rudder-force conditions); 14 CFR § 23.2005 (certification levels and performance-level classification); 14 CFR § 23.2120(b) (single-engine climb-gradient certification, 1.5% at 5,000 ft); and amendment 81 FR 96689 (effective December 30, 2016). Multiengine-class Airman Certification Standards tasks for the VMC demonstration and in-flight feathering/unfeathering are referenced. Current as of June 2025. Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Your first complex airplane hands you three new levers and a whole new failure mode. Chapter 12: how retractable gear systems work and how pilots still land gear-up anyway, the constant-speed propeller and what manifold pressure really tells you, cowl flaps, and the flows and checklists that keep the step-up from biting.In this episode:Retractable gear: the systems, the indicators, and the gear-up landing nobody plans Constant-speed props: the governor, manifold pressure, and 'squaring' myths Cowl flaps and engine temperature management GUMPS and flow checks: the habits that catch the forgotten lever Transition training: why the insurance company is right about this oneSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 12. Also referenced: **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C.; 14 CFR 61.31(f)(1) — high-performance airplane definition (engine of more than 200 horsepower).; 14 CFR 61.1 — complex airplane definition (retractable landing gear, flaps, and controllable-pitch propeller; seaplane variant; FADEC provision).; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Performance maneuvers exist to make your hands smarter. Chapter 10: steep turns and the overbanking tendency, the steep spiral, the chandelle's climbing 180, and the lazy eight — the maneuver that punishes anyone who tries to muscle it. What each maneuver is actually teaching, and the common errors examiners see every week.In this episode:Steep turns: load factor, overbanking tendency, and the elevator's new job The steep spiral: energy management wrapped around a point Chandelles: maximum performance climbing turns, planned before the bank Lazy eights: constantly changing everything, forcing finesse What these maneuvers are really for: control feel across the envelopeSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 10. Also referenced: **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C.; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Every flight ends the same way, and Chapter 9 is the biggest chapter in the book for a reason. Maya and Rico work through the whole arrival: what a stabilized approach actually means, the roundout and flare that everyone struggles with, crosswind technique, short and soft fields, and the golden rule that a go-around is never a failure.In this episode:The stabilized approach: on speed, on path, configured — or go around Roundout and flare: where your eyes go, and why everyone flares too high at first Crosswind landings: the wing-low method and running out of rudder Short-field and soft-field: precision on one, patience on the other Bounces, balloons, and floats — and the go-around that fixes all of themSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 9. Also referenced: **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C (Airplane Flying Handbook).; **Cross-referenced FAA publications (as cited in the chapter):** Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25, as revised); Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2, as revised).; **Episode-description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

The traffic pattern is aviation's town square: everyone passes through, and the rules exist so nobody trades paint. Chapter 8 covers the standard pattern and its legs, entries done right, towered versus non-towered flow, and the collision-avoidance habits that keep the busiest square mile of sky orderly.In this episode:The standard pattern: upwind, crosswind, downwind, base, final Entries: the forty-five, and what to do when you arrive from the wrong side Towered vs non-towered: who sequences whom Radio discipline and position reports that actually help Collision avoidance: where to look, and whenSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 8. Also referenced: **Chapter taught:** Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 8 — Airport Traffic Patterns.; 14 CFR part 91, section 91.117 — aircraft speed limits; the handbook cites it as the restraint on traffic-pattern airspeeds (at most towered airports, no greater than 200 knots / 230 mph).; Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) — cited as a source of general information on airport operations and traffic patterns.; Traffic patterns ensure air traffic moves into and out of an airport safely; direction, placement, and altitude may depend on local conditions found in the Chart Supplements/AIM.; Manufacturer-recommended pattern speeds generally 70–90 knots for typical piston singles; 14 CFR 91.117 restrains speeds (≤200 knots / 230 mph at most towered airports); match the airspeed of other traffic.; **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C.; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Ground reference maneuvers are where the wind stops being a number and becomes something you fly against. Chapter 7: drift and crab, the rectangular course, S-turns across a road, and turns around a point — the maneuvers that teach your hands to correct for wind while your eyes stay outside.In this episode:Seeing drift: wind correction angles and the crab The rectangular course: the traffic pattern in disguise S-turns across a road: constant radius, changing bank Turns around a point: the full wind-correction workout Dividing attention between ground track, altitude, and trafficSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 7. Also referenced: **Chapter taught:** Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 7 — Ground Reference Maneuvers.; **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C.; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

The takeoff is short, dense, and completely unforgiving of autopilot-brain. Chapter 6 walks the whole sequence — lineup, the roll, rotation, lift-off, and the first five hundred feet — plus the crosswind technique that separates tidy takeoffs from scary ones, and when to reject the takeoff entirely.In this episode:The normal takeoff, phase by phase: lineup, roll, rotation, lift-off Rudder discipline and the left-turning tendencies Crosswind takeoffs: aileron into the wind, and easing it out The initial climb: attitude, airspeed, and the first 500 feet Rejected takeoffs: deciding early, deciding onceSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 6. Also referenced: **Chapter taught:** Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 6 — Takeoffs and Departure Climbs.; Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25, as revised) — referenced by the chapter for a fuller discussion of density altitude.; **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C.; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Loss of control in flight is general aviation's biggest killer — and it is preventable. Chapter 5: what an airplane upset actually is, why the startle response is the first thing to manage, angle-of-attack awareness, and the recovery priorities that put the airplane back to work for you.In this episode:What counts as an upset: pitch, bank, and airspeed outside normal bounds The startle factor: managing yourself before managing the airplane Angle of attack: the one number the wing actually cares about Stall and spin awareness and recovery priorities Upset prevention: the habits that keep it from going sideways at allSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 5. Also referenced: **Chapter taught:** Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 5 — Maintaining Aircraft Control: Upset Prevention and Recovery Training.; 14 CFR part 61, section 61.156 — full upset training in a high-fidelity flight simulation training device as a requirement for a multiengine airplane ATP certificate.; 14 CFR part 91 — parachute requirements referenced when reviewing an airplane's approval for intentional spins.; 14 CFR part 61, section 61.156: FSTD-based upset training required for a multiengine airplane ATP; intentional spins only if approved (type certificate/AFM/POH/placards) with part 91 parachute requirements reviewed.; **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C.; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Every airplane is an energy machine: altitude and airspeed are the two currencies you spend, save, and trade every second you fly. Maya and Rico open AFH Chapter 4 — how energy height works, why pitch and power are really energy controls, and how energy thinking makes approaches stable and go-arounds obvious.In this episode:Energy height: your total account balance of altitude plus airspeed Trading the currencies: zoom climbs, dives, and what each exchange costs Pitch and power as energy controls, not just attitude controls Energy errors: the deficit approach and the overdraft flare VX and VY as energy decisions, flown on purposeSources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 4. Also referenced: **Chapter taught:** Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 4 — Energy Management: Mastering Altitude and Airspeed Control.; No specific 14 CFR sections are cited in this chapter — it is a conceptual, energy-model chapter rather than a regulatory one. No regulation numbers are stated on-air.; **Handbook edition:** FAA-H-8083-3C.; **Episode description disclosure:** Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.. Current as of August 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

This is the one. The four fundamentals — straight-and-level, turns, climbs, and descents — are the foundation of literally everything else in flying. A takeoff is a ground roll, a little straight-and-level, and a climb. An approach is descents and turns and straight-and-level braided together. The handbook is blunt: try to move on to advanced maneuvers before you've mastered these, and you don't get ahead — you hinder your own learning. Maya and Rico build the foundation, from the six motions of flight and how you actually talk to the airplane, through bank, pitch, and power, to the honest attitude awareness that keeps the scary stuff — the stall-spin, the gliding turn near the ground — from ever getting a chance to start. In this episode Why an airplane lives in a world a car never does: the six motions of flight — bank, pitch, yaw, horizontal, vertical, and lateral. Integrated flight instruction and the attention split: roughly 90 percent outside, no more than about 10 percent inside. Turns by bank angle — shallow (≈20° or less), medium (≈20°–45°), steep (≈45° or more) — and leading the rollout by about half the bank angle. Climbs: best-rate (VY) versus best-angle (VX), how they converge at the absolute ceiling, and correcting the left-turning tendencies of P-factor and torque with right rudder. Descents: normal and partial-power targets, minimum safe airspeed (no greater than 1.3 VSO), glide ratio, and leading the level-off by about 10 percent. The cardinal rule that opens the show: never "stretch" a glide by pulling below best glide airspeed. Sources This episode teaches the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 3 — Basic Flight Maneuvers. This is a stick-and-rudder maneuvers chapter, so no specific 14 CFR sections are cited on-air; the only regulatory reference is the standard the maneuvers are flown to — the FAA Airman Certification Standards (ACS) / Practical Test Standards (PTS), as named in the chapter's introduction. Also referenced: the Airplane Flight Manual / Pilot's Operating Handbook (AFM/POH) for climb-profile airspeeds (VX, VY), descent airspeeds, and configuration effects. Current as of July 2026. Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Everybody wants Chapter Three — the flying part. Nobody makes a movie about the walk-around. But the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook opens Chapter 2 with a hard number: the NTSB has attributed roughly 85 percent of accidents to "failure of the pilot to" — and almost all of that identifying and deciding happens on the ground, before the key ever turns. Maya and Rico take Ground Operations top to bottom: what "airworthy" legally means and who's on the hook for it, the inspection deadlines that show up on every checkride, the preflight visual inspection, risk and resource management, and the taxi, before-takeoff check, and shutdown that bookend every safe flight. In this episode What "airworthy" actually means — conforms to type design AND in condition for safe operation — and why the pilot in command, not the mechanic, owns the go/no-go. The inspection calendar you have to know: annual (12 calendar months), 100-hour (for hire), transponder and static/encoder (24 months), VOR check (30 days, IFR), and the ELT. Reading the paperwork: required certificates aboard the aircraft, operating limitations, and how inoperative equipment is handled. The preflight visual inspection, top to bottom — including fuel sumping and why water settles at the low point of the system. Risk management and resource management: the 85-percent statistic, expectation bias, and why the reverent pilots are the old pilots. Taxi technique, the before-takeoff check, and a proper shutdown — the checklist religion that closes out the ground phase. Sources This episode teaches the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 2 — Ground Operations. Regulations and references cited on-air: 14 CFR Part 3, §3.5(a) (definition of "airworthy"); 14 CFR §91.7(a)(b) (airworthy condition; PIC responsibility for safe flight); 14 CFR §91.409(a) (annual inspection, 12 calendar months); 14 CFR §91.409(b) (100-hour inspection, for hire); 14 CFR §91.413 (transponder certification, 24 calendar months); 14 CFR §91.411 (static system/encoder certification, 24 calendar months, IFR in controlled airspace); 14 CFR §91.171 (VOR equipment check, 30 days, IFR); 14 CFR §91.207(c)(d) (ELT inspection and battery); 14 CFR §91.417 (life-limited parts, ADs, Form 337 records); 14 CFR §91.213 (inoperative equipment); 14 CFR §91.203 (Airworthiness and Registration Certificates aboard); 14 CFR §91.9 (operating limitations — AFM/POH, placards, markings); 14 CFR Part 45, §45.11 (external data plate); and the FCC radio station license rule (international / over 12,500 lb). Also referenced: the Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2), the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), and Advisory Circular 00-34. Current as of July 2026. Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Night flying is the most beautiful flying there is — and the most unforgiving of sloppy preparation. Maya and Rico take on Chapter 11 of the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook: the three definitions of night (and why the FAA has three clocks), how your eyes actually work in the dark, the illusions that have genuinely killed pilots, airport lighting, pilot-controlled lighting, and what to do when it all goes quiet. In this episode: Night definitions and currency: logging vs. position lights vs. carrying passengers Rods, cones, the night blind spot, and 30-minute dark adaptation False horizon, autokinesis, and the black-hole approach Runway, taxiway, and beacon lighting — and the seven-click trick Night emergencies: the dark-field strategy Sources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 11 (Night Operations); 14 CFR §§ 1.1, 61.57(b), 61.109(a)(2), 91.205(c), 91.209; AIM Chapter 2. Current as of July 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM. Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Welcome to Flying by the Book — the show where hosts Maya (a flight instructor) and Rico (a charter pilot) take the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook one chapter at a time and actually make it stick. All eighteen chapters, then checkride prep, then instrument training. New episodes weekly.On Fridays, catch our sister show The Squawk Report: the week in aviation plus one incident review.Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.

Welcome to Flying by the Book — the show that takes the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook one chapter at a time and actually makes it stick. In this first episode, Maya (a CFII) and Rico (a charter captain) open Chapter 1: what flight training is actually for, who does what — student, instructor, examiner — what "airworthy" really means, and how the practical test and flight review fit into your life as a pilot. In this episode: Airmanship: what the whole handbook is building toward The roles: your CFI, the DPE, and the FAA Airworthiness basics and the paperwork that proves it Stall/spin awareness training, the practical test, and staying current after the checkride Sources: FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Chapter 1, plus the regulations cited on-air (14 CFR parts 21, 39, 43, 45, 61, 67, 91). Current as of July 2026 — always verify against the current FAR/AIM. Maya and Rico are AI-generated hosts. Episodes are produced from official FAA public-domain source material. Education and entertainment only — not flight instruction; always consult your CFI and the current FAR/AIM.