PFC:: Digital Media Center

Digital Media Center
Welcome to Premier Flight Center's Digital Media Center. You will find an extensive collection of Flight Training Articles written by our own instructors, but that's not all! We have videos, items submitted from our pilot friends, and a collection of tidbits heard on the radio that are sure to make you smile. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with the authors on our staff. Who knows, you may be the one to provide the inspiration for the next submission you find here! If you would like to hear from us when we post new items, fill out the request form on the right to be added to our list of names. Email comments, questions or items you think will be of interest to others at: Newsletter@PremierFlightCT.com Click on the topics below to see the available titles: Flight Training Articles – Insightful analysis and review of a variety of topics that pilots of all levels will find interesting and useful. Or, click on one of these sub topics for a more directed search: Communications Weather Flight Operations Rules & Regs – Read insight & analysis about those confusing FARs. Or send us a question and you could see your answer here. Various Videos - Check out these videos. You'll watch them more than once, and we bet you'll want friends to see them too! Reader Submissions – Check out the things that your fellow pilots have taken the time to share with us. Comedy in Flight – Primarily snippets of conversations over the airwaves that would have made you smile if you’d been there to hear it live. They’re here for you to review or share. Just for Fun – Oddities from the world of aviation here just to prove that pilots have their own brand of humor - Enjoy! From Official Reports – Articles written from FAA investigations, NTSB findings and accident analysis, and NASA data. Pieces of History - The small and relatively young world of aviation is replete with a rich history. You won’t have to be a pilot to appreciate this collection. Thank you in advance for taking the time to consider these items.

Digital Media Center

Welcome to Premier Flight Center's Digital Media Center. You will find an extensive collection of Flight Training Articles written by our own instructors, but that's not all! We have videos, items submitted from our pilot friends, and a collection of tidbits heard on the radio that are sure to make you smile.

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with the authors on our staff. Who knows, you may be the one to provide the inspiration for the next submission you find here!

If you would like to hear from us when we post new items, fill out the request form on the right to be added to our list of names.

Email comments, questions or items you think will be of interest to others at:

Newsletter@PremierFlightCT.com

Click on the topics below to see the available titles:

Flight Training Articles – Insightful analysis and review of a variety of topics that pilots of all levels will find interesting and useful.
Or, click on one of these sub topics for a more directed search:

Communications
Weather
Flight Operations

Rules & Regs – Read insight & analysis about those confusing FARs. Or send us a question and you could see your answer here.
Various Videos - Check out these videos. You'll watch them more than once, and we bet you'll want friends to see them too!
Reader Submissions – Check out the things that your fellow pilots have taken the time to share with us.
Comedy in Flight – Primarily snippets of conversations over the airwaves that would have made you smile if you’d been there to hear it live. They’re here for you to review or share.
Just for Fun – Oddities from the world of aviation here just to prove that pilots have their own brand of humor - Enjoy!
From Official Reports – Articles written from FAA investigations, NTSB findings and accident analysis, and NASA data.
Pieces of History - The small and relatively young world of aviation is replete with a rich history. You won’t have to be a pilot to appreciate this collection. Thank you in advance for taking the time to consider these items.


Aviation Training Articles
Communications
Have You Ever Wondered: Which Airline Has Which Callsign? If you’ve heard an assortment of call signs from airliners but you’ve been baffled by which airline it is, here is the key to decoding it all! Click here
Understanding ATC Lightgun Signals If you have ever wondered what the table of ATC light gun signals really means, read this informative article. Click here
Speaking of Effective Communications Review the best practices for communicating with ATC (Air Traffic Control) and find out how to simply and enhance your communication skills. Click here
On Guard! Do you know the most useful frequency available to pilots? Have you ever been out flying and wished for radio quiet while you’re just out doing maneuvers? Check out this article for some good advice. Click here
Back to top
Weather
Formation of Standing Lenticular Clouds See some stunning pictures of one of nature’s most amazing cloud forms and review some basic weather theory to learn how they form. Click here
Could You Be Hit By a Weather Balloon? I hadn't really thought about it, but now that I've seen the question, I wonder, could I? Click here
Surface Chart from a Windy Spring Day When it gets windy, the isobars are plotted close together on surface charts. When the whole country is windy, this is what it looks like! Click here
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Flight Operations
Is Flying Really Safe? Have you ever been asked that question? This will help you when confronted with changing the way non-pilots, and pilots, think about what we do. Click here
When Should You Begin Planning Your Flight? Here is some practical advice, from an experienced flight instructor, about the thought process that should go into planning a flight. Click here
Cold Weather Starting Procedures & Safe Airplane Engine Priming Techniques Winter operations have some unique procedures to be aware of if you want to avoid an engine fire on start. Learn to prime properly and avoid problems. Click here
Avoiding a Midair Collision We all know that “See and be seen” is the rule. Here are some practical tips for doing so and a few photos of an interesting accident that resulted from a lack of seeing and being seen! Click here
Are There Uninvited Passengers in Your Plane? Spring brings the potential for some unique inhabitants of your plane. Learn the signs that you’ve got some wild passengers aboard! Click here
Motion Induced Blindness Here’s an interesting visual/perceptual illusion to help us learn a little more about how we humans work. Click here
Back to top

Aviation Training Articles

Communications

Have You Ever Wondered: Which Airline Has Which Callsign?

If you’ve heard an assortment of call signs from airliners but you’ve been baffled by which airline it is, here is the key to decoding it all!
Click here

Understanding ATC Lightgun Signals

If you have ever wondered what the table of ATC light gun signals really means, read this informative article.
Click here

Speaking of Effective Communications

Review the best practices for communicating with ATC (Air Traffic Control) and find out how to simply and enhance your communication skills.
Click here

On Guard!

Do you know the most useful frequency available to pilots? Have you ever been out flying and wished for radio quiet while you’re just out doing maneuvers? Check out this article for some good advice.
Click here

Weather

Formation of Standing Lenticular Clouds

See some stunning pictures of one of nature’s most amazing cloud forms and review some basic weather theory to learn how they form.
Click here

Could You Be Hit By a Weather Balloon?

I hadn't really thought about it, but now that I've seen the question, I wonder, could I?
Click here

Surface Chart from a Windy Spring Day

When it gets windy, the isobars are plotted close together on surface charts. When the whole country is windy, this is what it looks like!
Click here

Flight Operations

Is Flying Really Safe?

Have you ever been asked that question? This will help you when confronted with changing the way non-pilots, and pilots, think about what we do.
Click here

When Should You Begin Planning Your Flight?

Here is some practical advice, from an experienced flight instructor, about the thought process that should go into planning a flight.
Click here

Cold Weather Starting Procedures &
Safe Airplane Engine Priming Techniques

Winter operations have some unique procedures to be aware of if you want to avoid an engine fire on start. Learn to prime properly and avoid problems.
Click here

Avoiding a Midair Collision

We all know that “See and be seen” is the rule. Here are some practical tips for doing so and a few photos of an interesting accident that resulted from a lack of seeing and being seen!
Click here

Are There Uninvited Passengers in Your Plane?

Spring brings the potential for some unique inhabitants of your plane. Learn the signs that you’ve got some wild passengers aboard!
Click here

Motion Induced Blindness

Here’s an interesting visual/perceptual illusion to help us learn a little more about how we humans work.
Click here


Rules & Regs
FAA Changes Rules for IFR Recurrency!?! Many pilots and websites will tell you the FAA pulled a fast one and changed the rules for pilots whose instrument currency has expired. Is it true? Get the facts here! Click here
NOTAM Abbreviation: FICON The NOTAM abbreviation FICON is for Field Conditions. See how it will be used when describing airport surfaces when dealing with winter weather conditions. Click here
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Various Videos
Passenger Jet Struck by Lightning Watch an incredible clip from a security camera of a jet at the terminal being struck by lightning. Click here
Amazing Miniature Airport The level of detail of this miniature airport will leave you speechless! Seriously, it's a model! Click here
Simulator Antics Not all training has to be completly serious all the time. A light-hearted approach to simulator training. Click here
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Reader Submissions
Not Their Best Landing They say there are two types of pilots: “Those who have, and those who will…” See the results of a U.S. Military B-1 Bomber that failed to “put the gear down”! Click here
Not Their Best Landing – *V2.0* As we said: “They say there are two types of pilots: ‘Those who have, and those who will…’” This is what happens when the crew of a U.S. Military C-17 Globemaster didn’t “put the gear down”! Click here
The Experience Genie Visits Hartford The philanthropic Experience Genie paid a visit to Premier Flight Center and took a friend for discovery flight lesson and gave her an aerial tour around Connecticut. Click here
Summer Rains Bring Summer Rainbows There are a few occasions when you’re in the right place at the right time with the right camera. See a fantastic rainbow that formed over Hartford-Brainard Airport.! Click here
Boeing 747 Departs Amsterdam Here's another example of a photographer being in the right place at the right time. Click here
Kulula Airlines: Taking the Mystery Out of Flying Perhaps uninformed airline passengers will feel better when they know a bit more about the plane. See one airline's approach to the problem. Click here
Back to top

Reader Submissions

Not Their Best Landing

They say there are two types of pilots: “Those who have, and those who will…” See the results of a U.S. Military B-1 Bomber that failed to “put the gear down”!
Click here

Not Their Best Landing – V2.0

As we said: “They say there are two types of pilots: ‘Those who have, and those who will…’” This is what happens when the crew of a U.S. Military C-17 Globemaster didn’t “put the gear down”!
Click here

The Experience Genie Visits Hartford

The philanthropic Experience Genie paid a visit to Premier Flight Center and took a friend for discovery flight lesson and gave her an aerial tour around Connecticut.
Click here

Summer Rains Bring Summer Rainbows

There are a few occasions when you’re in the right place at the right time with the right camera. See a fantastic rainbow that formed over Hartford-Brainard Airport.!
Click here

Boeing 747 Departs Amsterdam

Here's another example of a photographer being in the right place at the right time.
Click here

Kulula Airlines: Taking the Mystery Out of Flying

Perhaps uninformed airline passengers will feel better when they know a bit more about the plane. See one airline's approach to the problem.
Click here


Comedy in Flight
Brainard Tower: Air Traffic Controllers or Cheerleading Team? A controller offers some encouraging words to a pilot. Click here
Can You Feel the Love? Even when it's busy, these controllers keep their sense of humor while keeping order in the skies over Hartford-Brainard Airport. Click here
An Invitation Declined... A local flight instructor offers to take one of the controllers for a quick flight at the conclusion of his student's lesson. Click here
Even Flight Service Has a Sense of Humor While enroute, a pilot called Flight Service to check the status of a TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) along his route. He got a flight service specialist with a sense of humor. Click here
Maybe It's Just the Way Things Are Done A local pilot figures maybe it's best to not interfer with the usual order of things - all in a good natured way of course. Click here
Back to top

Comedy in Flight

Brainard Tower: Air Traffic Controllers or Cheerleading Team?

A controller offers some encouraging words to a pilot.
Click here

Can You Feel the Love?

Even when it's busy, these controllers keep their sense of humor while keeping order in the skies over Hartford-Brainard Airport.
Click here

An Invitation Declined...

A local flight instructor offers to take one of the controllers for a quick flight at the conclusion of his student's lesson.
Click here

Even Flight Service Has a Sense of Humor

While enroute, a pilot called Flight Service to check the status of a TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) along his route. He got a flight service specialist with a sense of humor.
Click here

Maybe It's Just the Way Things Are Done

A local pilot figures maybe it's best to not interfer with the usual order of things - all in a good natured way of course.
Click here


Just for Fun
An A & P's Flowchart Just to prove that sometimes simpler is better... Click here
A Cessna 150, A Camera, and Connecticut as the Backdrop See some fantastic aerial photographs of a Cessna 150 taken in the skies of Connecticut. Click here
Back to top


From Official Reports
When Airmen Err An intesting account of an air traffic controller who lost situational awareness is used to help airmen understand the Aviation Safety Reporting System and the “NASA Form” - Form 277. Click here
Back to top

From Official Reports

When Airmen Err

An intesting account of an air traffic controller who lost situational awareness is used to help airmen understand the Aviation Safety Reporting System and the “NASA Form” - Form 277.
Click here


Pieces of History
Remembering LCDR Vincent Anderson, USN Why would a student pilot wear a World War II skull cap during his first solo flight? To honor and remember his grandfater, of course. A very moving and nobel act inspired this story. Click here
Back to top

Pieces of History

Remembering LCDR Vincent Anderson, USN

Why would a student pilot wear a World War II skull cap during his first solo flight? To honor and remember his grandfater, of course. A very moving and nobel act inspired this story.
Click here

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