About us

We believe that by sharing personal experiences we gain insight and become better pilots. So we created this website where students, seasoned pilots, and everyone in-between can share their experiences with aviation in an easy to read, beautiful way. Our hope is that you will follow our site, read these heartfelt articles and continue to become the safest, most proficient pilot possible.

Carly Courtney

Carly Courtney graduated summa cum laude with her BFA in Creative Writing from Sierra Nevada College nestled in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Carly is still there, living the dream writing articles and flying (as a student pilot) whenever she can!
The Lockheed Vega, one of Jack Northrop's early designs

Jack Northrop: A Driving and Innovative Force In Aviation Design

John Knudsen “Jack” Northrop Fought Tooth and Nail for His Company, and ...

A low wing Piper Cherokee and high Wing Cessna 172

Flight Lesson Journal: First Flight in a Low Wing and Embracing the Wind

A Student Pilot Compares a Low Wing Piper Cherokee to a High ...

ice airstrip on alton bay

The RAF Helps Preserve New England’s Only Ice Runway

Since the 1960s, the Alton Bay Ice Runway Draws Hordes of Pilots ...

Harriet Quimby: Aviation Pioneer and Trailblazing Icon For Female Pilots

Harriet Quimby was the first licensed American female pilot, first female pilot ...

Alberto Santos-Dumont: The True Father of Heavier-Than-Air Flight?

Alberto Santos-Dumont: the “Little Saint” with a Big Impact Ask any random person ...

Cessna 172 on the runway - Flight Lesson Journal: Stalls, Slow Flight, and Life

Flight Lesson Journal: Learning About Stalls in Flight and Life

Stalls, Slow Flight, and Life: An Emotional and Physical Roller Coaster [This ...

Cessna 172, at a flight school for flying lessons

Flight Lesson Journal: I’m Back, Baby, With a New 172!

Finally, I made it back into the sky for more flying lessons! ...

Ace Russian fighter pilot Lydia Litvyak

The First Female Flying Ace: Lydia Litvyak

Exploring the life of ace pilot Lydia Litvyak, The White Rose of ...

Reclaiming the Legacy of Hugo Junkers From the Nazis

A truly gifted engineer, Hugo Junkers work in aviation truly began at ...

lockheed-xc-35

The Lockheed XC-35 and the Evolution of the Pressurized Cabin

In 1937, the Lockheed XC-35 arrived, featuring both a pressurized cockpit and ...