BlogPilot log
Practical writing for pilots on weather, logbooks, flight planning and training, from the team building FlyFren.
Latest entry
What 800 real METARs and 400 TAFs from around the world reveal about where decoding goes wrong: CAVOK, metric visibility, inclusive MVFR boundaries and more.
Decision-making & safety10 minute read
Why VFR flight into instrument conditions keeps killing pilots: AOPA Air Safety Institute figures for 2023, the decision chain, and the three ways out.
Training10 minute read
The private pilot knowledge test by ACS area and code, the most-missed code in FAA data, how scoring and the test report work, and how to study to the ACS.
Training10 minute read
The real differences between Part 61 and Part 141 training: minimum hours, structure, cost, VA and visa eligibility, transfer credit, and who each path suits.
Logbook & currency8 minute read
Cross-country time has seven definitions in 14 CFR 61.1. Which one applies for logging, private, instrument, commercial, sport and ATP, with examples.
Airspace & regulations9 minute read
Where Class E begins, what the magenta and blue shading mean, surface extensions, E to the surface at non-towered fields, and what changes for VFR at its floor.
Logbook & currency8 minute read
Which simulator hours count toward a certificate, rating or currency, the AATD and BATD limits in Part 61, and how to write the logbook entry.
Weather8 minute read
The exact ceiling and visibility thresholds for each flight category, what counts as a ceiling, how CAVOK and 9999 fit in, and why VFR does not mean go.
Flight planning10 minute read
What density altitude is, how to compute it from a METAR, worked examples at sea level and at a high mountain airport, and what it does to takeoff and climb.
Training10 minute read
Fifteen questions that separate a good flight school from an expensive one: fleet, instructor turnover, scheduling, pricing, pass rates and the contract.
Apps & logbook software9 minute read
ForeFlight and Garmin Pilot compared on price, platforms, charts, weather, logbook and avionics connectivity, with a straight answer on who each suits.
Apps & logbook software4 minute read
What happens to your ForeFlight logbook when the subscription lapses, what you can still open, how to get your entries out, and where to keep them.
Flight planning10 minute read
FlyFren counted every public-use US airport in the FAA's October 2026 NASR data: towers, paved runways, fuel, approaches and how your state compares.
Apps & logbook software8 minute read
The free pilot logbook apps worth using in 2026, what each free tier really includes, where the paywall starts, and how to test for lock-in before you commit.
Logbook & currency8 minute read
Passenger, night and instrument currency under 14 CFR 61.57, the flight review in 61.56, and how to count 90 days versus calendar months in your logbook.
Weather9 minute read
Decode a Terminal Aerodrome Forecast group by group: valid times, FM, TEMPO, PROB30 and BECMG, with a worked example and a go or no-go checklist.
Flight planning8 minute read
What a VFR flight plan does and does not do, what flight following gives you, how to get each, how to close a flight plan, and when to use both on one flight.
Apps & logbook software9 minute read
An honest comparison of LogTen, ForeFlight Logbook and MyFlightbook on price, platforms, currency tracking, import and export, with who each one suits.
Weather9 minute read
Decode a pilot weather report field by field, the turbulence and icing intensity codes, how UA and UUA differ, and how to give a useful PIREP by radio.
Training7 minute read
What changed in FAA knowledge testing in 2026: embedded chart images, the PSI portal move, a corrected October 26 date, and what stayed the same.
Decision-making & safety10 minute read
A printable personal minimums worksheet built on the FAA's method: ceiling, visibility, wind, crosswind, runway, fuel and fatigue, with rules for adjusting it.
Logbook & currency8 minute read
What a flight review must include, how 24 calendar months really count, what substitutes for one, the exact endorsement wording, and how to prepare.
Logbook & currency8 minute read
When a safety pilot logs SIC, when they may log PIC, what the pilot under the hood logs, and how to write the entry so a DPE accepts it.
Weather9 minute read
What each advisory warns about, the thresholds that trigger them, how G-AIRMET snapshots relate to the text bulletin, and how to read one along your route.
Training12 minute read
What a private pilot certificate costs in 2026: sourced ranges for aircraft rental, instruction, ground school, exams and gear, and what moves the total.
Aircraft & renting10 minute read
Cessna 172 vs Piper Archer for student pilots: visibility, fuel system, doors, stall and landing behavior, rental cost, and what transfers when you switch.
Logbook & currency9 minute read
The six approaches, holding and tracking that keep you instrument current, how calendar-month windows work, when an IPC is required and what it must include.
Weather7 minute read
Decode the FB winds aloft forecast: the 9900 code, winds over 100 knots, blank altitudes, unsigned temperatures, and true versus magnetic directions.
Flight planning8 minute read
FlyFren sorted all 69,011 NOTAMs active on October 3, 2026: what they cover, which keywords dominate, how long they stay open and what it means for a briefing.
Flight planning11 minute read
Decode a NOTAM field by field: accountability, number, keyword, condition and UTC times, with the common contractions and a routine for sorting a 60-line list.
Apps & logbook software8 minute read
Step by step: export ForeFlight logbook entries to CSV from ForeFlight Web, what each column means, what gets lost, and how to import the file elsewhere.
Airspace & regulations9 minute read
The 91.155 visibility and cloud clearance minimums for every airspace class, day and night, in one table, with the exceptions and a way to remember them.
Weather11 minute read
Decode a METAR from station identifier to remarks: wind, visibility, weather, clouds, temperature, altimeter and the RMK codes, with a worked example.