Flight Nerd Weekly Briefing
The latest updates to help you prep for FAA exams and enjoy the world of aviation!
Part 67 Series — Vision & Hearing Standards: Can You See (and Hear) Your Way to a Medical?
When most private pilots think about the FAA medical exam, one image comes to mind:
“Read the smallest line you can.”
Vision is one of the most objective — and most anxiety-producing — parts of the medical certification process. Add in the color vision test and the whispered voice hearing check, ...
Jun 21, 2026
The Flight Nerd Weekly Briefing — June 16, 2026
01 — COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER
This week's theme is "old meets new" in general aviation. Continental Aerospace, the engine maker behind a huge chunk of the trainers you've flown, just changed hands in a $535 million deal that brings it back to U.S. ownership after 15 years overseas. Meanwhile, the ...
Jun 16, 2026
Part 67 Series — How FAA Medical Certification Really Works (For Private Pilots)
For most private pilots, the FAA medical exam feels like a formality.
You fill out MedXPress.You visit an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME).You read a line on the eye chart.You answer a few health questions.You walk out with a certificate.
Simple… right?
Not exactly.
Behind that short office visit ...
Jun 14, 2026
The Flight Nerd Weekly Briefing — June 9, 2026
01 — COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER
Big things are in the air this week. The FAA's MOSAIC rule, the most significant update to light-sport aviation since the category was invented in 2004, is rolling toward its second major milestone on July 24, and it affects more pilots than most people realize. Meanwh...
Jun 09, 2026
Part 91 Series — Maintenance, Inspections & Airworthiness: Keeping the Airplane Legal
You can plan perfectly.You can brief passengers flawlessly.You can fly a textbook instrument approach.
But none of it matters if the airplane itself isn’t legally airworthy.
Under FAR Part 91, maintenance and inspection requirements aren’t just for mechanics and aircraft owners — they directly af...
Jun 07, 2026
The Flight Nerd Weekly Briefing — June 3, 2026
01 — Cockpit Voice Recorder
It's been one of those weeks that makes even the most seasoned simulator-rat look up from the gauges and say wow. A startup out of Atlanta just became the first private company in U.S. history to break the sound barrier. The FAA unveiled a plan to finally address the ...
Jun 03, 2026
Part 91 Series — Article 7IFR Operations Under Part 91: Flying in the System
Flying VFR is about seeing and avoiding.
Flying IFR is about trusting the system.
When you enter the clouds in a small aircraft — whether it’s a well-equipped Cessna 172 with a GPS navigator or a Piper Arrow on an instrument cross-country — you’re no longer relying primarily on visual separation....
May 31, 2026
Part 91 Series — Alcohol, Oxygen, Seatbelts & Lights: The Human Side of Legal Flying
Most pilots spend a lot of time thinking about the airplane.
Fuel.Weather.Runway length.Performance charts.
But Part 91 doesn’t just regulate the machine — it regulates you.
Can you fly the morning after a late-night party?When are passengers required to wear seatbelts?At what altitude is supplem...
May 24, 2026
Part 91 Series — Right-of-Way, Speed Limits & Minimum Altitudes: The “Rules of the Road” in the Sky
Driving has traffic laws.Boating has navigation rules.
And aviation?
Aviation has Part 91.
Once you’re airborne in a small aircraft — whether it’s a Cessna practicing touch-and-goes or a Piper cruising cross-country — you’re sharing the sky with other airplanes, helicopters, gliders, balloons, an...
May 17, 2026
Part 91 Series — VFR Weather Minimums & Airspace Operations: Staying Legal in the Sky
You’ve planned carefully.You’ve fueled generously.The airplane is legal and airworthy.
But once you lift off, a new question takes center stage:
Are the conditions legal for the airspace you’re flying in?
For small-aircraft pilots, few areas of Part 91 are more important — or more commonly misund...
May 10, 2026
Part 91 Series — Required Documents & Equipment: What Must Be in the Airplane (and Working)
You’ve planned the flight.You’ve checked the weather.You’ve calculated fuel.
But before you taxi, there’s another critical question:
Is the airplane itself legal to fly?
Under FAR Part 91, legality isn’t just about pilot certificates and fuel reserves. The aircraft must carry specific documents —...
May 03, 2026
Part 91 Series — Preflight Planning & Fuel: The Rules Before You Start the Engine
There’s a moment before every flight — right before the checklist begins — when a quiet question should cross your mind:
“Have I done everything the FAA requires before takeoff?”
Not what’s recommended.Not what’s convenient.What’s required.
Under FAR Part 91, preflight planning isn’t just good ai...
Apr 26, 2026
Flight Nerd Weekly Briefing
