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by Ian Kluft
Here are some resources for aviation geeks.
PDX Planespotting
I live in Portland. See my PDX Planespotting info.
My aviation-related videos on YouTube
- Ian Goes to Australia 2025, travel Jan-Feb 2025, video posted March 2025
- Boeing 747 art car in the Black Rock Desert, Sept 2018
- #OSH18 - EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh 2018, July 2018
- Eclipse 2017 Totality at Madras, Oregon: What it was like to be there, August 2017
- Space Shuttle Endeavour on 747 flying by Mojave Air and Space Port, September 2012
- my "Scenic Hop" flying video series, time-lapse of scenic flights as if you came along
- Scenic Hop 7: Flying over Pacheco Pass and Silicon Valley (Narrative Edition), Dec 2015
- Scenic Hop 7: Flying over Pacheco Pass and Silicon Valley (Music Video Edition), Dec 2015
- Scenic Hop 6: Flying over Monterey Bay II, Oct 2015
- Scenic Hop 5: Flying over University of California Lick Observatory, Oct 2014
- Scenic Hop 4 Part 2: Flying from Lake Almanor to California Delta, Jun 2014
- Scenic Hop 4 Part 1: Flying over Mount Lassen, May 2014 (centennial of Mt Lassen's May 1914 eruption)
- Scenic Hop 3: Flying over Monterey Bay, Feb 2014
- Scenic Hop 2: Flying to the Coast, Take 2: Blue Sky and Sea, Oct 2013
- Scenic Hop 2: Flying to the Coast, Take 1 - camera gets too much sun, Sep 2013
- Scenic Hop 1: Flying from Silicon Valley to Central Valley, and back again, Aug 2013
Aviation resources
- Aviation Formulary by Ed Williams - Great Circle and navigation formulas
- Great Circle Mapper by Karl L Swartz - Great Circle route map rendering
- National Air & Space Museum: How Things Fly
- NASA: Aeronautics e-Books - the first "A" in NASA is Aeronautics and they have a wealth of research info
- MIT Open CourseWare: Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Project Gutenberg: Books about Aeronautics
- Airplane Boneyards - places airplanes are taken to be retired and often recycled
Flight tracking
- ADS-B: Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast
- AOPA: ADS-B
- adsb.lol
- adsb.fi
- Aussie ADS-B, Australia
- FlightAware
- FlightRadar24
Flight safety
- FAA: FAA Safety Team - pilot recurrent training resources
- NASA: Aviation Safety Reporting System - aviation incident knowledge database maintained by NASA as a neutral third-party
- AOPA: Air Safety Institute
- AOPA: Online Learning
Flight training
- FAA: Aviation Handbooks & Manuals - pilot and instructor handbooks
- Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
- Airplane Flying Handbook
- Glider Flying Handbook
- Aviation Weather Handbook
- Instrument Flying Handbook
- Instrument Procedures Handbook
- Aviation Instructor's Handbook
- Risk Management Handbook
- Tips on Mountain Flying
- FAA: Airman Testing
- Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
-
USA🇺🇸:
FAA requirements for course providers
USA FIRCs below are for airplane instructors unless indicated otherwise - FAA: Authorized FIRC Provider List
- AOPA eFIRC (online, primarily fixed-wing, helicopter elective available)
- Sporty's eFIRC (online) and optional paperless processing
- King Schools Airplane online FIRC and Helicopter online FIRC
- Gleim online FIRC
- American Flyers Online FIRC
- SG1 Aviation Seminars in-person or online FIRC
- Soaring Safety Foundation in-person FIRC (glider)
- Fayence Soaring in-person FIRC (glider)
- Helicopter Institute (helicopter, site didn't list a FIRC when checked)
- Canada🇨🇦: Instructor Refresher Course Providers
-
USA🇺🇸:
FAA requirements for course providers
Drones: Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)
- FAA: Know Before You Fly
- FAA: Getting Started with drones
- FAA: Become a Certificated Remote Pilot
- FAA: Remote Pilot — Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Guide
- AOPA: Guide to Remote Pilot Certification
USA-specific aviation resources
- National Archives: eCFR Code of Federal Regulations: Title 14 Aeronautics and Space - US Federal Aviation Regulations (including commercial space
- FAA: National Airspace System Status - Air traffic control status
- NOAA/NWS: Aviation Weather Center
- NTSB: Aviation Investigation Search