This is a blog about how to get the best out of flying, particularly if you are a pilot. But, it’s also for pilots’ friends and passengers and for anyone else who is interested in flying, for that matter.

It’s mission is to provide highly valuable instructional tips, advice and information for flight students and for licensed pilots. Information that enhances the pleasure of flying and — most importantly — increases safety in the skies. It also seeks to increase public awareness about the benefits of flying, and to help anyone who’s interested in achieving their dream of becoming a pilot.

Ben Winton

The principle culprit behind this effort is a flight instructor, Ben Winton.

Ben’s an active Certificated Flight Instructor – Instrument Airplane, or CFII, with more than 1,100 total hours and 675 hours of dual-given at the moment. But this number is increasing on almost a daily basis, so it is hard to keep the numbers updated.

He took his first flight lesson at 15, and has piloted more than a dozen different kinds of aircraft.

Also a techie, a computer programmer when he’s not flying — in order to pay the flying bills — he knows the ins and outs of Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA), such as those equipped with the Garmin G-1000 system, and the rapidly evolving Wide Area Augmentation System. Like a lot of techie pilots, he’s enthusiastic about all this new technology making its way into the cockpit, and hopefully into the National Airspace System.

He has four years of aeronautical engineering training, three years of cultural anthropology training, and a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree from Arizona State University.

He is based at DVT (Phoenix Deer Valley Municipal Airport), in Arizona.

When he’s not flying, you can reach him at bencfi@pilotswingit.com. Send lots of ideas for this Web site. And, if you have a question about flying, or flight safety, don’t hesitate to drop a line!