Born in 1942, Douglas Daniel has been a professional mathematician, engineering manager at the world's largest aircraft simulator manufacturer, U.S. Army colonel, licensed sailing skipper, commercial pilot, flight instructor and author. He lives in Budapest, Hungary and San Francisco, California

Student pilots learn faster and develop better landing techniques by doing slow flight over the runway than when taught in the traditional 'watch me and do what I do' method. This article introduces r...

Rudders, the most neglected of airplane controls, are necessary and life-saving when used properly. The author describes in a very personal way, how to know if the rudders are being used propoerly and...

This article talks the pilot through an imaginary NDB approach with amazing clarity. NDB instrument approaches are the oldest and most difficult to fly. But sometime they are the only option available...

Often misunderstood, airplane stalls are simple and straightforward. They can easily be explained without terms like 'critical angle of attack' or 'viscous flow.' Yet stall-spin accidents remain one o...

There is no flying skill more fundamental. If this skill is mastered, flying becomes straightforward. Until this skill is mastered, flying is not only overwhelming and daunting, is it always imprecise...

The simple maneuver of flying an airplane in a steep turn provides great value to the student pilot in flight training. The pilot learns that airplanes are unstable in roll, the value of an instrument...

This flight training article simply and clearly explains one of the most difficult aircraft instrument approaches by reducing it to fundamental principles. The techniques presented here apply to VOR, ...

This article simply and clearly presents five essential techniques needed to dramatically reduce pilot workload and increase instrument flying proficiency. Using these techniques, flying to standards,...

Pilots are most likely to experience a wingtip strike if they lose directional control during takeoff or landing. This article describes in very understandable terms a simple and reliable way to maint...

Daniel shows why one of the most popular ways of making crosswind landing can lead to serious airplane damage then describes in easy to visualize and understand terms the simplest and safest way to la...

Practical advice for mastering landings in those pre-solo hours. Applying the same techniques used by sports psychologists in activities that require a high degree of hand-eye coordination and advance...

Practical advice for the pilot who accidentally gets caught in an embedded thunderstorm. While this should never happen it does. Keeping your head is essential to survival and having a course of actio...

The Slow Dutch Roll is a flight training exercise that has significantly shortened the training time needed to learn airplane landings and measurably improved the landing skills of the pilots who prac...