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CAFS Journal · Aviation insights since 1980

Everything we've learned in 46 years of teaching people to fly.

Real instructor insights, student journeys, career guidance, and the practical know-how that turns aviation-curious readers into confident pilots. Written by the people who teach here.

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Press & Recognition
aerokurier 5/2026 magazine cover
★ Live
May 20265 min read

Featured in aerokurier 5/2026

Germany's flagship general aviation magazine runs a 10-page feature on island-hopping the Philippines from Cebu — naming Capt. Jithin as flight instructor and CAFS aircraft for MEP training.

CA
CAFS Editorial
Learn to Fly
Cessna instrument panel close-up
May 20264 min read

Reading a Cessna 172 instrument panel in 90 seconds

The six primary instruments every student pilot memorizes in their first week — what each one tells you, and which to scan first.

WU
Capt. Wollen Ugat
Fleet · Training Aircraft
CAFS Beechcraft Baron 58 RP-C3656
May 20265 min read

The Beechcraft Baron 58: why CAFS chose it for ME

The Baron is older than most of its students — and the closest thing in GA to a small jet. What makes it the right multi-engine trainer for airline-bound cadets.

CF
CAFS Faculty
Cebu Flight Log
Mactan-Cebu International Airport aerial view
May 20266 min read

Why MCIA airspace builds better pilots

Live Class-C airspace with commercial traffic means you're learning to communicate with ATC from day one — the same ATC you'll deal with as an airline pilot.

HT
Head of Training
Learn to Fly · Weather
Aircraft flying through mountain weather
May 20265 min read

Reading METAR & TAF: pilot weather decoding 101

METAR and TAF look like license plates until somebody decodes them. The structure, an MCIA example, and how pilots use them to make a real go/no-go call.

CF
CAFS Faculty
Learn to Fly · Aerodynamics 101
Cessna 172 in flight
May 20264 min read

The four forces of flight, without the jargon

Lift, weight, thrust, drag — every textbook leads with the same diagram, often badly. The version we use in CAFS ground school, with the part the textbook leaves out.

CF
CAFS Faculty
Admissions · Pre-flight checks
Student and instructor in cockpit
May 20265 min read

What CAAP Class 1 Medical actually checks

"Class 1 Medical" sounds intimidating but is mostly a thorough physical with a few aviation-specific tests. Every component, what disqualifies, and what surprisingly doesn't.

CA
CAFS Admissions
Career Guides
CAFS pilot training programs
May 20268 min read

PPL vs CPL vs IR vs ME: what you actually need and when

The ratings that matter depend on whether you want to fly for fun, build a career, or go straight to airlines. A clear decision tree from CAFS faculty.

CF
CAFS Faculty
Learn to Fly · Sim training
CAFS FNPT II simulator drills
May 20266 min + video

5 emergencies only the sim can practice

Vacuum failure, takeoff fire, LIFR minimums, night electrical loss, IMC engine-out — five drills the syllabus requires that real-airplane training literally cannot rehearse safely.

CF
CAFS Faculty
Learn to Fly · The PPL journey
CAFS instructor explains PPL journey
May 20265 min + reel

What PPL training actually looks like

A CAFS instructor breaks down the journey on the whiteboard: 42 flight hours, 110 ground school hours, 10 theory subjects. The honest version, no marketing fluff.

CF
CAFS Faculty
Cebu Flight Log · POV
Touch and Go training POV
May 20265 min + reel

Touch & Go training: how pilots build pattern proficiency

One pattern lap = one full takeoff, climb, descent, and touchdown — every primary skill, in 6 to 8 minutes. A real CAFS POV reel from MCIA, with what's actually happening on each lap.

CF
CAFS Faculty
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