Briefings

Ownership, ops, and airmanship

Oversquare won't blow up your engine. Your instructor was wrong.

The old rule says never let manifold pressure exceed RPM over 100. Continental, Lycoming, and Lindbergh all disagree. Why oversquare operation is actually good for your engine.

By Vitaliy BelikovFiled 15 APR 2026

The red fin, the big pull, and other things they didn't teach you about leaning

The advanced guide to engine mixture management. Learn the red box, the red fin concept, why you should stop using EGT to lean, and how to transition from rich to lean of peak in seconds.

By Vitaliy BelikovFiled 10 APR 2026

Why most pilots lean their engines wrong (and what Embry-Riddle learned the hard way)

Most pilots were taught to leave the mixture alone. That advice is backwards. Learn why running too rich damages your engine, what Embry-Riddle discovered, and the simple leaning checklist every pilot needs.

By Vitaliy BelikovFiled 10 APR 2026