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Air Facts was first published in 1938 by Leighton Collins, dedicated to “the development of private air transportation.” It’s a different world now, and it’s a different Air Facts. Relaunched in 2011 as an online journal, Air Facts still champions, educates, informs and entertains pilots worldwide with real-world flying experiences. More…

F-4E

One green light, and a near disaster

I don't remember much after hearing the Klaxon at zero dark 3 am or anything else, until I woke up to a 25-degree deck angle. My Phantom was climbing through 20,000 feet. Who was the idiot that did this to us? Then I began to settle down. I leveled off and was given a vector toward East Germany. My focus was on the instruments and the intercept, but my thoughts were on fuel, alternates, and getting home that night.

Pilot in airplane

<img width="495" height="371" src="https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000.jpg" class="wp-image-15725 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-15725 attachment-portfolio size-portfolio wp-post-image" alt="Pilot in airplane" srcset="https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000.jpg 1000w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-300x225.jpg 300w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-768x576.jpg 768w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-370x278.jpg 370w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-570x428.jpg 570w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-770x578.jpg 770w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-400x300.jpg 400w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-632x474.jpg 632w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-536x402.jpg 536w" sizes="(max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px" />

How to improve your aviation decisions

At some point in a pilot’s flying career, usually around 250 hours, the primary challenge shifts from a physical one to a mental one. When you finally master crosswind landings and learn how to use all the avionics in your airplane, what’s left is the never-ending task of making good decisions. How can we improve this skill?

Cessna 206

Friday Photo: Cessna 206 ready to fly

SVCS is a general aviation airport located a dozen miles south of Caracas, Venezuela, and separated from the city by a low mountain range. That makes the perfect backdrop for Francisco Salas's beautiful Friday Photo, which also includes some picturesque clouds framing the stout Cessna 206.

Autonomous ucar

<img width="495" height="400" src="https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/06135617/iStock-829197466-1024x683-1-495x400.jpg" class="wp-image-24752 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-24752 attachment-portfolio size-portfolio wp-post-image" alt="Autonomous ucar" srcset="https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/06135617/iStock-829197466-1024x683-1-495x400.jpg 495w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/06135617/iStock-829197466-1024x683-1-845x683.jpg 845w" sizes="(max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px" />

Who is in charge of your safety?

I have a GPS that will provide me navigation support and let me access almost anything I need to know to continue on a safe flight. All these things are nice and helpful, and I would not enjoy flying as much if I did not have them. But there are two essential elements I can’t do without, and if they are not working, I’m not flying: SA and ADM.

TWA DC-9 on ramp

Flying the “little” DC-9

The first DC-9s to come off the production line were the dash ten series, around 1965. TWA's were officially DC-9-15s. The "little 9" was a real performer, with a max weight of only a little over 90,000 pounds and two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7s pushing it with a combined thrust of 28,000 pounds. Talking with a Mexicana pilot one day who also flew them, he said that they called it el raton super loco; loosely translated as “crazy mighty mouse.” And it really was.

MacDill

SOF in the hot seat

I had my back to him, but spun around to see what caused this outburst and saw a large plume of dirt being spewed onto our only runway. The source of the plume was an F-16 off the side of the runway with a collapsed nose gear. Meanwhile, the engine was sucking up dirt and rocks and flinging debris all over the runway. Instead of repeating what the sergeant had said, I asked, “What happened?”

John’s Blog

Pilot in airplane

<img width="495" height="371" src="https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000.jpg" class="wp-image-15725 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-15725 attachment-portfolio size-portfolio wp-post-image" alt="Pilot in airplane" srcset="https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000.jpg 1000w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-300x225.jpg 300w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-768x576.jpg 768w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-370x278.jpg 370w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-570x428.jpg 570w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-770x578.jpg 770w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-400x300.jpg 400w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-632x474.jpg 632w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161030/BretCitationVegasApproachClouds1000-536x402.jpg 536w" sizes="(max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px" />

How to improve your aviation decisions

At some point in a pilot’s flying career, usually around 250 hours, the primary challenge shifts from a physical one to a mental one. When you finally master crosswind landings and learn how to use all the avionics in your airplane, what’s left is the never-ending task of making good decisions. How can we improve this skill?

Trevor Jacob jump

YouTube, Top Gun, and aviation culture

Is YouTube good or bad for general aviation? That seems to be a popular hangar flying debate these days, especially since a number of high profile pilots have found themselves in hot water with the FAA over the last month. The answer may be more important for the future of GA than you think.

Pilatus PC-12

What’s wrong with Pilatus PC-12 pilots?

A key reason for the PC-12’s popularity has been its stellar safety record, one of the best in all of general aviation. So any effort to answer the question, “what’s wrong with Pilatus PC-12 pilots?” has to begin with: not much. But accidents do happen, including a recent one off the coast of North Carolina. That means it’s worth our time to examine the safety record of a specific airplane type, even if you don’t fly that model.

View John’s Blog

I Can’t Believe I Did That

Thermometer at 100 degrees

Low, hot, and humid

I Can't Believe I Did That

The subsequent takeoff began normally enough—I didn’t necessarily notice if we became airborne a little farther down the runway than normal or not. But once airborne, I slowly became aware that things weren’t going as expected. After liftoff, the climb rate of the 172 was downright anemic to say the least. It was clawing the air trying to climb, but without much success.

Savannah

Who’s pilot in command? A faulty assumption leads to an accident

I Can't Believe I Did That

There was much joking and laughing about operating the Savannah, a small aircraft, from an 8,000-ft runway that had been built for nuclear bombers. The weather was perfect, we were in high spirits, but there was no discussion about our respective licences and experience or check procedures. We were just a couple of pilot mates going for a fly—what could go wrong?

Scud from Cessna

A severe, multi-day case of “get-there-itis”

I Can't Believe I Did That

I took off before noon, as planned, and headed south. Soon the sky grew dimmer, and clouds started turning from cumulus to a thick carpet around 3000 ft AGL. Rain patches started to appear and two hours into my 3.5 hour planned trip I had to dodge them. Then about one hour from my destination a solid wall of rain appeared in front of me.

Opinion

Autonomous ucar

<img width="495" height="400" src="https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/06135617/iStock-829197466-1024x683-1-495x400.jpg" class="wp-image-24752 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-24752 attachment-portfolio size-portfolio wp-post-image" alt="Autonomous ucar" srcset="https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/06135617/iStock-829197466-1024x683-1-495x400.jpg 495w, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/06135617/iStock-829197466-1024x683-1-845x683.jpg 845w" sizes="(max-width: 495px) 100vw, 495px" />

Who is in charge of your safety?

I have a GPS that will provide me navigation support and let me access almost anything I need to know to continue on a safe flight. All these things are nice and helpful, and I would not enjoy flying as much if I did not have them. But there are two essential elements I can’t do without, and if they are not working, I’m not flying: SA and ADM.

Facebook group

How the web and social media have encouraged aviators

Ever since the earliest days of the internet, when Usenet newsgroups were the main source of shared information, aviation has had a presence. With the advent of the World Wide Web in the 1990s, it wasn't long before aviators and aviation enthusiasts built their first websites. When social media arrived in the 2000s, aviation once again established a firm foothold and has used the medium to its full extent.

Home simulator

Simulators: focus on saving time, not logging time

In the context of flight training, the discussion around simulator time that can be logged versus not logged is an important one. There is a general argument that if the FARs do not allow the time to be logged, then why spend more time in a simulator? Let's examine why that reasoning is flawed.

More Articles

I Can’t Believe I Did That

Learn from the mistakes of others

Technique

Improve your flying skills

Go Or No Go

Test your weather decision-making

Young Pilots

The next generation writes

Friday Photo

Unforgettable cockpit views

I Was There

Sharing pilot stories