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  • When an Uneventful Flight Turns Eventful

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  • Friday photo: The Guitar Tree

  • Go or no go: Appalachian IFR

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I Can’t Believe I Did That

Learn from the mistakes of others

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Pilot stories from around the world

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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…

When an Uneventful Flight Turns Eventful

I was there
We were 15 miles southeast of KCAD when the airplane suddenly started shaking violently and losing power.  I was startled by the split-second intensity of the shaking, thinking that perhaps I encountered a large bird strike or there was a problem with the propeller.
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0 Comments
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February 6, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/25161705/airplane-in-field-2.jpg 1512 2016 Mark Vanderpool https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Mark Vanderpool2023-02-06 09:00:262023-02-06 12:14:35When an Uneventful Flight Turns Eventful

Memories of flights to the הארץ המובטחת (Promised Land)

I was there
When we first started flying Connies into TLV shortly after Israeli independence in 1948 it was nothing but a tent city. What we found there in 1971 was a thoroughly modern city of tall buildings of impressive architecture with wide boulevards, modern trains and busses that could take you anywhere in the country.
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6 Comments
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February 3, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/20101006/Boeing_707-331_Trans_World_Airlines_-_TWA_AN0575882.jpg 945 1280 Jeff Hill https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Jeff Hill2023-02-03 09:00:442023-02-03 16:40:46Memories of flights to the הארץ המובטחת (Promised Land)
Pilot in Cessna 182

The joy of IFR

John's blog
Really flying IFR (not just earning the rating) is probably the most challenging activity you can do these days, unless you’re a heart surgeon or a Navy SEAL. Flying blind in the clouds, managing dynamic weather, and keeping up with air traffic control is like a mental treadmill that’s permanently set on 10—there is no stopping to take a break, and losing focus can lead to real pain. But that's exactly why it's so fun.
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1 Comment
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February 1, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/26085139/Pilot-flying-six-pack-with-iPad.jpg 1098 1500 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2023-02-01 08:53:182023-02-05 10:56:07The joy of IFR

Freak School: learning to fly at OAK in the 1970s

My Adventure
Just shy of my 15th birthday, I decided to do something about this flying thing.  I set out on the bus from Berkeley, and eventually made it down to the Oakland Airport.  I started knocking on doors, and by that afternoon I found a flight school.
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10 Comments
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January 30, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/17100546/Flightwaysa.jpg 989 1500 Drew Kemp https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Drew Kemp2023-01-30 09:00:382023-02-03 14:31:00Freak School: learning to fly at OAK in the 1970s

Friday photo: The Guitar Tree

Friday Photo
The history behind this amazing creation by the farm owner said it was a gift to her wife. The Cypress and Eucalyptus trees covering around 25 hectares were planted by 1970 having a height of 15 to 25 centimeters at that time.
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2 Comments
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January 27, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/16134913/guitar-farm-scaled.jpg 1782 2560 Emiliano Beltramone https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Emiliano Beltramone2023-01-27 09:00:052023-01-27 17:29:45Friday photo: The Guitar Tree
Route overview

Go or no go: Appalachian IFR

Go or No Go
Today's trip, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Greensboro, North Carolina, is perfect for general aviation. Instead of a six hour drive along the winding roads of the Appalachian Mountains, you can fly your Mooney there in less than 90 minutes. That's assuming the weather cooperates, of course, and a quick look at ForeFlight suggests there might be some work involved. Your airplane is well-equipped and you are instrument current, but is that enough today? Read the weather briefing below and decide what you would do.
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27 Comments
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January 25, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/19094414/CHA-to-GSO-route.jpg 931 1300 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2023-01-25 09:00:582023-01-19 18:29:37Go or no go: Appalachian IFR
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John’s Blog

Pilot in Cessna 182

The joy of IFR

John's blog
Really flying IFR (not just earning the rating) is probably the most challenging activity you can do these days, unless you’re a heart surgeon or a Navy SEAL. Flying blind in the clouds, managing dynamic weather, and keeping up with air traffic control is like a mental treadmill that’s permanently set on 10—there is no stopping to take a break, and losing focus can lead to real pain. But that's exactly why it's so fun.
Read more
1 Comment
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February 1, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/26085139/Pilot-flying-six-pack-with-iPad.jpg 1098 1500 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2023-02-01 08:53:182023-02-05 10:56:07The joy of IFR

Top 10 articles of 2022 on Air Facts

John's blog
It was another busy year at Air Facts: we published 156 articles in 2022, written by more than 100 different writers. Many of these writers were first time contributors at Air Facts, just pilots with a story to tell or a lesson to share. Hopefully you're enjoying a moment to relax this holiday season. While you're doing that, enjoy the 10 most popular articles of 2022 below.
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1 Comment
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December 28, 2022
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/06164935/41854723_m.jpg 565 848 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2022-12-28 08:01:432022-12-20 14:16:18Top 10 articles of 2022 on Air Facts
Cirrus in flight

A safe pilot is a humble pilot—lessons from the Cirrus community

John's blog
After a recent weekend immersed in the world of Cirrus airplanes, I have renewed appreciation for the old saw: plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. No matter how you slice the data, and no matter what airplane you fly, the most important driver of aviation safety continues to be the person in the left seat. Even with all the latest technology—in fact, maybe especially with all the latest technology—there’s no substitute for a humble pilot.
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24 Comments
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October 24, 2022
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/20153437/Cirrus-SR22.jpg 1200 1800 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2022-10-24 07:47:182022-10-24 07:50:13A safe pilot is a humble pilot—lessons from the Cirrus community
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I Can’t Believe I Did That

Super Cub

A simple oversight almost ruins a bucket list trip

I Can't Believe I Did That
From Andover I flew the first leg to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, the Cub’s birthplace. We topped off and I climbed up to check the tanks, which was probably my first mistake. Lyle took the front seat and I squeezed all 6‘ 1” of me into the back. Lyle cranked the starter and we heard a bang like something hitting the plane. We ignored it. Second mistake.
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20 Comments
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September 26, 2022
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/19170024/Super-Cub-in-grass.jpg 1125 1500 William Reyer https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg William Reyer2022-09-26 08:41:452022-09-19 17:01:41A simple oversight almost ruins a bucket list trip
Closed runway

The hex of the X

I Can't Believe I Did That
I was soon downwind with a Cheshire cat grin on my face my only thought being what a great pilot I was to become. After a greased landing “Mr. Pro Pilot” taxied up to the FBO. Strangely, no one was there to greet me? It was mid-morning but all the doors were locked. Now what do I do?
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7 Comments
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August 24, 2022
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/16150443/46026413735_8bbb80a097_b.jpg 768 1024 Frank Humbles https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Frank Humbles2022-08-24 08:48:132023-02-03 12:12:58The hex of the X
Cessna 182

Weight and balance “get-there-itis” traps

I Can't Believe I Did That
It was a beautiful spring day for an airplane ride, which I was asked to give to a very important and even famous client (and his two friends). As an instrument pilot having flown for years, I knew the importance of getting the exact weight of my client and his two adult friends, so I got the numbers over the phone. I never realized that a hidden trap was awaiting me until I first saw all three of them at the airport.
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16 Comments
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July 20, 2022
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/15142453/Cessna_182S_Skylane_%E2%80%98G-OBBO_30860356187.jpg 683 1024 Rick Spencer https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Rick Spencer2022-07-20 08:57:452022-07-15 14:26:17Weight and balance “get-there-itis” traps
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Opinion

Cherokee 140

Reflections and predictions

Opinion
That new Cherokee 140 that came out of the factory with a sticker price of $12,000 is now going for 5 times that, even though it’s 55 years old.  It’s not hard to spend as much upgrading a panel as you spent for the whole airplane.
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5 Comments
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January 20, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/06172110/Cherokee_140_Landing.jpg 480 720 Jay Wischkaemper https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Jay Wischkaemper2023-01-20 09:00:582023-01-27 17:26:42Reflections and predictions
Cessna on grass

The great intermission: a renaissance in general aviation?

Opinion
There is a lot of discussion about the state of GA, whether we are in decline or at the beginning of a renaissance. Briefly setting this ever tempting discussion aside, I’ll propose we are in an intermission: at nearly a million strong in the 1980s, active pilots halved a decade later; now, we are told, there’s been an increase every year since 2016. Somewhere between the GI Bill of our grandparents and the innovations in flight tech that are bringing our kids (and all ages) back to flight, we drift.
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14 Comments
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December 19, 2022
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/13163625/Cessna-on-grass-square-scaled.jpg 2560 2560 Peterson Conway https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Peterson Conway2022-12-19 08:15:312022-12-13 16:44:45The great intermission: a renaissance in general aviation?
Cessna 172

Unstable (Final) Approaches – History, Fiction, and Fact

Opinion
A score and more years ago, “stable approach” came into vogue as an attempt to reduce airline accidents. Why? All those airline landing accidents came from unstable approaches, so unstable approaches must be the major causal factor, right? Reality may be a bit more complicated than that—especially for GA pilots.
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30 Comments
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December 5, 2022
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/06161032/C172ExternalLanding.jpg 563 1000 Ed Wischmeyer https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Ed Wischmeyer2022-12-05 08:33:572022-12-20 11:47:38Unstable (Final) Approaches – History, Fiction, and Fact
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I Can’t Believe I Did That

Learn from the mistakes of others

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Improve your flying skills

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Recent Posts

  • When an Uneventful Flight Turns Eventful
  • Memories of flights to the הארץ המובטחת (Promised Land)
  • The joy of IFR
  • Freak School: learning to fly at OAK in the 1970s
  • Friday photo: The Guitar Tree

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