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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

John’s Blog

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.

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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I Can’t Believe I Did That

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.

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?

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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Opinion

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.

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.

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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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

Go or no go: Appalachian IFR

I Can’t Believe I Did That

I Was There

Technique

History

NEW ARTICLES

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

Go or no go: Appalachian IFR

John’s Blog

The joy of IFR

Top 10 articles of 2022 on Air Facts

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

I Can’t Believe I Did That

A simple oversight almost ruins a bucket list trip

The hex of the X

Weight and balance “get-there-itis” traps

Opinion

Reflections and predictions

The great intermission: a renaissance in general aviation?

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

More Articles

I Can’t Believe I Did That

Technique

Go Or No Go

Young Pilots

Friday Photo

I Was There

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