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  • The problem with emergencies is they are difficult to schedule

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I Can’t Believe I Did That

Learn from the mistakes of others

I Was There

Pilot stories from around the world

Technique

Improve your flying skills

History

Preserving aviation's legacy

NEW ARTICLES

OUR MOST RECENT POSTS

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…

B-47

Runways anchor our life—an airline pilot reflects

I was there
If you fly long enough, you find yourself aging with runways; they become like an old, comfortable shoe, worn and a bit cracked but always just where you left them, easy to slip on and off. And they remember with you.
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15 Comments
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May 11, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/B-47-takeoff-smoke.jpg 814 1280 Steve Green https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Steve Green2022-05-11 08:38:132022-05-07 23:59:13Runways anchor our life—an airline pilot reflects
Trevor Jacob jump

YouTube, Top Gun, and aviation culture

John's blog
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.
Read more
22 Comments
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May 9, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/f6920-16506029019652-1920.jpg 1080 1920 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png John Zimmerman2022-05-09 09:57:172022-05-09 09:21:34YouTube, Top Gun, and aviation culture
Sun under wing

Friday Photo: fire and ice

Friday Photo
Tom Dorl was on a training flight in a Cessna 172 over the York River in Virginia when he spotted this beautiful scene. As he reminds us, "Sometimes you gotta look outside and appreciate the beauty of flight and the freedom it provides."
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3 Comments
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May 6, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Fire-and-ice-600.jpg 450 600 Thomas Dorl https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Thomas Dorl2022-05-06 08:20:142022-04-27 10:49:31Friday Photo: fire and ice
Buffalo

Time management, buffaloes, and airplanes

Technique
We all seem to have challenges in managing all we want or need to get done in life, and as pilots we have many things to manage in order to be safe and have a good flight. Time management guru Peter Drucker said there are three rules for effective time management. They work well for pilots. These are also concepts I teach to my high school aviation students.
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5 Comments
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May 4, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/African_buffalo_Syncerus_caffer_caffer_male_with_cattle_egret.jpg 683 1024 John Rousch https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png John Rousch2022-05-04 08:22:312022-05-03 11:36:42Time management, buffaloes, and airplanes
Flight simulator

Building a frugal flight simulator

Technique
Covid shut down Young Eagles and $100 hamburgers, and my flying skills were going to pot. "Use it or lose it" is true where adherence to procedures and reactions to emergencies are concerned. Would a flight simulator help? What would one cost?
Read more
9 Comments
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May 2, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Main-sim-setup.jpg 1127 1500 Sean Dwyer https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Sean Dwyer2022-05-02 08:49:042022-05-02 08:51:03Building a frugal flight simulator
OV-10

Smile: you’re on (aviation) candid camera

I was there
After intercepting the bomber, Charlie tucked in close to the observation bubble on the fuselage of the bomber through which the Russian crews were known to take their pictures. As the Russian cameraman readied his equipment, Charlie turned his head away momentarily to raise his helmet visor and unhook his oxygen mask. When he turned back, he could see the shutter flicking open and closed as the Russian operator took numerous pictures.
Read more
7 Comments
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April 29, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/OV-10A-Bronco.jpg 683 1024 Dale Hill https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Dale Hill2022-04-29 08:08:532022-04-19 17:01:43Smile: you’re on (aviation) candid camera
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John’s Blog

Trevor Jacob jump

YouTube, Top Gun, and aviation culture

John's blog
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.
Read more
22 Comments
/
May 9, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/f6920-16506029019652-1920.jpg 1080 1920 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png John Zimmerman2022-05-09 09:57:172022-05-09 09:21:34YouTube, Top Gun, and aviation culture
Pilatus PC-12

What’s wrong with Pilatus PC-12 pilots?

John's blog
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.
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14 Comments
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March 30, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Pilatus-PC-12-landing.jpg 1192 1800 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png John Zimmerman2022-03-30 08:41:022022-03-29 17:49:56What’s wrong with Pilatus PC-12 pilots?

Aviation’s roaring ’20s? A case for GA growth

John's blog
Is the current GA boom just temporary, one that will soon break hearts and bank accounts, or has something fundamentally changed? I think we should seriously consider the possibility that general aviation has some steady tailwinds. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not convinced we'll reach the dizzying heights of the late 1970s, but there are some long term trends that could make light airplanes more attractive.
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18 Comments
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January 31, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Bye-Aerospace-eFlyer-4-render-2-1080x675-1.jpg 675 1080 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png John Zimmerman2022-01-31 08:29:592022-01-26 12:37:29Aviation’s roaring ’20s? A case for GA growth
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.
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6 Comments
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March 16, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/thermometer.jpg 360 640 Craig Bixby https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Craig Bixby2022-03-16 08:39:562022-03-08 16:08:06Low, hot, and humid
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?
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4 Comments
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February 14, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SavannahS.jpg 536 800 David Johns https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png David Johns2022-02-14 08:14:572022-02-11 15:49:17Who’s pilot in command? A faulty assumption leads to an accident
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.
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12 Comments
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February 7, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/kopec-v-hmle.jpg 1070 1600 Pavol Varga https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Pavol Varga2022-02-07 09:08:412022-02-02 14:09:41A severe, multi-day case of “get-there-itis”
View ICBIDT

Opinion

Home simulator

Simulators: focus on saving time, not logging time

Opinion
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.
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4 Comments
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May 16, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/b1908_scene_nick_web-2.jpg 1200 1200 CP Jois https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png CP Jois2022-05-16 08:34:122022-05-22 23:38:59Simulators: focus on saving time, not logging time
CFI with student

Why you should think like a pilot

Opinion
After many years working as a TV producer and network executive, I turned my hobby (flying small airplanes) into a second career as a flight instructor. While you might not be excited by the prospect of getting behind the controls of an aircraft, every day that I teach new pilots I realize the skills essential to safe flying apply just as well to making you better at whatever you do. From that, a few suggestions.
Read more
16 Comments
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February 28, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Student-and-instructor-in-Cessna.jpg 599 1200 Mitch Semel https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Mitch Semel2022-02-28 08:47:582022-02-23 17:44:22Why you should think like a pilot
Logbook entries

The only flight time that counts

Opinion
Local environments produce interesting flying hours, especially if other pilots are not likely to obtain the “correct” time a local pilot may enjoy. I was informed that I could never obtain true pilot-hood until I had logged the following.
Read more
24 Comments
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December 6, 2021
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Logbook-first-flight.jpg 409 655 Skip Stagg https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Skip Stagg2021-12-06 08:31:452021-12-10 09:56:22The only flight time that counts
View Opinion

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I Can’t Believe I Did That

Learn from the mistakes of others

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The next generation writes

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Sharing pilot stories

Recent Posts

  • Insidious failures: don’t trust, verify
  • A father and son non-Oshkosh adventure
  • Friday Photo: Sunset over Syracuse
  • A rushed preflight leads to a terrifying discovery
  • Simulators: focus on saving time, not logging time

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