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

Chris Schaich

Articles by Chris Schaich

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…

Landing

My mid-flight medical emergency

A personal telephone call from the Captain of a Holland America ship signified the importance of assistance urgently needed. A couple of passengers onboard had received a call that their daughter had been kidnapped back home in the US. They needed to catch a commercial flight from Nassau back home as soon as possible.

enroute

Soaring Over the Rainbow Nation: A Journey as a South African Pilot

The smaller airports and airstrips scattered across the country have their own charm. The controllers and managers at these smaller fields often share invaluable local knowledge and tips. During one flight to a remote airstrip in the Free State, the local controller not only guided me through unexpected weather changes but also shared some fascinating local lore.

united b757

The day I had to make a short field landing in a B757

My plan was to maintain the glide slope until nearing the threshold, Iwould then duck under the glide slope and cross the threshold at about 20 feet above the ground instead of then normal 50 feet resulting in a touchdown prior to the 1,000 foot runway markers. Obeying SOP and staying precisely on the glide slope over the threshold would waste precious stopping distance which could put us into a dangerous situation.

Cessna 172

What matters for VFR proficiency: better landings

Earlier this year I argued that if IFR pilots wanted to prevent accidents, they should focus on the most boring of skills: basic attitude instrument flying. Now it’s time to look at VFR pilots, and to spare you the suspense, the answer is similarly prosaic: loss of control on landing damages more airplanes than any other accident scenario. What can be done?

Friday photo: upside down smiles over Arkansas

With full parental consent, and a long discussion with my granddaughter, Maddie, of expectations, we got to go for our first aerobatic ride together. I think the photo shows how much she loved it. I will always remember the end of the flight when she said, “paw paw SA, can we do some more?”

wing

A fun fuel run

The summer sun is filtered through the scattered clouds, and rays of light stream across the hazy sky. This evening’s mission is a simple one—fly. Oh, yes, I need to get fuel, but the real mission is a flight in an aircraft I built—pure and simple. The grin on my face seems permanent these days.

John’s Blog

Why are spatial disorientation accidents on the rise?

Researchers from the FAA show that SD accidents have not declined since 2003—in fact, quite the opposite. You might assume the widespread adoption of tools like datalink weather, modern autopilots, reliable AHRS, and electronic flight bag apps would make VFR-into-IMC (the classic SD accident scenario) much less common. It’s a great theory, but the numbers don’t support it.

The aviation community is alive and well

Before the expletive could even leave my mouth, one of the FBO employees offered to lend me the crew car. I assumed the crew car option would be impossible, or at least impossibly bad manners, since the round trip would be nearly two hours and the FBO was closing soon. But he wouldn’t hear it: “take all the time you need and just drop the keys off with the night security guard. We appreciate your business.”

The Starlink era is here—will we regret it?

This promises to be a major advancement in cockpit technology, with benefits for pilots and passengers alike. But before diving headfirst into the Starlink pool, it would be wise to pause for just a moment and contemplate what we might lose. Don’t worry, I’m no Luddite and I’m not here to scare anyone away from an exciting new gadget. I am, however, an observer with enough experience to have seen technological breakthroughs bring unintended consequences. I fear that may happen here.

View John’s Blog

I Can’t Believe I Did That

A Quarter Tank and a Prayer

I Can't Believe I Did That

I was watching the fuel gauges drop before my eyes. I elected to continue to ECG rather than turn back. I was on a direct course. The Norfolk controller wished me luck—not the most reassuring sign—and handed me off to ECG Tower, who had already been briefed.

Trial by Ice

I Can't Believe I Did That, I was there

The most valuable lesson I learned from the “School of Hard Knocks” had nothing to do with weather or instrument flying. The “trial by ice” was a lesson in the awesome responsibility that comes from occupying the left seat of an airplane, regardless of its size. It also taught me to recognize those rare and unusual emergency situations when going by the book is not safe, and when deviating from standard operating procedures or the Federal Air Regulations is not only warranted, but imperative.

I Am UNSAFE Checklist—Lessons Learned on a Fateful Night

I Can't Believe I Did That

Very soon I was on the approach and thought I could still make 06C. The ATIS called out the overcast at 800’ AGL, the minimum I needed (mistake #5—not mine, but it counted anyway.) I held at 800’, assuming I’d see the runway lights below me and then I could continue to 06C. As I crossed the runway threshold, it was solid IMC and I had to go missed. I asked the Tower what the current ceiling was, and the response was that the ATIS was old and the ceiling was actually 400’ and you’ll have to go around.

Opinion

The Cycle of Flying Life

Memories of first flights will include astonishing detail. That first transition—from wheels to wings—is a sensory overload, an oh-my-gosh experience. Most will remember where, when, and what type airplane. Sights, sounds, even smells. And, of course, special thoughts are reserved for the pilot who gave them their first flight.

Chain of Trust

If there is one aspect of general aviation I’ve learned over my relatively short stint aloft, it’s that the safety of any flight is not just dependent solely on the decisions I make, but also on the ones others have made for me—without my knowledge or even consent. In fact, all of general aviation relies on an implicit chain of trust that, when broken, can and does result in dire consequences.

The Choice to Fly

Now we were nose-down, spinning, and rapidly losing altitude. The earth swirled in the windshield, the tall pines below getting closer. I don’t remember how many turns we made, but somewhere between the second one and the top of those trees, he cut the power and stopped the rotation. We were still descending fast. Sweat poured down my face, driven by the sudden surge of fear, my novice brain gripped by self-preservation.

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