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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…

Podcast: aviation safety and airmanship

Technique
Recent episodes of the Pilot's Discretion podcast from Sporty's cover some important topics in aviation. Richard McSpadden, the Executive Director of AOPA's Air Safety Institute, shares his perspective on the GA safety record, including VFR-into-IMC accidents, the role autopilots can play, and why good pilots make bad decisions. In episode 23, flight instructor and airshow performer Spencer Suderman explains what airmanship means to him and offers some suggestions for improving your stick and rudder skills.
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April 28, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AF-podcast.jpg 467 925 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png John Zimmerman2022-04-28 09:04:042022-04-19 16:47:13Podcast: aviation safety and airmanship
Flight bag loaded

Requiem for a flight bag

I was there
I recently moved, again, and with so many moves under our belts as a career military family, many things remain remembered but unseen in boxes for years. I imagine myself an archaeologist of a kind when I make these discoveries while digging through a dusty box, and some of those finds conjure emotions and memories that are quite powerful.
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10 Comments
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April 27, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Flight-bag.jpg 1200 900 Greg Calvert https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Greg Calvert2022-04-27 08:25:452022-04-29 10:32:42Requiem for a flight bag
Route map

Old and bold—not

I was there
Everybody liked George. Everybody that flew with George respected his abilities and performance. He was funny, he was serious, he was an old warrior, having flown bomber missions in the Mediterranean theater during WWII. He was the “old man,” our “graybeard” pilot, even though he had no beard, his hair was gray among a crowd of dark haired youths. And here he was still flying with a bunch of 20-somethings, dropping tidbits of knowledge.
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62 Comments
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April 25, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CA-route-structure.jpg 1583 1614 Andrew McDonough https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Andrew McDonough2022-04-25 08:42:522022-04-29 10:18:08Old and bold—not

Friday Photo: Bahama blue

Friday Photo
The islands of the Bahamas never cease to amaze. The combination of white sandy beaches and beautiful blue water makes for the perfect flying destination and a great view. Paul Harding captures this color palette with a shot of the Schooner Cays, as seen under the wing of his Cessna 172.
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2 Comments
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April 22, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Seaplane-photo.jpg 450 600 Paul Harding https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Paul Harding2022-04-22 08:57:132022-04-15 15:37:05Friday Photo: Bahama blue
767 sim

A pilot fresh from the sim gets a real world test

I was there
Heaven knows how many passengers would run off the airplane if they knew that their pilot today had never flown the actual airplane they were on. You might be flying with a crew member who either had a thousand landings in the airplane or NONE, ZERO, ZILCH! You have no way of knowing. But fear not, the FAA and the airlines require that the new pilot be accompanied by a designated Line Check pilot, an experienced “old head,” for their early flights on the line.
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2 Comments
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April 20, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/B767-Sim-Cockpit.jpeg 435 640 Cal Tax https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Cal Tax2022-04-20 08:45:472022-04-15 17:09:25A pilot fresh from the sim gets a real world test
Cape Breton view

How does an engine “know” when to scare a pilot?

I was there
I was doing my routine engine checks (EGT, oil pressure, oil temperature, RPM, manifold pressure), as we made that transition. I was also explaining to Linda about the weird phenomenon of "auto-rough," commenting on what a strange psychological thing it was. Sure enough, just as we crossed the shoreline at 10,000 ft., I felt 30H shudder ever so slightly. It had to be my imagination.
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6 Comments
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April 18, 2022
https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Cape-Breton.jpg 944 1386 Scott Winick https://airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Air-Facts-Logo340.png Scott Winick2022-04-18 08:38:472022-04-15 16:46:49How does an engine “know” when to scare a pilot?
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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.
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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
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
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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”
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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.
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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.
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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
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I Can’t Believe I Did That

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  • 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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