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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

    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…

    How I came to be an ag pilot

    History
    Reader Dave Sandidge's uncle, Bernard Threet, was an ag pilot in the Mississippi Delta region for many years. After his uncle's recent death, Sandidge wanted to honor him by sharing the story of his memorable cross-country in a Piper Cub crop duster. And what a story it is.
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    January 19, 2015
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/06172413/AF-crop-duster-feature.jpg 280 520 Dave Sandidge https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png Dave Sandidge2015-01-19 15:56:582015-01-21 11:48:08How I came to be an ag pilot

    Coming down with the aviation bug: why me?

    I was there
    Looking to my right, there is my regular flying companion, my late father, or my sense of him. I talk to him now and then, but he seldom answers. Today, I want to ask him why aviation came to be such a central part of my thinking and my life, despite my never having made a dime with an airplane, or been an especially skilled pilot, or having grown up in a flying family.
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    January 16, 2015
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/06172421/AF-Heath-why-me-feature.jpg 280 520 Hunter Heath https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png Hunter Heath2015-01-16 09:09:202015-10-13 17:06:47Coming down with the aviation bug: why me?

    Aviation’s doomsday preppers

    John's blog
    Roughly 20% of Americans think the world will end in their lifetime. That seems awfully pessimistic, but these doomsday preppers have nothing on pilots. Based on a number of recent conversations and comments from readers here at Air Facts, a solid majority believe general aviation will end in their lifetimes. Not get weaker - cease to exist.
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    40 Comments
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    January 14, 2015
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/06172422/AF-Doomsday-prepper-feature.jpg 280 520 John Zimmerman https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png John Zimmerman2015-01-14 14:21:252015-11-23 18:18:04Aviation’s doomsday preppers

    My Cub journey

    I was there
    Twenty one years ago, while on a skiing trip out west and after watching “Super Cub One and two” about 100 times, I took a side flight to Cub Crafters in Yakima, Washington. At that time, Jim Richmond, the CEO of Cub Crafters, was restoring Cubs. I purchased a 1979 Super Cub from Jim, which he flew out to Maine the following spring. That began a 21-year flying experience for me... all in the same Cub.
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    January 12, 2015
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/06172433/AF-Wibby-feature.jpg 280 520 Wayne Wibby https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png Wayne Wibby2015-01-12 17:59:162015-01-12 17:59:16My Cub journey

    Orion begins – a father/son trip to the Space Coast

    I was there
    Owning an airplane pretty much obligates one to always be looking for the next chance to use it. The worst thing for an airplane (or a pilot) is to stay on the ground and never fly. Therefore when my son indicated an interest in seeing the launch of Exploration Flight Test 1, I seized the opportunity.
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    January 9, 2015
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/06172434/AF-Orion-feature.jpg 280 520 Dan Littmann https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png Dan Littmann2015-01-09 12:38:532018-02-26 09:20:34Orion begins – a father/son trip to the Space Coast

    Thanks for the landing

    History
    Former RAAF pilot John Laming remembers one of his first flight instructors, a unique and thoughtful man he would encounter many times throughout his career. Reconnecting after 40 years, the two pilots made a memorable final flight that shows the special bond two pilots share.
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    21 Comments
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    January 7, 2015
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/06172516/AF-landing-sid-feature.jpg 280 520 John Laming https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png John Laming2015-01-07 10:22:072017-09-06 12:35:08Thanks for the landing
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    John’s Blog

    Why are spatial disorientation accidents on the rise?

    John's blog
    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.
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    9 Comments
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    September 8, 2025
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26101630/Why-are-spatial-disorientation-accidents-on-the-rise.png 1000 1250 John Zimmerman https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png John Zimmerman2025-09-08 08:55:302025-08-26 10:20:26Why are spatial disorientation accidents on the rise?

    The aviation community is alive and well

    John's blog
    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.”
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    27 Comments
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    June 2, 2025
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/27151312/The-aviation-community-is-alive-and-well.png 1000 1250 John Zimmerman https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png John Zimmerman2025-06-02 08:54:432025-05-27 16:38:00The aviation community is alive and well

    The Starlink era is here—will we regret it?

    John's blog
    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.
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    32 Comments
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    April 9, 2025
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/17123837/Copy-of-The-Starlink-era-is-here%E2%80%94will-we-regret-it.png 1000 1300 John Zimmerman https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png John Zimmerman2025-04-09 08:55:152025-04-17 12:38:45The Starlink era is here—will we regret it?
    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.
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    13 Comments
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    June 20, 2025
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/20175441/QUARTER-TANK-AND-A-PRAYER.png 1000 1250 Jeff Minck https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png Jeff Minck2025-06-20 08:55:212025-05-27 15:15:11A Quarter Tank and a Prayer

    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.
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    35 Comments
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    May 5, 2025
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/16113809/trial-by-ice.png 1000 1250 Joel Turpin https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png Joel Turpin2025-05-05 08:10:022025-05-05 08:11:53Trial by Ice

    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. 
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    19 Comments
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    February 28, 2025
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/14102325/unsafe-checklist.png 1000 1250 Bob Hamilton https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png Bob Hamilton2025-02-28 08:55:512025-02-14 10:24:30I Am UNSAFE Checklist—Lessons Learned on a Fateful Night
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    Opinion

    The Cycle of Flying Life

    Opinion
    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.
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    6 Comments
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    August 25, 2025
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/01103920/The-Cycle-of-Flying-Life.png 1000 1250 Greg Anderson https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png Greg Anderson2025-08-25 08:55:222025-08-01 10:39:44The Cycle of Flying Life

    Chain of Trust

    Opinion
    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.
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    7 Comments
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    August 11, 2025
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/28093515/chain-of-trust.png 1000 1250 Alexander Sack https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png Alexander Sack2025-08-11 08:55:012025-08-11 10:20:22Chain of Trust

    The Choice to Fly

    Opinion
    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.
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    2 Comments
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    July 18, 2025
    https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/30140542/the-choice-to-fly.png 1000 1250 Parvez Dara https://media.airfactsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/03140241/AF_Logo_24.png Parvez Dara2025-07-18 08:55:012025-06-30 14:06:35The Choice to Fly
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