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  • Tail rotor failure in the Grand Canyon

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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

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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…

G1000 MFD with weather

Opinion: Coping with the Winds of Change

Opinion
Consider, for a moment, some of the drivers that enabled our nation to develop as a world power. From the time the pilgrims arrived at Plymouth to the present, the single most important driver was the human element, the spirit that has ignited every major achievement in our history. Most everyone would agree that America is unique in this regard.
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March 23, 2011
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg 0 0 Bob Stangarone https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Bob Stangarone2011-03-23 11:46:502016-02-27 09:35:00Opinion: Coping with the Winds of Change
G1000 MFD with weather

Feature: Personal Air Transportation in the Good Old Days

History
Note to the reader: This is the first chapter of a book that I started but will probably never finish. It was to be about the history of general aviation as seen through the eyes of two Collins boys, Richard and Leighton. Richard wasn’t born in the time covered by this first chapter but I have my father’s logs and papers to use in covering this slice of the good old days.
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March 17, 2011
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg 0 0 Richard Collins https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Richard Collins2011-03-17 10:17:592016-02-27 09:34:52Feature: Personal Air Transportation in the Good Old Days
G1000 MFD with weather

Lettuce and cucumbers

I was there
Over ten years had passed since my wife and I had watched the annual Fort Lauderdale boat parade. Friends in nearby Pompano Beach had extended an invitation for us to join them on their boat. We would spend the night at their home and return…
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3 Comments
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March 16, 2011
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John’s Blog

Garmin GFC 500 autopilot

Autopilots are underrated

John's blog
It’s time to add the much-maligned autopilot to this list of life-saving technologies—and retire some old myths in the process. The latest generation of digital autopilots are nothing like the “mechanical brain” of 1947 or even the analog systems of the 1970s and 80s. They are the first models to truly live up to the grand title they are often given: “automatic flight control system.” 
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7 Comments
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March 13, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/27153514/8d2d352177553035380c8d89065116aa_XL.jpg 857 900 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2023-03-13 09:00:242023-02-28 18:19:01Autopilots are underrated
Pilot in Cessna 182

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.
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18 Comments
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February 1, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/26085139/Pilot-flying-six-pack-with-iPad.jpg 1098 1500 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2023-02-01 08:53:182023-02-05 10:56:07The joy of IFR

Top 10 articles of 2022 on Air Facts

John's blog
It was another busy year at Air Facts: we published 156 articles in 2022, written by more than 100 different writers. Many of these writers were first time contributors at Air Facts, just pilots with a story to tell or a lesson to share. Hopefully you're enjoying a moment to relax this holiday season. While you're doing that, enjoy the 10 most popular articles of 2022 below.
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December 28, 2022
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/06164935/41854723_m.jpg 565 848 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2022-12-28 08:01:432022-12-20 14:16:18Top 10 articles of 2022 on Air Facts
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I Can’t Believe I Did That

Airplane out side window

First solo out of the pattern: an unexpected adventure in risk management

I Can't Believe I Did That
All of a sudden, I hear “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY!” along with a report that a small biplane had a propeller failure during the takeoff roll.  After a minute or so of radio silence, the UNICOM monitor announces that the the runway - the ONLY runway - at my home airport is closed until further notice.  Gulp.
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15 Comments
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March 1, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/06162202/Traffic-from-side-window.jpg 815 1223 Troy Kelley https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Troy Kelley2023-03-01 09:00:502023-02-16 17:57:53First solo out of the pattern: an unexpected adventure in risk management

My near fuel emergency

I Can't Believe I Did That
The extra RPMs to compensate for the half-opened carb heat, a probably too conservative mixture, and of course stronger than forecasted winds aloft resulted in a much higher fuel burn than expected. Surprisingly, the FBO pumped 34.5 gallons into our Skyhawk! That calculates to only 3.5 gallons remaining.
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5 Comments
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February 20, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/07135023/KDEDRwy5.jpg 998 1413 Enderson Rafael https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Enderson Rafael2023-02-20 09:00:302023-02-07 13:56:25My near fuel emergency
Super Cub

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.
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20 Comments
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September 26, 2022
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/19170024/Super-Cub-in-grass.jpg 1125 1500 William Reyer https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg William Reyer2022-09-26 08:41:452022-09-19 17:01:41A simple oversight almost ruins a bucket list trip
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Opinion

Super Cub landing

Which controls which? Throttle/elevator and airspeed/altitude

Opinion
There’s an old story about an insane asylum in which nobody ever thought up any new jokes, so all the old jokes were given numbers. This meant that telling a joke only required giving its number. In that same spirit, here is a list of arguments as to whether pitch or power controls airspeed or altitude. Now pilots can discuss the issue more succinctly by tossing numbers around.
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19 Comments
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March 8, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/06140804/Bush-pilot-landing.jpg 841 1500 Ed Wischmeyer https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Ed Wischmeyer2023-03-08 08:55:552023-02-27 10:03:29Which controls which? Throttle/elevator and airspeed/altitude
J-3 Cub on floats

No good reason to fly, but this is why I do

Opinion
Flying is expensive, but then again, it has always been expensive. Perhaps you too have had enough of the touch-and-goes, and the "$100 dollar hamburger" flights to your favorite non-towered field. The thought of cruising the beach once again does not exactly motivate you to race to the airport. But I do it because it’s fun!
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6 Comments
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March 3, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/06175846/Cub-on-floats.jpg 600 800 Skip Stagg https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Skip Stagg2023-03-03 09:00:412023-02-16 17:53:44No good reason to fly, but this is why I do
Cherokee 140

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.
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5 Comments
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January 20, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/06172110/Cherokee_140_Landing.jpg 480 720 Jay Wischkaemper https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Jay Wischkaemper2023-01-20 09:00:582023-01-27 17:26:42Reflections and predictions
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  • From the archives: What it takes to fly the President
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