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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…

Ice: gotcha… Where is the ice?

Dick's blog

Where? Simple. Ice is where you find it. As pilots we have to accept the fact that ice will be forecast when it is cold and there are clouds but if we are to get any utility out of our airplanes in the wintertime, we have to develop the weather wisdom to recognize the times when ice is likely and when it is not.

A Big Apple adventure

I was there

After parking at the FBO and shutting the engine down, we looked at each other and laughed like a couple of kids that just got off their first roller coaster ride. Scary, exciting and fun all at the same time.

Accident? No, it’s a screw-up!

Opinion

Most “accident” reports should be labeled "lack of judgment" investigations. Ian Seager says that too often we fail to learn from our own and other pilots’ errors.

Devil Canyon Christmas

I was there

After landing at Anchorage, I tied my faithful little ship down and silently thanked the guys at the Cessna plant for their stable and dependable Stationair. And, yes—it had been a lousy way to spend Christmas Eve...

In the air, trust is all we have

Opinion

False bravado in the left seat can get you killed. The trust that you carry has to be inviolate: a certainty that you know what to do, how to do it and when. For me, that trust has been an off-and-on thing.

John’s Blog

Guard frequency in the age of social media

John's blog

Yes, this is an “old man yells at cloud” article. Yes, I can already hear the jokes about the “guard police.” I don’t care. It needs to be said: Guard frequency (121.5) has become a national embarrassment, a sign that our self-absorbed social media culture has spread to the once-boring world of aviation. We need to do better.

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.

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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I Can’t Believe I Did That

Spatial Disorientation: I Thought It Couldn’t Happen to Me

I Can't Believe I Did That

I began climbing to get between layers, intending to stabilize and then request IFR. But as I entered the clouds, what I thought could never happen did. I was in an unusual attitude: 45 degrees banked and nose down. For a moment, I considered pulling the CAPS parachute. I had often wondered if I’d have the presence of mind to use it in a real emergency. After this, I know the answer is yes. But I also realized I could recover.

I Made Every Flight Training Mistake Humanly Possible

I Can't Believe I Did That

Flight training is rarely a straight line, but for Nick Smith it turned into a winding, four–year journey full of delays, false starts, and unexpected costs. In this brutally honest account, he shares the mistakes he made—so future pilots don’t have to repeat them. His story is both a cautionary tale and a reminder that perseverance can still lead to the certificate.

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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Opinion

Me and IFR

Opinion

During another smooth cloudy day, a relative—who shall remain unnamed—asked if I wanted to fly. Weather was marginal VFR; he had his IFR rating. At 3,000 feet, we entered clouds. I panicked briefly, deer-in-headlights style. Calmly, he asked me to hand him his foggles from the seat pocket. Did that give me confidence? Not really. But the flight remained calm and uneventful. He wore view limiters in clouds for comfort—something I couldn’t quite fathom at the time.

Yes, I Still Take Flying Lessons

Opinion

I approach every flight with an instructor with a plan of my own. I don’t just show up because the calendar says it’s time. I bring specific goals, real-world questions, and skills I want to sharpen. My annual IPC isn’t about checking FAA boxes; it’s about tackling challenges I’ve faced over the year and flying approaches that have pushed me.

Generally Affordable? The Truth About Flying Costs

Opinion

The economics of flying is not for the faint of heart. In fact, the average cost of just getting your “license to learn” is now hovering around the $20,000 mark. And if that number doesn’t faze you, then let me sprinkle in some rampant inflation, a tight insurance market, and just the high opportunity cost of staying current—let alone proficient—into the mix.

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From Sim to Reality: How a Piper PA-28 Changed Everything

Lucky to Fly

Friday Photo: Aeroshell at AirVenture

Podcast: Flying for the Joy of It with Serrhel Adams

Me and IFR

Fifty Years Ago Flying With Little SAM

I Can’t Believe I Did That

I Was There

Technique

Jerry Lawler

NEW ARTICLES

Ice: gotcha… Where is the ice?

A Big Apple adventure

Accident? No, it’s a screw-up!

Top 10 articles of 2013

Devil Canyon Christmas

In the air, trust is all we have

John’s Blog

Guard frequency in the age of social media

Why are spatial disorientation accidents on the rise?

The aviation community is alive and well

I Can’t Believe I Did That

Spatial Disorientation: I Thought It Couldn’t Happen to Me

I Made Every Flight Training Mistake Humanly Possible

A Quarter Tank and a Prayer

Opinion

Me and IFR

Yes, I Still Take Flying Lessons

Generally Affordable? The Truth About Flying Costs

More Articles

I Can’t Believe I Did That

Technique

Go Or No Go

Young Pilots

Friday Photo

I Was There

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