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Chris Schaich

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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…

Washington Report: changes in stall training

Washington report

Stall training has been a hot topic for many years, but it's taken on even more importance in the wake of some high profile airline crashes in recent years. The FAA has now responded, with Advisory Circular 120-109, covering training for stalls and stick pusher activation.

Fuel gauges getting low

8 SOPs for instrument flying

Do you fly with SOPs? Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are commonly used in the corporate and airline flying world, as a way of formalizing the do's and don'ts of a flight department, but they can be very useful for private pilots, too. Here are eight SOPs I follow when I fly IFR.

Dearborn airport

Fields of vision: carving hills into airports

When the Wright brothers finally had a flying machine that could take off and fly under complete control, they still had no place to fly it from. Phil Scott shares the fascinating history of how airports came to be, from grass fields to WPA airports in the 1930s.

The great debate: the “spouse factor”

Before every flight, pilots make some sort of go/no-go decision, even if it happens nearly instantly. A good decision-making process involves a review of the weather conditions, the health of the pilot and the condition of the airplane. But there's another factor that comes into play more than we probably admit: passengers.

Pilots asleep

The silent killer

Some years ago I got interested in the role of pilot incapacitation in serious general aviation accidents. There are some who think sugar-coating helps on things like this. I don’t. What I found was revealing and it is worth a review.

Cessna's XT-37 jet

The production T-37 “Tweet” serves up an enduring mystery

In very early 1952, I was an undergraduate working part time in Cessna’s Flight Test, Aerodynamics and Preliminary Design Group when a request for proposal for the TX came in from the Air Force. The TX was to be the first, that is the primary, trainer in a series of three new trainers which would finish with the TZ, a supersonic one.

John’s Blog

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.

Pilot’s Bucket List: 11 Must-Do Adventures After Earning Your License

Everyone's dream list will vary, but let me suggest 11 things that every pilot should do with their license. Call it a bucket list if you want, but I consider it a flight plan for a fulfilling life in the cockpit.

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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.

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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

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Friday Photo

Unforgettable cockpit views

I Was There

Sharing pilot stories