
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…


A student’s cross country tale
I was thereBy mid-summer of 1956 I was 18 and had progressed far enough as a student pilot that my instructor decided it was time for me to do a long, solo, cross-country flight. After reviewing the flight plan with my instructor, I filed a flight plan with the CAA (Civil Aeronautics Administration, the forerunner of the FAA) by telephone, did a pre-flight inspection, climbed into the yellow Champion 7EC, hit the starter and – nothing.

Father’s Day trip for Mom
I was thereIt was actually Father’s Day weekend, but this flight was all about Mom. The mission was to pick up my mother at her home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and drop her at Long Island’s MacArthur Airport in Islip, NY to see her friend who lives on Fire Island. I had the choice of flying either my family’s Cessna 172 or Beechcraft Baron.

No Damage, No Injuries
I was thereA Dead-Stick Landing at Bozeman, MT. Over the years, in my daydreams on this subject--and I do daydream about this, it is how I mentally prepare myself for the possibility--the event always ends with an exhausted sigh of relief and the words: “We’re down safe, no damage, no injuries.”

My most important checkride
I was thereRemember your first check ride? Remember the jitters you felt, the shaking hands, the funny feeling in the pit of your stomach? Well, I remember mine, and it was nothing to compare with a flight I had last week.

Wanted: Basic Flying Skills
OpinionThe final report on the Airbus A330 Rio to Paris Air France 447 accident is not out yet but preliminary information provides a lot of food for thought. It is a safe bet that many thousands of words will be written about this. They will come from all points of view and represent a multitude of opinions. Here is mine.
John’s Blog

The Starlink era is here—will we regret it?
John's blogThis 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
John's blogEveryone'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.

Who is the pilot in command of your aircraft?
John's blogFAR 91.3 is one of the simplest and best known federal aviation regulations, and it clearly defines the most essential job as a pilot: to be the boss for the entire flight. But as obvious as this sounds, it’s surprisingly hard to do in the real world. Little by little, your authority as PIC can be eroded until no one is actually in command.
I Can’t Believe I Did That

Trial by Ice
I Can't Believe I Did That, I was thereThe 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 ThatVery 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.

The Arrogant Pilot
I Can't Believe I Did ThatOn one early Monday morning, I took things for granted. I cut corners. I made certain assumptions about a departing fuel truck and an obscured fuel gauge—no substitute for pilot responsibility. Thirty minutes later, barely clearing the redwood ridge tops of the Santa Cruz mountains, I would dive for the first straight section of road I could find in the Silicon Valley.
Opinion

Cleared Into the Thoma Bravo—ForeFlight Has New Owners
OpinionForeFlight is still considered the EFB standard with a very loyal user base—it’s their market share to lose. However, I also don’t think their future is entirely CAVOK either: In the 25-plus years I’ve been in the software business, I have never met a private equity deal I liked. Mainly because private equity’s primary (only?) focus is maximizing ROI, usually at the expense of innovation, while with traditional corporate ownership it tends to be the other way around.

Do We Like Airplanes or Other Pilots?
OpinionIf you look at pilots demographically, you’ll see a wide spread—different backgrounds, different ages, different aircraft. But psychologically, we often share a lot: high conscientiousness, high independence, strong internal motivation. (Yes, there’s actual research to back that up.)

Know Thy EFB
OpinionYour EFB is only as good as the data it uses. Consequently, it’s absolutely imperative that before you jump into the cockpit with your trusty mount, fully set up your EFB. And that’s more than just waiting for it to automatically download the latest weather and charts.
More Articles
Recent Posts
Email newsletter
Write for us!
Did you know that most of the articles at Air Facts are written by readers like you? You do not have to be Richard Collins or Ernest Gann – simply a GA pilot with a story you’d share with friends sitting in the hangar.