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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…

Hurricane

A date with Juliet

Flight 420, a Boeing 737 to Hong Kong, departed from a small island on the Equator at about the same time as an unnamed typhoon was born 2,000 miles further west. The depression that spawned the typhoon had been tracked by U.S. Navy weather satellites for several days. As it slowly spun in a westerly direction from 500 miles north of Ponape in the Carolines, the weather forecasters decided it met all the attributes of a maturing typhoon and from a list of names, selected Juliet.

Los Angeles Flight Watch

John’s blog: who needs Flight Service?

A relatively new instrument pilot asked me recently how to open a flight plan via Flight Service. After stammering for a moment, it hit me: I haven't called Flight Service in over 5 years.

Garmin G1000

A tale of two panels

I’ve always loved gadgets, so when our flying club purchased a 2005 Cessna 172SP with a G1000 panel (which the club immediately upgraded to WAAS) and autopilot late in 2009 I was thrilled. I had new toys to learn how to use and to play with—what could be more fun? A small minority of my fellow club members, however, was less than thrilled. A few even declared, “Round gauges are better.”

Camp David airspace

Dick’s blog: F-15 v. Cherokee

The Labor Day weekend was a busy one over our house. Back in the good old days, when the traffic pattern at the Frederick (Maryland) airport was perpetually full, general aviation airplanes filled the sky overhead. With air traffic down, that is no longer true. This Labor Day there was a lot going on but it involved F-15s, probably from some state’s Air Guard. Because of the proximity to 9/11, and because the President was at Camp David, they had air cover like I haven’t seen in a long while.

A380 cockpit

The Great Debate: autopilot addiction?

The loss of control of an Airbus A330 over the Atlantic has led to calls for more hands on (as opposed to autopilot) training for airline crews. This subject has recently gotten a lot of attention in the press. Much ado about nothing or a real problem?

Stall training

The Great Debate: stall training

This is the first in a series of questions we'll be posing to our readers. We'd like to hear your opinions on various aviation topics, so write away. Just enter your comments below--there's no need to sign up. Question: Most inadvertent stalls that result in serious accidents occur at an altitude too low for a recovery. Do you think this means that practicing stalls at altitude is a waste of time?

John’s Blog

Guard frequency in the age of social media

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?

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

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.

Opinion

Is GA Getting Safer?

The AOPA Air Safety Institute (ASI) recently released their 35th annual accident report. And the good news is that GA has never been safer. However, even though most of the press coverage has been mainly focused on the report’s positive high-level trends, the devil is as they say, in the details.

Me and IFR

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

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.

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I Can’t Believe I Did That

Learn from the mistakes of others

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Improve your flying skills

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Friday Photo

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I Was There

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