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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…

Podcast: trends in GA safety, with the NTSB’s Bruce Landsberg

Interview

There are four major causes of general aviation accidents, according to NTSB Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg. In this podcast interview, he reviews the latest safety trends, from VFR-into-IMC accidents to engine failures, and offers his tips for staying safe. He also shares some surprising statistics about the possible role of ADS-B traffic in reducing midair collisions, and explains why flight data monitoring should be adopted by far more GA pilots.

Christmas as a forward air controller over Laos

I was there

My most memorable missions occurred around Christmas of 1972, when I was a 23-year-old Forward Air Controller flying the OV-10 Broncos. Two days before Christmas, we received word that three of our former comrades had been shot down near Saravane in southern Laos. They were Raven FACs serving as part of covert CIA operations in Laos flying Cessna O-1 Bird Dogs and North American T-28 Trojans.

To flap… or not to flap?

Technique

Let’s do a shallow dive into what’s required to execute a successful “high performance” takeoff. We’ll explore issues and confusion surrounding aircraft performance speeds (“V-speeds”) and flap use during takeoffs. We’ll discuss why it’s important to know exactly what’s required for your plane, and why you should always read the fine print.

The great intermission: a renaissance in general aviation?

Opinion

There is a lot of discussion about the state of GA, whether we are in decline or at the beginning of a renaissance. Briefly setting this ever tempting discussion aside, I’ll propose we are in an intermission: at nearly a million strong in the 1980s, active pilots halved a decade later; now, we are told, there’s been an increase every year since 2016. Somewhere between the GI Bill of our grandparents and the innovations in flight tech that are bringing our kids (and all ages) back to flight, we drift.

Friday Photo: smoke on

Friday Photo

There's nothing like an airshow, especially when the white smoke from the performers streaks across a perfectly blue sky. That's the image Santiago Arbelaez captures in this Friday Photo, and the Beech 18 in the foreground isn't bad either. As he says, "Keep the image—sorry, the symphonic sound can’t be reproduced!"

John’s Blog

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.”

The Starlink era is here—will we regret it?

John's blog

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

John's blog

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.

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Opinion

Why I Returned to Stick and Rudder

Opinion

When I first read Stick and Rudder, I had just started flying lessons. The lessons were going well, and my curiosity about aviation had turned into full-blown infatuation. I wanted to know everything, so I was consuming everything—magazines old and new, Reddit posts, YouTube videos. Somewhere in a best-of list, I found Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying, by Wolfgang Langewiesche.

ADS-Fee?

Opinion

Imagine flying out on a perfect CAVOK day to bathe in all that heavenly glory. Now imagine a few weeks later receiving a bill in the mail for a “landing” fee from an airport you, well, never landed at. Welcome to PLANEPASS!

A Different Kind of Pilot Decision—Choosing Not to Fly

I was there, Opinion

In my airplane, I am the source of reliability—or unreliability. The flight doesn’t leave without me. If I don’t like the weather, I don’t go. If I need to divert, I can. I choose my departure time. I build in margins. And most importantly, I have the authority—and practice—to say “no.”

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Why I Returned to Stick and Rudder

The Ace of Sewanee

Flight Lessons from Komati to Stegi

A First Time for Everything

Friday Photo: Glimpse of Gold

Introducing IFR Focus: Real-World IFR Tips from Experienced Pilots

I Can’t Believe I Did That

I Was There

Technique

Chris Schaich

NEW ARTICLES

Top 10 articles of 2022 on Air Facts

Podcast: trends in GA safety, with the NTSB’s Bruce Landsberg

Christmas as a forward air controller over Laos

To flap… or not to flap?

The great intermission: a renaissance in general aviation?

Friday Photo: smoke on

John’s Blog

The aviation community is alive and well

The Starlink era is here—will we regret it?

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

I Can’t Believe I Did That

A Quarter Tank and a Prayer

Trial by Ice

I Am UNSAFE Checklist—Lessons Learned on a Fateful Night

Opinion

Why I Returned to Stick and Rudder

ADS-Fee?

A Different Kind of Pilot Decision—Choosing Not to Fly

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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