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  • Cold weather clarity – staying calm in an emergency

  • Returning to the air after a suspended medical

  • Friday photo: Oahu at night from FL380

  • Fate was on my side – a lesson in scud running

  • Tail rotor failure in the Grand Canyon

  • Protecting the Pitot-Static System … by making Safety a Habit

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I Can’t Believe I Did That

Learn from the mistakes of others

I Was There

Pilot stories from around the world

Technique

Improve your flying skills

History

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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…

Cold weather clarity – staying calm in an emergency

I was there
We had eaten up a lot of the 6,600’ runway by the time the airplane was ready to fly, so I rotated and up we went. Barely. The tach bounced between 2100 and 2200rpm, barely into the green arc. I watched the last bit of runway disappear under us at 200 feet per minute.
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March 29, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/15112414/Elliott-and-Elias-scaled.jpeg 1920 2560 Elliott Cox https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Elliott Cox2023-03-29 08:55:042023-03-29 09:06:49Cold weather clarity – staying calm in an emergency

Returning to the air after a suspended medical

I was there
In September 2020, a letter landed on my doorstep inviting me to the Cardiac Surgery Unit to discuss my aortic valve replacement. Time stood still for a few minutes. My most recent scan had determined that, in much the same way it is advisable to change a timing belt before it breaks, it was time to swap put my valve. All routine, I was assured.
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March 27, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/13105928/unnamed-2.jpg 1512 2016 Andrew Torkington https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Andrew Torkington2023-03-27 08:55:512023-03-28 15:04:41Returning to the air after a suspended medical

Friday photo: Oahu at night from FL380

Friday Photo
Oahu, HI and Honolulu International Airport (PHNL) shot from FL380 aboard a B787-9 Dreamliner enroute from Vancouver (CYVR) to Brisbane (YBBN).
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March 24, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/06102634/b787-scaled.jpg 1920 2560 Richard Pittet https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Richard Pittet2023-03-24 08:55:072023-03-28 15:03:36Friday photo: Oahu at night from FL380

Fate was on my side – a lesson in scud running

I Can't Believe I Did That
It was a dreadful sickening feeling, flying ever so close to the tower with the supporting guy wires clearly visible. The tower pulsed strobe lights, meaning it poked menacingly into the sky to at least 500 feet unseen in the daunting gloom.
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16 Comments
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March 22, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/03152613/Dougs-story_coloured-scaled.jpg 2560 1874 Doug Morris https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Doug Morris2023-03-22 08:55:282023-03-28 15:02:08Fate was on my side – a lesson in scud running
Bell 47 helicopter

Tail rotor failure in the Grand Canyon

I was there
I was performing sling loading operations in the Bell and was picking up my external loads from within a corral that was situated right next to an 800', sheer cliff. On that particular hook-up, right as the loader signaled that I was good to go, and as I added power and anti-torque pedal to rise to my hover, I felt a slight jerk in my tail rotor control pedals. That’s when things began to unravel.
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March 20, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/06173915/Bell-47.jpg 600 795 Joe Baginski https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Joe Baginski2023-03-20 08:55:582023-03-28 14:59:36Tail rotor failure in the Grand Canyon

Protecting the Pitot-Static System … by making Safety a Habit

Technique
On takeoff, the pilot also neglected to observe the airspeed indicator as the airplane accelerated and rotated. Only then did he discover his error. Looking out the left window, the pilot saw the white pitot tube cover still in place underneath the white Cessna wing.
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5 Comments
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March 17, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/06121339/bonanza-pitot-tube-scaled.jpg 1920 2560 Leo Berube https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Leo Berube2023-03-17 09:00:222023-03-28 14:55:54Protecting the Pitot-Static System … by making Safety a Habit
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John’s Blog

Garmin GFC 500 autopilot

Autopilots are underrated

John's blog
It’s time to add the much-maligned autopilot to this list of life-saving technologies—and retire some old myths in the process. The latest generation of digital autopilots are nothing like the “mechanical brain” of 1947 or even the analog systems of the 1970s and 80s. They are the first models to truly live up to the grand title they are often given: “automatic flight control system.” 
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15 Comments
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March 13, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/27153514/8d2d352177553035380c8d89065116aa_XL.jpg 857 900 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2023-03-13 09:00:242023-03-28 14:41:45Autopilots are underrated
Pilot in Cessna 182

The joy of IFR

John's blog
Really flying IFR (not just earning the rating) is probably the most challenging activity you can do these days, unless you’re a heart surgeon or a Navy SEAL. Flying blind in the clouds, managing dynamic weather, and keeping up with air traffic control is like a mental treadmill that’s permanently set on 10—there is no stopping to take a break, and losing focus can lead to real pain. But that's exactly why it's so fun.
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18 Comments
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February 1, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/26085139/Pilot-flying-six-pack-with-iPad.jpg 1098 1500 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2023-02-01 08:53:182023-02-05 10:56:07The joy of IFR

Top 10 articles of 2022 on Air Facts

John's blog
It was another busy year at Air Facts: we published 156 articles in 2022, written by more than 100 different writers. Many of these writers were first time contributors at Air Facts, just pilots with a story to tell or a lesson to share. Hopefully you're enjoying a moment to relax this holiday season. While you're doing that, enjoy the 10 most popular articles of 2022 below.
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December 28, 2022
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/06164935/41854723_m.jpg 565 848 John Zimmerman https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg John Zimmerman2022-12-28 08:01:432022-12-20 14:16:18Top 10 articles of 2022 on Air Facts
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I Can’t Believe I Did That

Fate was on my side – a lesson in scud running

I Can't Believe I Did That
It was a dreadful sickening feeling, flying ever so close to the tower with the supporting guy wires clearly visible. The tower pulsed strobe lights, meaning it poked menacingly into the sky to at least 500 feet unseen in the daunting gloom.
Read more
16 Comments
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March 22, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/03152613/Dougs-story_coloured-scaled.jpg 2560 1874 Doug Morris https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Doug Morris2023-03-22 08:55:282023-03-28 15:02:08Fate was on my side – a lesson in scud running
Airplane out side window

First solo out of the pattern: an unexpected adventure in risk management

I Can't Believe I Did That
All of a sudden, I hear “MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY!” along with a report that a small biplane had a propeller failure during the takeoff roll.  After a minute or so of radio silence, the UNICOM monitor announces that the the runway - the ONLY runway - at my home airport is closed until further notice.  Gulp.
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15 Comments
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March 1, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/06162202/Traffic-from-side-window.jpg 815 1223 Troy Kelley https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Troy Kelley2023-03-01 09:00:502023-03-28 15:05:56First solo out of the pattern: an unexpected adventure in risk management

My near fuel emergency

I Can't Believe I Did That
The extra RPMs to compensate for the half-opened carb heat, a probably too conservative mixture, and of course stronger than forecasted winds aloft resulted in a much higher fuel burn than expected. Surprisingly, the FBO pumped 34.5 gallons into our Skyhawk! That calculates to only 3.5 gallons remaining.
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5 Comments
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February 20, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/07135023/KDEDRwy5.jpg 998 1413 Enderson Rafael https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Enderson Rafael2023-02-20 09:00:302023-02-07 13:56:25My near fuel emergency
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Opinion

Super Cub landing

Which controls which? Throttle/elevator and airspeed/altitude

Opinion
There’s an old story about an insane asylum in which nobody ever thought up any new jokes, so all the old jokes were given numbers. This meant that telling a joke only required giving its number. In that same spirit, here is a list of arguments as to whether pitch or power controls airspeed or altitude. Now pilots can discuss the issue more succinctly by tossing numbers around.
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19 Comments
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March 8, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/06140804/Bush-pilot-landing.jpg 841 1500 Ed Wischmeyer https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Ed Wischmeyer2023-03-08 08:55:552023-03-28 14:52:24Which controls which? Throttle/elevator and airspeed/altitude
J-3 Cub on floats

No good reason to fly, but this is why I do

Opinion
Flying is expensive, but then again, it has always been expensive. Perhaps you too have had enough of the touch-and-goes, and the "$100 dollar hamburger" flights to your favorite non-towered field. The thought of cruising the beach once again does not exactly motivate you to race to the airport. But I do it because it’s fun!
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6 Comments
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March 3, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/06175846/Cub-on-floats.jpg 600 800 Skip Stagg https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Skip Stagg2023-03-03 09:00:412023-02-16 17:53:44No good reason to fly, but this is why I do
Cherokee 140

Reflections and predictions

Opinion
That new Cherokee 140 that came out of the factory with a sticker price of $12,000 is now going for 5 times that, even though it’s 55 years old.  It’s not hard to spend as much upgrading a panel as you spent for the whole airplane.
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5 Comments
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January 20, 2023
https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/06172110/Cherokee_140_Landing.jpg 480 720 Jay Wischkaemper https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg Jay Wischkaemper2023-01-20 09:00:582023-01-27 17:26:42Reflections and predictions
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Recent Posts

  • Cold weather clarity – staying calm in an emergency
  • Returning to the air after a suspended medical
  • Friday photo: Oahu at night from FL380
  • Fate was on my side – a lesson in scud running
  • Tail rotor failure in the Grand Canyon

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