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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…

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

John’s Blog

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

View ICBIDT

Opinion

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.

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!

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.

View Opinion

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

I Can’t Believe I Did That

I Was There

Technique

History

NEW ARTICLES

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

John’s Blog

Autopilots are underrated

The joy of IFR

Top 10 articles of 2022 on Air Facts

I Can’t Believe I Did That

Fate was on my side – a lesson in scud running

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

My near fuel emergency

Opinion

Which controls which? Throttle/elevator and airspeed/altitude

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

Reflections and predictions

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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