In a Snap

A routine aerobatic flight takes an unexpected turn when a snap roll happens almost instantly. The experience leads Serrhel Adams to reflect on how quickly a loss-of-control event can develop—and whether the deliberate stalls and spins we practice in training really resemble what happens when things go wrong.

Experience Counts

Experience doesn’t stop being valuable with age. Tom Slavonik makes the case for older pilots to stay active, share their knowledge and help guide the next generation of aviators.

Inadvertently Teaching False Safety

Precision is an important part of flight training—but can an emphasis on staying precisely on the “right” flight path inadvertently make pilots less comfortable when things go wrong?
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Friday Photo: Fly Over Territory

Winter was coming to an end. The trees had not yet started to bud, but the temperatures were warming, and the skies were inviting. I decided to take the Cub out for a scenic flight and shake the dust off both the airplane and myself after the long winter.
tucker podcast

Podcast: Lessons from a Flight Instructor with Tucker Axum

In this episode of the Air Facts podcast, Tucker looks back 25 years to the instructor who taught him lessons that went far beyond flying: take responsibility, know when to go around, trust the people around you, keep learning, persevere through setbacks, and sometimes, simply release the brakes.

Sideways

A Cessna 180 with unusual crosswind landing gear made it possible to land sideways in a 32-knot crosswind at Chicago O’Hare—and opened the door to some memorable flying adventures.

From Russian Stunt Pilot to American Flying Cars

From learning to fly a Yak-52 as a teenager in Leningrad to rediscovering her aviation dream decades later, Anna Grebenshchikova shares the unusual journey that ultimately led her to flying cars.

Transition Flights

In transitioning between various aircraft, for instance, moving from a Cessna 152/172 or a Piper Cherokee to a complex aircraft like a Debonair, Bonanza, or Baron requires training that is, in its essence, “relearning to fly again.” These aircraft are faster and require more training.

Flying to the Edge

A Cirrus SR22, a remote Arctic village, a solar eclipse, and hundreds of miles across the Greenland Ice Sheet. John Bone takes us along on an unforgettable flight to the edge of the inhabited world.
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Friday Photo: Red Skies at Night

A beautiful sunset over Florida’s west coast. This red sky at night proved to be a warning, not a delight.

The Incredible HULC

A weekend flight to Australia’s Holbrook UltraLight Club fly-in brings challenging weather, mountain turbulence, a NOTAM surprise—and a reminder of what makes flying communities so special.

The Inspiration of Aviation Quotes

Over 50-plus years of flying, Rob Haynes has collected aviation quotes that capture the wisdom, risk, romance, and responsibility of flight. Here are some of the words that have stayed with him.

Arrested on the Way to the Gulf War

A Gulf War deployment was supposed to be routine for F-4G Wild Weasel pilot Thomas “GummiBear” Gummo. Instead, an attempt to safely store a personal firearm landed him in trouble with base security—and delayed his journey to a “secret” base in Bahrain.

What a Logbook Does Not Track

A pilot’s logbook records hours, ratings, approaches, and currency. But it can’t capture the flights that become lasting memories—the surprise trip with parents, a Cub ride with a daughter, or a simple flight that becomes a treasured story for someone else.

Make the CAPS Decision Before You Need It

Whole-aircraft parachutes are installed in many light-sport and experimental aircraft, and certified retrofit systems are available for aircraft including the Cessna 172 and 182. BRS Aerospace says its systems have been developed for more than 450 aircraft models. Whatever the airplane, the important question isn't simply whether it has a parachute. Will the pilot use it while there is still time for it to work?
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Friday Photo: Best Spot at AirVenture

The wood and bronze trim inside these airplanes highlights the craftsmanship that defined aviation’s early years.  The shaded trees and green grass of KOSH are also a welcome break from the asphalt taxiways and runways.

Cub Love Affair

He never became a pilot, but he’s spent nearly 70 years loving airplanes. Then, after years of searching, he finally got the chance to meet his aviation “movie star”: a Piper J-3 Cub.

How Did We Ever Get There?

Before GPS, glass cockpits, and ADS-B, pilots found their way with paper charts, VORs, radio ranges, and plenty of ingenuity. George Frost looks back at how far flying has come—and the remarkable pilots who got there with what they had.

What I Did During the Vietnam War, Part II

As a young Naval engineer during the Vietnam era, Randall Shumaker was given some unusual assignments, including building a $1,000 speed-control system for a four-engine jetcar. He also found himself involved in ejection-seat tests and one particularly memorable full-scale aircraft crash test.

Flying the BD-5J

From flying USAF fighters and corporate jets to sitting behind a desk, pilot John “Kid” Davee thought his military jet days were behind him—until an offhand joke led to flying the legendary BD-5J micro-jet. Here is how a unique five-phase checkout and a tight squeeze in the cockpit prepared him to fly one of aviation's most fascinating experimental aircraft.
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