Air Traffic Control

Trust but verify: ATC can’t fly the airplane for you

Many pilots get complacent when they're in ATC's warm embrace, assuming that terrain, weather and traffic concerns are being handled by the person in a dark room. But a chilling accident report from 2010 offers an important reminder that controllers can make mistakes.
FlightAware map with weather

A recent trip South

From the perspective of a private pilot who has been flying for over 45 years, things are much easier than they were formerly. This should be no surprise to many of you, but it was enlightening to me. The plan was to fly from my base at White Plains Airport (KHPN) to a grandson’s wedding in Delray Beach.
Rotor cloud

I Can’t Believe I Did That #8

The big day had arrived and I was going to fly my wife, her sister, and my 13-year-old niece to the West Coast by way of the Grand Canyon. A check of the weather revealed a rather dynamic situation developing with instrument conditions along the first part of the route from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Dalhart, Texas.

Not so bienvenido

In the 1960s, while in college, I had the opportunity to occasionally ferry new airplanes from the various airplane factories here in the U.S. to foreign destinations. These trips were sometimes new crop dusters to be delivered to the buyers--farmers in Central or South America.

9 questions for Harry Clements

From time to time, we ask a particular aviation personality to answer some random questions. Harry Clements was an aeronautical engineer for many years with his hand in the design of some well-known airplanes. Now retired, we posed these questions to Harry to delve into the mind of an engineer.

Are you a plain cheesecake pilot?

Get out there and try something new, something exhilarating, or something that perhaps is a fear! Don’t get stuck eating plain cheesecake all your aviation career; come join me as I try some double chocolate cheesecake and maybe, just maybe, we will change the general aviation community for the better in the process.
cockpit shot of Malibu

A flight well flown: you be the judge

After every landing we’d all like to hear that it was a flight well flown, even if the pronouncement comes from self. In the past, I have written articles about self-grading of all flights and have always thought that a pilot can be a great judge of himself—if he is objective.
High Jackers

The Hungry Pilot: High Jackers, Palm Coast, FL

It's time for our latest "Hungry Pilot" report, this time from Florida. High Jackers is located right on the field at the Flagler County Airport. Park your plane and walk to the edge of the ramp. In less than a few steps you'll be enjoying a fantastic meal.
Plane crash

Why do we stink at being safe?

Pilots are an interesting sub-species of human. Although every pilot has their own unique traits, there are certainly some strong stereotypes that apply to almost all aviators. Unfortunately some of these characteristics are diametrically opposed to safety.

The Caribou Mountain incident

Legendary Alaskan bush pilot Mort Mason has had plenty of nervous moments in his career. In this article, he shares the story of a mountain landing gone awry, and how even an experienced pilot can learn something new from every flight.

The reason I never fly alone

In the first entry from our Summer Writing Challenge, 24-year old Alec Synakowski shares the ups and downs of earning a pilot's license fresh out of college. After a medical setback, Alec finally managed to fly home to the grass strip in New York that started his dream.
Spin from cockpit

I Can’t Believe I Did That #7

Just before I took my Private Pilot flight check, the 150 I’d been flying was grounded for an overhaul. I told my instructor that I wanted to fly the one I’d be flying for the test before hand so I could get a feeling for its idiosyncrasies. His reaction was “Heck, they all fly the same.”
DHS team with guns

FAA wants your data – will you give it to them?

In the wake of disturbing stories about pilots being tracked and detained for no reason, the FAA is considering a new data-monitoring program for pilots. "Big data" may help the GA safety record--but only if pilots give up their data. Right now, that's a tough sell.

When to ditch training

Years of crew coordination training went out the window on an unremarkable New York-Washington shuttle flight. Just as our 727 lifted off La Guardia’s runway 04 and the number three engine silently died, it was obvious that a deviation from the integrated crew response to the emergency was the best course of action.
LTC Tom Sabiston and Hugh Wheelless

Flying clubs, then and now – different?

There is a lot of talk about flying clubs these days. Over 50 years ago, Dick Collins helped run the Fort Rucker Flying Club, and he offers some thoughts on what made this club successful. Can it be repeated?

License to Learn, Part Two: aviate, navigate, communicate

In part two of this series, 17-year old Kyle Libby shares the story of his solo cross countries. From communications struggles to getting lost, there were plenty of real world lessons along the way.

Summer Writing Challenge

Attention all pilots from 16 to 24 years old. Your voice needs to be heard as part of the general aviation community. All summer long, Air Facts will publish stories from young pilots in addition to our usual content of stories about safety, history, weather, technique and a dozen other topics.

The Great Debate: are diesel engines the future?

With traditional piston engines fading, and small turbines and electric motors unable to pick up the slack, all eyes have fallen on the diesel engine. While these have been around for decades, diesels are earning renewed attention because of their relative fuel efficiency and their ability to burn Jet-A. What do you think?

The new “killer items” for IFR pilots

Many pilots learn the "killer items" checklist during their flight training--fuel, flaps and trim. But for instrument pilots, GPS receivers and WAAS approaches have brought new traps to be aware of. Here is an IFR "killer items" checklist to consider before shooting your next approach.
DC-3 in flight

From Africa to America in a DC-3

Forty plus years back, this pilot had the opportunity to fly as co-pilot on a ferry trip from Africa to the United States, and it was quite an interesting experience. The mission was to go and get a DC-3 that had been used on a contract for oil exploration in the Sahara Desert. Sounds simple enough but, not so fast.