Logbook

The coming currency crisis

Are you flying enough these days? Based on the pilots I talk to, the answer for most people is a resounding “no!” This goes far beyond the old joke that there’s no such thing as too much flying. Below a certain level of activity, both pilot proficiency and airplane reliability suffer, leading to thinner safety margins and a whole lot less fun.

Anyone for a Speed Record?

Today Air Facts is launching an exciting new feature--Speed Records. This contest, based on a similar program from the original Air Facts magazine, is an unofficial and informal way for pilots to claim speed records between 29 major cities. The contest is divided into horsepower classes, so everyone can participate.
Beech Bonanza model 35

What was wrong with V-tail Bonanza pilots?

I sort of stirred up a hornet’s nest with a recent post about Cirrus airplanes and Cirrus pilots. A few commenters compared the discussion with ones about the Beech V-tail (Model 35) Bonanzas a long time ago. That airplane was actually referred to by many as the “V-tail doctor killer” back in its heyday. As with the Cirrus, the problem was more with pilots than with the airplane.

The Great Debate: the worst FAA regulation is…

How do we tell the good FARs from the bad FARs? Specifically, what is the right balance between safety and the utility we all want from our airplanes? And what do you think is the worst FAR of all? Join this lively debate and add your comments.
Brazil

To South America in a Piper Arrow

Talk about a memorable trip. Lawrence Zingesser shares the story of his 1974 trip from New York to Buenos Aires in his Piper Arrow. Although it took 8 days and covered 5700 nm, the flight went relatively smoothly. The bottles of Scotch for the customs agents, didn't hurt.

What’s an LP approach?

You’re a current instrument pilot and you even have one of those fancy WAAS GPSs in your panel. After some practice, you’ve just about figured out this whole LNAV vs. LPV approach deal. But what’s this new LP approach that’s showing up on some approach plates? Have the rules changed?
Colored Air Circus sign

Blackbirds and the Colored Air Circus of 1931

More than two decades after the Wright brothers made history, only one African American, Bessie Coleman, possessed an international pilot’s license. That didn’t sit well with William Powell, who sought to expose more African Americans to the art of flying. In the process he inspired blacks to take a greater role in aviation, and along the way he formed history’s first all-black aerobatic team.
Cirrus crash

Is flying safe? Wrong question.

The real takeaway here--for student pilots and old pros alike--is simple: flying is as safe as you want to make it. You as the pilot in command control how safe you are, not the airplane (nor anyone else, for that matter). Unlike driving, drunks and 16 year-olds can’t kill you in the air by swerving into you. That’s a good thing if used properly.
Hawker jet

Mission trip

Drive four hours just to ride 30 minutes in an airplane? Michael McDowell says yes, and did just that when the opportunity arose to ride jumpseat in a freshly-painted Hawker. Read why some flights can only be called a "mission trip."
NEXRAD radar

Go or No Go: a tough flight home

This Go or No Go is a little different. The scenario I'll present is an actual flight I had planned, and I was faced with a tough decision. I'll show the weather conditions that were forecast and my plan, then I'll let you decide if you would have flown the trip. Later, I'll share whether I decided go or no go.
William Piper

Happy 75th birthday, Piper

Piper Aircraft Corporation was formed in 1937 by W. T. Piper, Sr. Over its 75 years there have been many ups and downs and changes. A brief history is available on Wikipedia. Here I would like to offer some anecdotes about how I related to the company over the years.
50s Cessna 172

Tracking the conception, birth and life of the 172

The author, an engineer at Cessna in the 1950s, helped to design the legendary Cessna 172--but didn't realize it until much later. Read Harry Clements' fascinating story of how the iconic Skyhawk came to be.
Predator drone

The Great Debate: are UAVs a threat?

New legislation raises numerous questions about unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), most of which are unanswered at this point. How will UAVs "see and avoid" piloted airplanes? What type of airspace will drones be flying in? What is ATC's role? What are the limitations on who can operate a UAV? Add your opinion.
Hal Shevers

11 questions for Hal Shevers

We asked Richard Collins. We asked Mac McClellan. Now Air Facts has given Sporty's Founder and Chairman Hal Shevers 11 questions to answer. Both a successful entrepreneur and an accomplished pilot, Hal is well-known for Sporty's philanthropy in giving back to the general aviation community.
Cirrus with airframe parachute

What’s wrong with Cirrus pilots?

Despite all the safety features it has, from a glass cockpit to a whole airframe parachute, the Cirrus SR-22 has a higher fatal accident rate than most similar airplanes from other manufacturers. Why has this come to be true? It can only be because of one thing: the Cirrus pilot.
airliner go-around

Go-arounds: what’s the big deal?

The go-around. Also known as the missed approach. I’ve never understood the panic that the go around instills in non-pilots. I ride in the back of airliners to and from work every week and go-arounds sometimes happen. The gasps, white-knuckles, and wide-eyed gazes directed at the flight attendant(s), during this maneuver seem unwarranted, but it happens every time.
G1000 MFD with weather

Go or no go: down the front

Manchester, NH (MHT) to Pittsburgh, PA (AGC) is the goal today so you can deliver your Piper Lance to the avionics shop for a new panel. The trip has been on the calendar for weeks and you're excited to see a glass panel go in your airplane, but Mother Nature isn't going to make it easy on you.

I really felt like a pilot when…

The 172 touched down at I69, just another Cessna making a landing at this busy flight training airport. But this flight was different, and this Cessna hadn't come from the practice area. In fact, as I taxied N51766 to the ramp, I felt a sense of accomplishment I had never experienced before. This was the end of a 1600 mile journey from California to Cincinnati--and I really felt like a pilot.

The Great Debate: pilots are just backup

The CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation recently remarked, "Five years ago we passed the point where automation was there to back up pilots... Clearly, today, the pilot is there to be the backup to the automation... This is simply a realistic assessment of the world today." It's a bold statement--do you agree? Add your comments.
G1000 MFD with weather

Weather Geek: rules to fly by

Richard Collins has spent over 20,000 hours up close and personal with weather. In this article, he shares one guiding principle for dealing with weather--what you see and feel is what you get. Based on that, he offers 10 more rules for weather flying.