Old Piet and Mr Piper

For many years, Piet’s company—Placo (the Pretoria Light Aircraft Company)—was the best-selling Piper dealership outside the USA. Old Piet and William T. Piper would remain firm friends for the next 25 years, until Piper’s death in 1970. But Piet still faced a problem: 300 airplanes in America, and no money to get them to South Africa.
wildcats

Friday Photo: Timeless Wildcats on the Prowl

Five Wildcats from around the country had gathered up at the last fuel stop on our way to Oshkosh. We briefed the flight and arrival into AirVenture.

Yes, I Still Take Flying Lessons

I approach every flight with an instructor with a plan of my own. I don’t just show up because the calendar says it’s time. I bring specific goals, real-world questions, and skills I want to sharpen. My annual IPC isn’t about checking FAA boxes; it’s about tackling challenges I’ve faced over the year and flying approaches that have pushed me.

Guard frequency in the age of social media

Yes, this is an “old man yells at cloud” article. Yes, I can already hear the jokes about the “guard police.” I don’t care. It needs to be said: Guard frequency (121.5) has become a national embarrassment, a sign that our self-absorbed social media culture has spread to the once-boring world of aviation. We need to do better.

St. John’s Patronage: An IFR Odyssey to Newfoundland

An epic journey from a nation’s capital to its subarctic fens leading to the farthest reaches of landfall in eastern North America with only the company of towering mammoths lurking in the horizon’s shadow.

Alaska to Chicago on Straight Floats

was living in Anchorage, Alaska, deep into my professional career as an engineer, had a C172XP on floats, and was enjoying life. My professional responsibilities required attendance at a meeting in Chicago that summer. I decided to travel there in the XP and make it a flying vacation. My friend agreed to come along.

Generally Affordable? The Truth About Flying Costs

The economics of flying is not for the faint of heart. In fact, the average cost of just getting your “license to learn” is now hovering around the $20,000 mark. And if that number doesn’t faze you, then let me sprinkle in some rampant inflation, a tight insurance market, and just the high opportunity cost of staying current—let alone proficient—into the mix.
barnegat light

Friday Photo: Barnegat Light and Lighthouse

An evening slow flight over Ocean County barrier island in New Jersey at 1,200 feet. Excellent weather, no winds, and CAVU environment with the Barnegat Inlet and summer boaters below in the Barnegat Bay.

When Special VFR Is the Right Call

At 5:30 a.m., I awoke to light rain—the forecast had arrived sooner than expected. By midday the rain had tapered, but the ceiling stubbornly remained at 900 feet. Visibility was excellent, around 10 miles. A check of nearby METARs showed clear skies just a few miles north, with ceilings above 5,000 feet and improving. I realized this was a classic SVFR moment. I didn’t want to file IFR. Conditions were VFR just outside the Class D surface area; the only obstacle was the low ceiling at KJQF.

Spatial Disorientation: I Thought It Couldn’t Happen to Me

I began climbing to get between layers, intending to stabilize and then request IFR. But as I entered the clouds, what I thought could never happen did. I was in an unusual attitude: 45 degrees banked and nose down. For a moment, I considered pulling the CAPS parachute. I had often wondered if I’d have the presence of mind to use it in a real emergency. After this, I know the answer is yes. But I also realized I could recover.

Hired and Fired

My duties at Placo included making tea, polishing aircraft, vacuuming interiors, and blacking tires. Zingi mentioned I’d occasionally fly with the big boss, who feared a heart attack and wanted another pilot aboard in case he collapsed. I knew my meager skills would do little to delay our demise should Old Piet falter at the controls.

“Thirty Charlie”

Eddie was in his 60s when I met him, sitting in his hangar office. I introduced myself, but he never used my name. To him, I was “Ace,” like all his students. Eddie was incredibly personable and sold me on flying with him from that first meeting. He flew a Piper Cherokee 180, N7630C, and his rate—aircraft, fuel, and instruction—was $40 an hour. I booked my first flight.

I Made Every Flight Training Mistake Humanly Possible

Flight training is rarely a straight line, but for Nick Smith it turned into a winding, four–year journey full of delays, false starts, and unexpected costs. In this brutally honest account, he shares the mistakes he made—so future pilots don’t have to repeat them. His story is both a cautionary tale and a reminder that perseverance can still lead to the certificate.
classics

Friday Photo: Classics, Old and New

Twelve days without flying is hard on the psyche. Finally, a break in the rains allowed me to hop up in the cub. My buddy, Brady, reached out, and we connected on the air to air frequency. He had to drag everything to slow to cub speeds for a brief interlude in the sky. An original classic with a new model based on a classic, made for a memorable encounter.

Captain’s Authority

As a TWA B-747 Captain, I was scheduled to fly TWA 800 from JFK to Paris (CDG). When I reported for my flight at the hangar at JFK, I was greeted by a Check Pilot who told me he was going to give me an unannounced checkride to Paris and back. I told him that was not going to happen—I was not going to allow him into my flight deck.

Deadstick in the Cassutt

just ahead, I spotted an overpass with a parallel frontage road running downhill, lined with trees. Instinct took over. I pulled over the trees, lined up with the road, and held centerline while the branches whipped by on either side. Too fast, and it was my first Cassutt landing. I kicked rudder to skid and scrub off speed. Just as I was about to set down, I noticed a single power line crossing the road. Normally I’d slip under it, but the only car on the road was about to pass underneath at the same time. Now too slow to climb over, I slid under the wire and over the car, then touched down safely.
podcast

Podcast: Effective Crew Resource Management with Capt. Mario Jimenez

In this episode of the Airfacts Podcast, we delve into the critical role of character and discipline in crew resource management with pilot and human factors expert Mario Jimenez. Drawing from his extensive experience as a naval aviator and human factors manager at FedEx, Mario shares insights on how character shapes a pilot's ability to manage resources effectively.

Fate and a Bond Stronger than Chains

I thought about an incredible group of people I’ve known through my Air Force and Vietnam experiences. We share a bond that is unpredictable, yet deeply real and emotional. It’s also a story about how we think we control our lives, but fate often determines our destiny.

Why are spatial disorientation accidents on the rise?

Researchers from the FAA show that SD accidents have not declined since 2003—in fact, quite the opposite. You might assume the widespread adoption of tools like datalink weather, modern autopilots, reliable AHRS, and electronic flight bag apps would make VFR-into-IMC (the classic SD accident scenario) much less common. It’s a great theory, but the numbers don’t support it.
ifr

Friday Photo: IFR Over Saginaw, Michigan

Crusing at 13,000 feet between layers and around columns, we were enjoying 200+ knots over the ground in smooth air with some gorgeous views.