Flying beyond a doubt: an epic DC-3 journey
I was thereWe know that mechanical things fail, people make mistakes and aviation, like the sea, is inherently unforgiving of failure or mistake. That thought was on my mind recently when we took off from Burlington, Vermont, aboard a classic old airplane, a twin engine DC-3 built in 1945. We were headed for Europe, but less than three hours later, in a flash event, both the failure and the mistake happened at the same time.
Friday Photo: Colors of Denmark
Friday PhotoDanish pilot Andreas Christensen and his wife were flying their Diamond DA-40 to a birthday party when he snapped this colorful picture. It shows the island of Funen, with yellow fields and green trees nestled against the sea. The warm colors contrast nicely with the sleek wing of the Diamond.
An intro ride becomes a thrill ride
I was thereWith nearly calm winds and clear skies, I taxied out and transmitted my departure intentions in the blind. From midfield I lined up on what was left of a 5000-foot runway. With the passengers’ weight, the tail wasn’t as quick to volunteer to fly first. It ended up being a three-point takeoff. This didn’t surprise me. Later in the flight was a time for surprises.
An incredibly short-haul airline flight
I was thereThe lady from crew sked (as always, courteous to a fault; unlike a few of the brethren who react, when called, like bears rousted from hibernation!) proceeds to acquaint me with the latest offerings from the New York catalog of 757/767 flying. Interestingly enough, the main offering for tomorrow is a 757 ferry flight from EWR to JFK. This brings back some long forgotten memories.
2017 Air Facts reader survey
Uncategorized[polldaddy type="iframe" survey="6AA9D4EDDC7BE7C0" height="auto" domain="sportys" id="air-facts-reader-survey-1"]
Caption Contest #4
Caption ContestWelcome to our latest monthly feature at Air Facts – our Caption Contest. Once a month, we post a photo and call on our very talented readers to provide a caption for that photo. Check out our most recent one below and if an amusing or clever caption comes to mind, just post it as a comment.
Two cheers for the FAA: why recent reforms should be welcomed
John's blogEveryone likes to complain about the Federal Aviation Administration, and often it's richly deserved. But for an open-minded pilot who's willing to ignore the typical pilot talk, there are some encouraging developments in aviation policy right now. If you can find it in your heart, the folks in Washington might even deserve our thanks.
Friday Photo: Lessons from Dad
Friday PhotoMy Grandpa and Dad learned to fly in short wing Pipers. Then my Dad taught my two brothers and me to fly in short wing Pipers as well. Now my son Caleb wants to learn to fly so what better airplane than another short wing Piper to learn in - a Piper Vagabond.
My accidental warbird flight
I was thereI asked the young man that would be flying us up into the mountains how something as light and relatively slow as a glider, even an aerobatic one, could possibly need such a robust structure. He informed me that this particular airplane had flown in Vietnam.
Why even the best pilots need to know their limitations
I was thereThe two years that I spent as the Piper district sales manager for the West Coast were some of most interesting and fun filled of my aviation career. Not only was I learning the aircraft sales business from some of the most experienced and well-respected people in the Piper distributor organization, I was also learning about grass roots flying from high-time, skilled pilots.
Arriving at the VFR sweet spot – without colliding or spinning in
Dick's blogTo me, the sweet spot on a VFR approach is when 500 feet above the ground and descending toward the runway. Here, if the sight picture of the runway is correct and the configuration, speed and rate of descent are right on, the fun part, the landing, should be a piece of cake. The question is, how do you get to that sweet spot with the least possible risk?
Friday Photo: attic insulation in the sky
Friday PhotoLarry Brock was flying home to Williston, Florida in his M20F Mooney when he looked out the window and saw a beautiful sight. Beneath the bright Florida sun, the white, puffy clouds reminded him of attic insulation. As he says, that's sort of what they are.
From the archives: Bob Buck gets a Boeing 707 check out
Air Facts ArchivesThis in-depth report, originally published in the September 1960 edition of Air Facts, is Bob Buck at his best. The legendary airline pilot and author takes us along as he checks out in the Boeing 707, the defining airplane of the jet age. From practicing maneuvers to taking a check ride and flying to Europe, Buck explains how the big jet flies, why it's different and how it is changing the airline business.
Friday Photo: nature’s beauty and danger
Friday PhotoWeather is a constant challenge for pilots, but every once in a while, it's also responsible for great beauty. This week's Friday photo was taken from Larry Emmons's Cirrus SR22, while flying home to Denver from Mexico. His view was of a dark cloud and a rain shower over New Mexico, but also of a beautiful rainbow.
Martha Lunken on flying home for Christmas
Christmas specialWhatever else he was, Gill Robb Wilson was most definitely the inspiration for one awkward, gawky, Midwestern teenager who wanted to be a pilot more than anything in the world. Recently I was rereading his poems and the one about Christmas in “The Airman’s World” reminded me of my best ever Christmas flight... a flight where I wasn’t even the pilot.
Flying is great, but family is better – a Christmas story
Christmas specialThe first big cross-country flight I made in a light airplane was in 1976. A college buddy and I thought it would be fun to fly from Ohio to California and back over Christmas. Being young, single, and invincible at the time, we did not think too much about what the weather might have to say about it. We departed Springfield, Ohio (KSGH) on December 20 in a borrowed 150-hp AA-5 Traveler.
We didn’t make it to Grandma’s, but we had a Merry Christmas
Christmas specialIt was December 1978, and I had been a private pilot since July 11 of the same year. Christmas would be our first trip - to Gulf Shores, Alabama, from Austin, Texas, to visit the wife’s parents and show off the four-month old baby girl.
Christmas in Central America
Christmas specialOn Cay Caulker, Belize, the conch shell Christmas ornaments hanging on palm fronds marked the season as Christmas and my wife and I felt merry. It got even more Christmassy a few days later in Antigua where the ancient buildings that lined the large plaza were lit with small white lights. A band played Christmas music of all types. It was Christmas season 2015-2016.
The best Christmas lights I’ve ever seen
Christmas specialI hadn’t wanted to work on Christmas Eve; my family had its own plans, and I had wanted to be a part of those plans. Nonetheless, I was fortunate that the three-day trip I had been assigned was scheduled to end at nine o’clock p.m. on the eve of Christmas that year instead of late on Christmas Day. I had to steel my resolve and think stoically. After all, it was my job; it was my responsibility.
Friday Photo: First Flight Airport
Friday PhotoIt's an airport that should be on every pilot's bucket list: First Flight Airport at Kill Devil Hills, NC. Steve Ellis captured the sight from his RV-4 on a day trip to the airport, which perfectly shows the Wright Brothers monument in the foreground and the runway behind it.