Friday photo: two Boeings Air Facts Journal The view: TwoBoeings nose to nose but decades apart. The pilot: ChrisSchaich The airplane: Boeing IB75A (450 Stearman) and Boeing 737 (BBJ) The mission: Flying weekend rides in the museum Stearman. The memory: I had been flying local ride flights from the FBO ramp with a Boeing 737 BBJ parked close by.  During a break between rides, I was admiring the two aircraft from the same manufacturer. Their vast differences in design and function, yet commonality of mission and operation at a basic level.  The BBJ a symbol of wealth and style owned ..read more

From the archive: round trip to Europe in an Aero Commander Air Facts Journal Editor’s Note: Flying over the North Atlantic presents a multitude of challenges that make it a daunting task for pilots and aircraft alike, but can you imagine making this trip 70 years ago? That’s exactly what Bob and Ruth Fisher, of Keokuk, Iowa, did in 1954 in their Aero Commander to attend the convention of Rotary International in Paris. This is the account of their leg from the US to Greenland. Roamin’ Holiday by Ruth Fisher Roamin’ Holiday originally appeared in the May 1954 edition of Air Facts. ANY TIMES o ..read more

It’s Time To Get High Air Facts Journal In my last article (The “C” in PIC), I talked a lot about what it means to be PIC and why it is just as much a skill as it is a title, and one I am constantly trying to earn on every flight. This realization came to me after one of my first real cross-countries, a flight chock full of lessons learned that I have subsequently applied to all my cross-country trips since. One of the key takeaways from that fateful trip was the importance of altitude and why that choice is so fundamental to being a good PIC. It was the perfect shock and awe campaign:  f ..read more

Centerline, centerline, centerline Air Facts Journal It was a beautiful May day as we grabbed the tow bar to pull the 1981 Cessna 182 out of the hangar. The sky was clear and a million with light winds out of the north. And I had even managed to install the car seat correctly the night before to expedite our departure. Over the years, we had flown from our base at New Orleans Lakefront Airport (KNEW) to the beach towns across the Florida panhandle a number of times. But this trip was special. For the first time in my life, I was going to fly my daughter somewhere. As I went through the preflig ..read more

A dead stick landing and a chance encouter with Hal Shevers Air Facts Journal Our meaningful conversation concluded and the tall, distinguished gentleman smiled, applied a red-inked “Sporty’s Pilot Shop” stamp in the back of my nearly-empty ASA-SP-57 and added, “Happy Flying, Hal Shevers, 9/1/95.” Hal Shevers applied a red-inked “Sporty’s Pilot Shop” stamp in the back of my logbook. About an hour earlier, I was just to the east of Cincinnati, Ohio, and overtop of Clermont County Airport (I69), home of Sporty’s Pilot Shop, at about 1,500 feet hawking the wind sock to deter ..read more

One of the last in the air on 9/11 Air Facts Journal Our crew had a great layover in Narita, Japan on September 10, 2001. But I was looking forward to getting back home to celebrate my son’s 10th birthday two days later. After a short run in the morning, and lunch at the hotel, we boarded the crew bus in the afternoon and headed to Narita International Airport. The preflight and briefing were normal. The dispatch office reviewed the weather and winds, alternate airport forecasts, and our route of flight over the Pacific ocean for our flight back to Los Angeles. After reviewing our landing curr ..read more

Friday photo: When I grow up, I want to be… Air Facts Journal The view: On the ramp at Charlotte Monroe Executive Airport (KEQY) The pilot: Duncan Witte The airplane: PA-28R-201 Arrow and P51 Mustang “Quick Silver” The mission: The morning after the 2015 Warbirds over Monroe airshow The memory: Seeing my airplane parked next to this beautiful warbird, I could almost hear it saying, “When I grow up, I want to be …” Want to share your “Friday Photo?” Send your photo and description (using the format above) to: airfacts@sportys.com. The post Friday photo: When I grow up, I want to be… ap ..read more

Why learning to fly can be good for your mental health Air Facts Journal Americans seem to be especially gloomy right now. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt recently released a book packed with worrying statistics about a “teen mental illness epidemic,” sparking a lively debate among academics, parents, and politicians. Lest you think this is only a problem for kids, the US Surgeon General has a recent report on adult loneliness that paints a similarly dark picture. For a less scientific but more vivid survey, you could just turn on cable news or open up TikTok. It’s clear that something is h ..read more

The “C” in PIC Air Facts Journal Do you remember 91.3(a)? If not, let me refresh your memory: “The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft.” On face value, this reg seems pretty straight forward:  You have the final say on the operation of your aircraft. You’re the boss. Simple, right? Well, not so fast. This reg is basically the “C” in PIC and it comes with a whole slew of responsibilities outside of just physically operating your aircraft. It encapsulates what I like to call your “C-Skills”. When I fir ..read more

Danger lurks in circling approaches Air Facts Journal the circling approach maneuver is designed as a last resort, non-precision approach. The very first question that should pop up into our head during a circling approach is “Why are we circling in the first place”? The next one is “What are our other options?” This should be followed shortly by even more questions:  “How truly important is it that we accomplish this now? What’s the risk vs reward? Are there advantages to waiting?” Let us not forget that the circling approach maneuver is designed as a last resort, non-precision approac ..read more