Question: The year of the first documented sustained flight of a heavier-than-air powered flying machine was:?
Some friends called it “The Love Flight.” It was our 25th silver anniversary gift to each other, a…
Question: True or False: Airline pilots may not pilot an airliner in the United States once they have…
If I told you that I think I’ve found the cure for the common cold, would you listen?…
Question: The world's first fixed location devoted to the landing and departure of flying machines that was referred…
For several months we’ve been looking at the pandemic Landing Gear-Related Mishap (LGRM) rate in certified, piston-engine, retractable…
As pilots we understand that our decisions are crucial and the safety of every flight depends on them,…
'What's that light in the sky?' asked my wife, Jean. I looked back over my shoulder, and my…
Question: The highest mountain peak on Earth, in reality, is?
It was clear and still, a beautiful day to fly. After three weeks, we were pointed toward home,…
When we think, read, or speak about airplane performance, aside from the more obvious implications regarding a relative…
Question: The first jet airplane actually existed in?
Nearly half of all reported mishaps in retractable-gear airplanes are related to the landing gear system. The vast…
'Rat-tat-tat-brrrrrrrmmm, rat-tat-tat-brrrrrrrmmm!' I could scarcely believe my ears, for there, dogfighting over my head, were World War I…
Question: Why do dangerous clouds always appear dark? A) They don't. Clouds associated with severe weather can be…
As a flight instructor, I have made several thousand touch and goes – but I don’t do them…
It looked like a fair morning to depart Oshkosh on the final day of EAA's AirVenture. We entered…
Question: Under what circumstances can it be beneficial for pilots to emit grunting noises?
Nothing sizzles and nothing sells quite like performance numbers. Two of the most commonly used metrics in describing…
Gear-up and gear-collapse accidents (what I call collectively 'Landing Gear-Related Mishaps,' or LGRMs) account for nearly half of…
Question: What is happening to the airplane in this picture? (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign John Gay)
'Pick any table you like,' said the waiter with a flourish. 'This is a special occasion.' Radiant, my…
Flying cross-country in an old, slow airplane guarantees adventure. We have learned to be flexible, and, when weather…
Anyone who has ever watched an airliner land and noticed the puff of blue smoke that appears the…
Landing gear-related mishaps (LGRMs) account for nearly half of all reported accidents involving certified, piston-engine retractable gear aircraft.…
Magic! The whining of gyros gave way to mystical drums and rhythmic chanting, crazily mixing images of flight…
If we could see them, what would thermals look like?
I've often made wry reference to the coward's credo that discretion is the better part of valor. Aside…
It can happen to anyone. And it does with alarming regularity. At minimum, nearly half of all mishaps…
Since it’s January, and I happen to be in northern New Jersey where evening temperatures have been dropping…
We perform takeoffs and landings all the time. I’ve done more than a little reading in aviation textbooks…
A friend of mine has a turbocharged, single-engine airplane. Part of the appeal of the turbo is the…
YOU’D THINK PILOTS WOULD BE SMART ENOUGH TO STAY CLEAR OF HANGARS. I would think so, since when…
What is one danger to watch out for in a weight shift controlled ultralight aircraft in which either…
If the atmosphere had the same density throughout its vertical extent as it does at sea level, where…
1) Airplane propellers generate most of the noise that is the source of complaints (at least those against…
Did you know that flying at maneuvering speed when encountering turbulence might not be such a good idea?…
If you have a system onboard the airplane that can turn a dark night into a sunny day…
When I am sitting back in the coach section of an airliner (row 28F) on a dark and…
There have been some unexpected airline pilot retirements lately - unexpected because the captain had not reached age…
Propellers on most multiengine airplanes, and even some singles, have an unique capability to feather, to be brought…
You might not think of it this way, but for the vast majority of us who are based…
Move up from most training airplanes into high performance aircraft and you’ll confront a number of new gauges…
Yep, you read that right, flames, as in FIRE (which is never a good word around an airplane…
In September the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pulled the prescription pain killer Vioxx off the shelves and…
Among aviation's many trite aphorisms, there is one that I consider forever immunized against the discrediting stigma of…
YOU DON'T OFTEN HEAR ABOUT EVENTS LIKE THIS, BUT THEY DO HAPPEN. I happened to notice that there…
You don’t hear about people hand-propping planes very much any more. While there are still a good number…