Category: Miscellaneous –  Page 3

Who can resist a compilation with kittens and spitfires?

I hope you are sitting comfortably because this week I have some extraordinary articles to fill your weekend. These are my favourite aviation-related pieces that I’ve read lately. I found them all fascinating and I’m sure you will too. This man went to the scene of a Boeing crash in 1959 but didn’t think to…

Read more… 11 Nov 22

When Everything Changes

My first aviation publication went something like this: “You don’t need a real license,” Tom said. The stern-faced ex-RAF instructor had already chided me for dressing inappropriately in my short skirt and open-toed sandals. Now I realized he wanted to get rid of me. He continued. “You want a wife’s license. Forget the technical mumbo-jumbo.…

Read more… 25 Feb 22

Questions and Answers

I think it is time for another edition of Questions and Answers for discussion in the comments. We had some great conversations last time and a few more questions have come up that we might enjoy looking at. If you have an aviation question that you would like to ask, please post in the comments.…

Read more… 18 Feb 22

Old and New Aviation

This week, I have a great collection of articles for you to read, ranging from World War II to A.I. fighter pilots. Surviving War’s End by Werner Schwantje is a great story expanded into Survivor on the Canadian site, Vintage Wings. His name was Werner Schwantje, an elegant, well-turned out 70-something government lawyer with Revenue…

Read more… 21 Jan 22

The Most Popular Posts of 2021

Last year, I commented that the most popular posts tended to be older ones which I thought was maybe because people had more time to read in lockdown and went back through the archives. But having investigated more, it is clear that it takes some time for posts to peak in popularity. This year is…

Read more… 31 Dec 21

Merry Christmas!

It is Christmas eve and it is snowing and I am lounging around in my pyjamas making mulled wine and braising beef for a special meal for tonight. You mostly know Cliff from his quick fixes to the server, (although he is the one to thank for the design and functionality of this entire website!)…

Read more… 24 Dec 21

Accident Reports

Madness on the Runway at Manchester

The Manchester Airport Group Plc owns and operates three airports: Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands. Manchester Airport is the third busiest airport in Britain. Their website says Manchester Airport…

Mid-air Collision of Wingsuit Flyer and Pilatus PC-6

On the 27th of July 2018, an experienced pilot departed with ten parachutists on board for a routine drop mission. It was the pilot’s fourth flight of the day in…

Demystifying

Training an AI Copilot To Spot Gliders

My friend Maria at Daedalean wrote this article about how they are using AI to help pilots detect gliders. I thought it was fascinating and Daedalean gave me permission to…

The Missing Bolts from Alaska Airlines flight 1282

On the 5th of January 2024, Alaska Airlines flight 1282 had just taken off when it lost a door plug, leaving a gaping hole on the left side of row…

History

Gladys Ingle Inflight Wheel Change: Emergency Action or Stunt?

This video of a mid-air wheel exchange goes viral once a year or so, but I never get tired of watching it. Last week, it showed up on Reddit and…

The Disappearance of the Hawaii Clipper May Not Be as Mysterious as Was Thought

This week, we have a guest post by J.B. Rivard who wrote an article for the American Aviation Historical Society (AAHS) and used one of my articles as a reference.…

Fun Stuff

A Few Good Stories

I’m in Dresden at the moment and I’m afraid I haven’t had a free moment to write you a new article. Luckily, lots of other people are on the internet…

Flying Fails and Airshow Considerations

Long-term readings of Fear of Landing know that my favourite aerobatics show of all time is Kyle Franklin’s Ben Whabnoski Comedy act. Just in case some of you haven’t seen…