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Behind the Wheel

Janet wrote: > just got a car, after months without, and re-learning standard stick shift > routines. today’s big stressor was parking on a hill. > > but, no, there was no control tower. and no one watching. I was in this situation the other day. I don’t tend to have to drive here in…

Read more… 6 Sep 07

Why do I do this again?

Things that happened during the flight with my mother: 1) we ended up without a VFR chart for the majority of the area we were flying over 2) my boyfriend and I descended into major arguments about basic planning (mainly based on heat and nerves rather than actual issues) 3) my mother corrected an Italian…

Read more… 1 Sep 07

Malaga – Roma – Mannheim

Everything is ready for the next flight. Cliff will do the first trip IFR. We’ll be flying up the coast of Spain and then across to Menorca for a refuel and last minute check before a long water crossing directly to Rome. Then we’ll continue on IFR (so constantly under watch, which strikes me as…

Read more… 22 Aug 07

Flying at Axarquía

Axarquía (more properly called Leoni Benabu, but no one ever does) is a dusty little airfield north-east of Málaga city. It’s a rural area with one of my favourite restaurants in the area: Las Cruces. During the week Las Cruces acts as a type of Venta, offering what I like to refer to as “Spanish…

Read more… 19 Aug 07

I’m about to find out if my mother reads my blog

I’ve done it again. I need a measly three take-offs and landings within the last 90 days in order to take passengers. It’s a sensible rule: they don’t want people getting out of practice, then bundling the family into the plane and crash-landing due to incompetence. If you’ve flown within six months and think you…

Read more… 15 Aug 07

Tit for tat

Yet another counter-terrorism bill aimed at safe flying — protecting the good old US of A against western Europe. This time, the European Commission took a stand. “We are following with concern the tightening of security measures in the US, which impose a burden that is not justified by the benefits,” said the BDI’s Carsten…

Read more… 9 Aug 07

Accident Reports

CRJ 200 ferry flight crash with 19 on board at Kathmandu

Last week, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission, formed by the Government of Nepal to investigate the accident of 9N-AME on the 24th of July 2024, released their final report. There’s…

Air India 171 Crash Triggered by Fuel Cutoff

On the 12th of June 2025, a Boeing 787-8, registered in India as VT-ANB, was operating as flight Air India 171 for a passenger flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick.…

Demystifying

How to tell a Russian Su-27 from a British Typhoon

This is not an article that I ever thought I would feel compelled to write! However, given the confusion over a photograph chosen in a regional English paper, apparently it’s…

How to tell an F-16 Fighting Falcon from a Eurofighter Typhoon

There are a number of reasons why you might need to quickly point out the differences between a General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and a Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon. You might…

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

How the B-52 Lands in Crosswinds

I’m here, defeated but not yet horizontal, the victim of a relentless summer cold that feels like the universe’s revenge for something I can’t even remember. If I don’t make…

Friday Lightness: A Short Respite from Crash Reports

It seems a good time for something a bit more lighthearted. After weeks of analyzing serious incidents and technical failures, I thought I could a moment to appreciate aviation humuor…