So, I’m finally back online but boy, do I have a lot of catching up to do. Here’s a number of links, photos and videos that made me smile as I started reading through the aviation news that I had missed. Young pilots praised for ‘textbook’ crash landing at Victoria Point – ABC News (Australian…
Read more… 6 Sep 13
Captain Jon is a professional flying instructor based at Halfpenny Green in Wolverhampton. He’s a former LHR Airbus pilot turned instructor and has trained Sir Richard Branson, Nigel Mansell, and Jasper Carrot, among others. I first encountered him because of his Ask Captain Jon web site where he talks not just about learning to fly…
Read more… 31 Aug 13
When I went to start my day at the desk, there was a whirr and a slight smell of burning and then nothing. The computer stayed dark. I did a walk-around but there’s nothing wrong that I can see: the machine needs an engineer. Meanwhile, I’m using my iPhone to keep the withdrawal symptoms at…
Read more… 23 Aug 13
Ryanair are making international headlines once again… Ryanair licencié un pilote qui a mis en cause la sécurité Ryanair despide a un piloto que cuestionó la seguridad de la aerolínea Ryanair rekur flugstjóra Ryanair, licenziato il pilota che denunciò problemi di sicurezza Sicherheitsbedenken: Ryanair feuert Pilot nach Auftritt in TV-Doku Companhia aérea Ryanair demite piloto…
Read more… 16 Aug 13
I was looking for something completely different when I stumbled on an old thread about How Not to Become a Police Pilot on the Professional Pilot’s Rumour Network. The story starts with a rumour that a Police helicopter pilot was being prosecuted at Leicester Crown Court. Apparently, the man became friendly with some pilots at…
Read more… 9 Aug 13
Well, it’s been a busy but exciting week here! First off, I was interviewed by Dave Goodwin for PlaneViz, a brilliant weekly aviation podcast. You can hear Dave and me discuss planes, crashing, Tokyo and TCAS in Why Planes Crash Author Sylvia Wrigley – Ep. 15. Dave: When I read about airplane crashes or incidents…
Read more… 2 Aug 13
Ferry Tank Failure: Successful SR22 Ditching in the Pacific
In 2015, I shared a video of an SR22 whose pilot successfully deployed his Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) off of the coast of Maui, Hawai’i. I wrote at the time…
The Man in the Right Seat at Prestwick
On the 23rd of April 2024, a Piper Archer II crashed in South Ayrshire, Scotland, after losing power. There were two on board. Both suffered serious injuries and the light…
Meowing on Guard (an attempt at an explanation)
Last week a video went viral and it’s been fun to see the mainstream media coverage try to cover two pilots who were heard making animal noises on the radio. …
Trump Threatens to Ground Canadian Aircraft Over Gulfstream Certification
The US President, Donald Trump, posted the following to Truth Social last night. Based on the fact that Canada has wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly refused to certify the Gulfstream 500,…
Four Point Two Stars Where You Only Stop If You Have To
I always look up airports when I’m writing about them, partly out of habit and partly because I’m afraid I’ll miss an important detail. When I was writing Any Landing…
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…
Aviation Stories You Might Have Missed
I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season. This week, I’ve put together a compilation of interesting items in the press that you might have missed while enjoying…
Nathan Pyle Strange Worlds
Thank you so much for all the kind words. I don’t quite have the wherewithal to respond to each of you individually but I very much appreciate all of you…