Latest Posts   –  Page 124

Fatal Accident: Vintage Yak in Essex

A vintage aerobatic plane, apparently a Yak 52, crashed into a fishing lake in Essex (the village of Langford) yesterday. The plane was seen flying in formation with two other aerobatic planes shortly before the accident. All three took off from North Weald airfield, of which I am a member, although the downed plane was…

Read more… 29 Apr 11

From the Archives: Travel Snob

I am trading in my single-engine aircraft obsession for space ships this weekend at the Illustrious Eastercon 2011. Unfortunately, I don’t have a new post for you; however, I found this piece in my archives discussing “authentic” travel and expectations of foreign resorts. I still feel the same as when I wrote it two years…

Read more… 22 Apr 11

A Close Encounter with an Emu

A few weeks ago, I posted a video of a near-miss “bird strike” when a frightened emu ran onto the landing strip as the aircraft touched down. Warning: Entirely Justified Coarse Language is Used in this Video When I found out the pilot had posted to the Professional Pilots’ Rumour Network, I couldn’t resist getting…

Read more… 15 Apr 11

Nothing is so Beautiful as Spring

I have in the past complained about the snow in the UK and that my flying was unnecessarily curtailed as a result of the weather. UK Snow Day on Webcams Snow on the Runway, Ice on the Wings So on a glorious day like today, it seemed only fair to show the other side of…

Read more… 8 Apr 11

The Stories of an Adventurer

I “met” Joe Colletto through my aunt. He was a pilot, a sailor, a Marine during World War II and an excellent story teller. She worked with him for 25 years and loved to hear about his adventures. When I started posting essays about flying, she told him about Fear of Landing. He said that…

Read more… 1 Apr 11

Asleep in the Tower

Everyone seems to be talking about ATC asleep at the wheel today. On Wednesday, 23 March, the air traffic controller at the tower of DCA (Ronald Reagan National Airport which services Washington DC) stopped responding and two flights landed without establishing contact. I’m starting to hear some interesting rumours and guesses already, so I put…

Read more… 25 Mar 11

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

From B-52 Bomb Bays to Birthday Flights

It seems like a good time for a bit of lightness as a break from fatal crashes. Luckily, I have just the thing: some reader contributions along with a personal…

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…