This video about an actual engine failure in IMC is incredibly well done. IMC is instrument meteorological conditions – that is to say the pilot was unable to navigate visually at the time. In this case, he’s in cloud. It’s under ten minutes and fascinating. The pilot steps through the situation as he experienced it,…
Read more… 16 Dec 11
Short version: I have released a Fear of Landing ebook! It costs less than a cheap cup of coffee and it’s fun and funny and even my teenage son likes it. So what are you waiting for? Pick up your own copy of You Fly Like a Woman today: Amazon.co.uk £0.86 Amazon.com $0.99 Amazon.de Amazon.es…
Read more… 12 Dec 11
There are different levels of radio service available to pilots flying in the UK: Air/Ground Radio, Flight Information Service and Air Traffic Control. If you fly into Military Air Traffic Zones, things work somewhat differently. I’ve spent quite some time speaking on the radio and am considered quite experienced. Here are my explanations of the…
Read more… 9 Dec 11
A mix of entertainment this week with a round-up of current events and news from around around the aviation world. Enjoy! English Lessons for China Airline After Unauthorized Take Off – China Real Time Report – WSJ How do you say “Oops” in Chinese? China Eastern Airlines is pledging to improve the English-language skills of…
Read more… 2 Dec 11
I found this on a webpage called Funny air traffic controllers quotes and amusing aviation conversations and I just had to share. The story was submitted by an Air Traffic Controller named Jim. In 1978 I was a trainee Air Traffic Controller under supervision at Collage Station Texas, Easterwood Tower. This is a true story…
Read more… 25 Nov 11
John Smith regularly took flying holidays with his family. His youngest daughter, Jacqueline, followed in his footsteps, getting her PPL once she turned 18. The father and daughter were in a syndicate of five people who owned a Piper Cherokee Arrow (PA-28R-201T) and the logs show that they took the plane most Easter weekends, booking…
Read more… 18 Nov 11
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…
The Pilots, the Probes, and the AF447 Verdict
On the 21st of May 2026, the Paris Court of Appeal convicted Airbus and Air France of involuntary manslaughter for their roles in the crash of Air France flight 447,…
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. …
The First Jet to Land on an Aircraft Carrier (Deliberately)
“The Vampire was the first jet to land on a moving aircraft carrier deliberately.” This quote from Airshow Luke, our MC at the Legacy of Liberty airshow, made me almost…
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…
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…