Latest Posts   –  Page 159

Not an auspicious start

Ben, who was going to be flying with me, contacted me on Sunday to say that he was stuck in Copenhagen with a jet whose wheels would not retract. A nice young man named Alistair agreed to adopt me for a few days, so we flew out to Shobdon yesterday where we got stuck on…

Read more… 4 Apr 06

Oxford

I spoke to Ben yesterday and so my trip to the “British Mainland” is now confirmed. I’ll start in Oxford and do circuits there until I’m dizzy (circuit: take off, fly in a circle, “touch” the run way and “go” again, ad infinitum) and then head off to local airfields and do the same there.…

Read more… 25 Feb 06

More things to do in Alderney…

… lest you think I’m only going there for the alcohol. A meal in St Anne in view of St Anne’s church. Hike out to the neolithic burial site, followed by a visit to the Alderney Museum. A trip on the only running railway in the Channel Islands. Find out about the Elizabethan wreck which…

Read more… 14 Feb 06

Milk-a-Punch Sunday?

Alderney has an annual event called “Milk-a-Punch Sunday” and I’ve specifically worked my schedule around being able to be there, plus a day on the ground on Monday to recover. http://www.alderney.gov.gg/index.php/pid/16/more_info/7 This long-observed tradition is a drink made of milk and egg and given a little kick by a healthy tot of rum, offered by…

Read more… 13 Feb 06

Things to do in Guernsey

The Food and Ale Festival. I think this means a pub crawl. I hope so. :) Currently looking at spending most of the time in St Peter Port, seeing the harbour and the market and probably the German Naval Signals HQ, Hautevill House and Castle Cornet. I’m not sure if the shipwreck museum in Fort…

Read more… 10 Feb 06

Things to do in Jersey

Visit Vineyards of La Mare Find out about Jersey Apple Brandy Try a real Jersey Cream Tea Go to the Ramsar wetlands Walk on the seabed where Jersey was once connected to mainland France Take a coastal cruise from Grouville Bay Visit the sea front at St Clement including Green Island Get a tour of…

Read more… 8 Feb 06

Accident Reports

Wings Over Dallas: How Poor Systems Led to Mid-Air Collision

On the 12th of November 2022, a Bell P-63F Kingcobra fighter flew into a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress bomber during the Wings Over Dallas airshow. All six crew members in…

"Totally a visibility issue."

On Sunday, the 27th of November 2022, a single-engine aircraft made national US news when it crashed through power lines in Gaithersburg, Maryland, coming to rest on a lattice tower.…

Demystifying

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…

Extreme Turbulence in Singapore Airlines flight 321

A few days ago (21st of May 2024), Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 encountered heavy turbulence on a passenger flight from London-Heathrow to Singapore. There were 229 on board, including eighteen…

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

Terminally Early: The Berlin Viewing Platform

Mistakes were made. All of them were mine. Before I left for Dresden, I planned out my full itinerary. Berlin is a much busier airport than Tallinn, so I needed…

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…