Latest Posts – Page 3
Happy New Year!
My very first post on this site was February 2006, with a crazy plan to fly to all of the British Isles with a runway. I don’t think I managed more than ten: the whole escapade turned out to be a lot more expensive and a lot more time consuming than I had envisioned. But…
Read more… 2 Jan 26
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 all the good food and drink. Mendel brings on the holiday cheer with a hilarious video for us. Perhaps you were wondering if an old…
Read more… 26 Dec 25
Five Aircraft in Two (Three?) Days
Earlier this month, as a result of personal circumstances and bad timing, I ended up needing to fly in five different aircraft over the course of a few days, trying to get from Buenos Aires to Tallinn to El Paso (not to mention three buses, two trains and a taxi). “It’s a good thing you like…
Read more… 19 Dec 25
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 who offered condolences and thoughtful comments. One person sent me this comic which actually made me laugh out loud. Nathan Pyle is an American cartoonist…
Read more… 12 Dec 25
Holding Pattern
My mother has died after a terrible stroke. I’m in New Mexico now, dealing with everything that follows, and I’m struggling with it all. There won’t be a post this week. I’ll be back next Friday.
Read more… 5 Dec 25
Fear of Landing Grounded Briefly
I am going to have to take a week or two off. I was already overloaded, and now there has been a family emergency that requires my full and immediate attention. Unfortunately I don’t have anything already lined up, so I’m afraid you may need to get by without me for a bit. I’m in…
Read more… 28 Nov 25
Accident Reports
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…
TNflygirl and the Beech Debonair
On the 7th of December 2023, a Beech 35-C33 Debonair crashed into terrain. The private pilot and the passenger, the pilot’s father, were both killed on impact. The private flight…
Demystifying
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,…
Another quick round of questions and answers
It’s time for another Questions and Answers session. I started this series a few years back, when a reader asked if there was a way to pose aviation questions outside…
History
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…
Fun Stuff
The Mystery of the Caged Tyres and the Porcupine Who Flew Home
This photograph was posted to r/shittyaskflying, a subreddit dedicated to asking silly questions and giving silly answers. In this case, the photograph is enough to make one wonder what’s going…
Songs About Failed Spacecraft and Space Disasters
This week, I’m handing over Fear of Landing to my friend Jack Keller who promised me a playlist of music relating to my interests. All of the titles except one…
