Latest Posts   –  Page 5

Tell Me A(n Aviation) Story

As those of you who follow my personal newsletter already know, I’ve been taking part in a theatre event in Tallinn called Tell Me A Story. Every month, six storytellers get on stage and tell a story …but there’s a twist. Five stories are absolutely true and one story is a lie. There’s a question…

Read more… 14 Apr 23

An Unexpected Problem at Eleven Thousand Feet

On Monday, the 3rd of April 2023, a twin-engined propellor plane departed from Worcester in the Western Cape of South Africa, the largest town in the region and about 120 km from Cape Town. The pilot, with 2,000 hours over the past five years, was a first officer for a local airline as well as…

Read more… 7 Apr 23

When Technology Fails: An Airbus A319’s Mid-Air Mystery

On the 6th of August 2021, an Airbus A319-131, registration G-DBCF, departed from Edinburgh for a scheduled passenger flight to London Heathrow. There were 101 passengers and five crew on board. The captain had over 16,000 flying hours, with 4,476 on type, and was the Pilot Flying. As the aircraft picked up speed for departure…

Read more… 31 Mar 23

Messerschmitt Crash in Wernigerode

I didn’t expect to fall in love with the train. When I planned my trip to Germany, I expected that I would be able to keep up with my normal tasks in addition to exploring the countryside and spending time with my mother. I am in Wernigerode, a town that acts as a gateway to…

Read more… 24 Mar 23

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

In 1978, a movie described as a Musical-Comedy-Horror-Show was released: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. The movie, which is about sentient tomatoes on a rampage, This is the trailer: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes had a budget of $90,000, partially sourced from relatives and friends. The creators also used them for supporting rolls: most of…

Read more… 17 Mar 23

All Aircraft Bite Fools

It was a few minutes after midnight when the pilot and his friend took the Cessna 150, a popular single-engine two-seater training aircraft, out for a local flight around a general aviation airport now known as the Colorado Air and Space Port. In 2011, the state of Colorado applied to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)…

Read more… 10 Mar 23

Accident Reports

Final Report from the Contained Engine Failure of United flight 328

On the 20th of February 2021, United Airlines flight 328 made international headlines when a fan blade separated from the right engine shortly after take-off. Flight UA328 was a scheduled…

Low Altitude, High Risks: Fifteen minute flight turns fatal

It was an overcast day on the morning of the 8th of September 2011 when people in West Liberty, Ohio, heard the sounds of a low-flying aircraft approaching. The Cirrus…

Demystifying

Sharing a Runway: Fed Ex vs Southwest at Austin

On Monday, two commercial aircraft had a near-miss on the runway at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. The airport at Austin has two parallel concrete runways which run north-to-south: 18L/36R…

Flying Blind: The Importance of NOTAMs in Aviation

On the 11th of January 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US stopped all departing commercial flights, grounding aircraft all over the US. Hot on the heels of…

History

The Wright brothers and the dream of flying

I’ve lost most of the day to unexpected research and one of the fascinating items that I discovered was the Air Force Historical Research Agency and their amazing photo collection.…

The Tragic Story of Submarine M-200 Myest

On the 21st of November 1956, the M-200 Myest (Месть, meaning vengeance or revenge) collided with a Russian destroyer and sunk to the bottom of the Baltic. The M-200 Myest…

Fun Stuff

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…

Flying Fails and Airshow Considerations

Long-term readings of Fear of Landing know that my favourite aerobatics show of all time is Kyle Franklin’s Ben Whabnoski Comedy act. Just in case some of you haven’t seen…