Features

An airline en route to [airport redacted] asked ATC if the had any smooth rides. Controller:“You won’t find a smooth ride until you taxi into the gate.” Pilot:“You haven’t been [airport redacted] lately. The taxiways are just as bad as this ride!” Kirk Johnson

Engaging in aerobatics—moving dramatically in the third dimension above our planet on a gloriously clear day—ranks right up there among the most delightful things a human can do. If flying represents freedom and an escape from the mundane of beetling across the surface of life, aerobatics is painting that escape and freedom with the broadest […]

When it first appeared in the mid-1980s, the Piper Malibu was a head turner. Aside from its ramp appeal, pilots were intrigued with its high-flying pressurized cabin, 200-knot cruise speed and its impressive range. There was nothing quite like it and Piper soon found a loyal market for its new flagship product, mostly among well-to-do […]

So there you are, coming down to the decision height (DH) watching as the approach lights emerge from the clag—all configured and at the right speed. In a few seconds the wheels will kiss the pavement and you will have logged another perfect approach and landing. But this is not to be: The tower orders […]

The Weekender’s taking off cross-country in search of cookouts and more as found on SocialFlight. The Calaveras Air Faire will take place all day Saturday in San Andreas, California, starting with a Lions Club pancake breakfast and followed by lunch choices of pulled pork, bratwurst sandwiches and hot dogs. Airplanes rides will go all day […]

While landing in BOI last week, we overheard this great question from a pilot: Tower:“Cessna 123, turn left, heading 210, runway 28L; cleared for takeoff.” Cessna:“Cleared for takeoff, Cessna 123.” Tower:“Cessna 123, also: Turn left, heading 210.” Cessna:“You want that after we takeoff, right?” Tower:“Yes, that would be best.” I could barely read back our […]

In his timeless classic Fate Is The Hunter, Ernest K. Gann regales readers with several tales of in-flight emergencies, hairy takeoffs and grateful landings. Perhaps the book’s most memorable takeoff involves a grossly overweight C-87 departing Agra, India, on a hot day, aimed directly at the nearby Taj Mahal mausoleum. Of course, Gann didn’t know […]

A half decade ago when diesel engines gained some traction as aircraft powerplants, the skeptics got quite a little whisper campaign going by noting that diesel engines could swing only wooden props. Their torque pulses and resonances were just too harsh for the fatigue limits of metal props. The naysayers forgot to mention—or perhaps didn’t […]

The Weekender’s SocialFlight schedule shows the airshow season picking up the pace around the country. March Air Reserve Base in California will host its first show since 2012 on Saturday and Sunday, featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds along with military and aerobatic performances and static displays. On Saturday,Old Kingsbury Aerodrome in Kingsbury, Texas, site […]

ATC:“Citation N1234, climb via the SID, but do not exceed 200 knots.” Citation N1234:“Roger. Climb via the SID; do not exceed 200 knots.” [A few moments pass.] ATC:“Citation N1234, resume normal speed.” Citation N1234:“This is our normal speed!” Brian Conway