Pilot Proficiency

The NTSB is investigating the crash of a Beech Premier IA on Wednesday night as the pilot was attempting a go-around at Thomson-McDuffie Regional Airport (KHQU) near Augusta, Georgia. Five people died in the crash shortly after 8 p.m. and two others were taken to a hospital, according to officials. NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt […]

Three months after his harrowing collision with an SUV during an approach to Northwest Regional Airport (52F) near Roanoke, Texas, Will Davis has earned his Private Pilot Certificate. The pilot’s wife witnessed the collision and shot a video, which went viral and created a lot of media attention. In interviews shortly after the accident, Davis […]

Facing looming sequestration budget cuts that are due to take effect on March 1, the Air Force has decided to cancel a number of popular upcoming airshows. At the same time, the Defense Department says it is prepared to put a halt to all “non-essential” military flying on April 1, including performances this year by […]

Richard Bach’s near-death experience six months ago has led him to finally finish his iconic novella, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. The book, published in 1970, was originally written in four parts, but only the first three were published. A former Flying writer, Bach has made final edits and sent the completed fourth part to his publisher, […]

British farmer and aviation enthusiast David Cundall was living out his dream of digging up more than 100 crated World War II Supermarine Spitfires, but that dream has turned to a nightmare. Funding for the expedition has been cut off after none of the aircraft were found buried near the runway of Myanmar’s (formerly Burma) […]

The following is an excerpt from official NTSB summaries of general aviation accidents in the United States. _ _ NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report. Cessna 172R Wendover, […]

The following is an excerpt from official NTSB summaries of general aviation accidents in the United States. North American T-6G Perry, Michigan/INJURIES: 1 Fatal, 1 Serious The pilot stated that the run-up and takeoff were normal. After takeoff to the south, he was planning to overfly the runway for a “photo pass.” He reported that […]

Complacency is one of the biggest enemies pilots face. As we go about our business accomplishing flight-related tasks, over time they can become rote actions performed without the necessary forethought to ensure we’re not acting out of habit. The NTSB is warning pilots of several recent incidents where pilots pulled a lever or hit a […]

The following article is from the January 2005 print issue. “Nope,” I said. “No way. There’s no way that a turn downwind, or upwind, or in any other direction, is any different from a turn in still air.” “Well, sonny,” said the Old-Timer, “maybe out your way the air’s made of different stuff. But I’ve […]

** | |Illustrations by Chris Gall**| In Joni Mitchell’s 1969 song “Both Sides, Now,” a haunting and sentimental little earwig, the singer laments that after looking at clouds “from both sides now,” she really doesn’t know them very well at all. The same could be said for many pilots. Even after thousands of hours in […]