What a difference a decade makes: the GA boom in statistics Air Facts Journal General aviation is growing. That simple statement would have been unremarkable to a pilot in the 1960s or 1970s, as surprising as saying the sun rose in the east that day. But for anyone who learned to fly after about 1990, and especially between 2008 and 2016, it’s a shocking thing to admit. Yet that is exactly what is happening right now, as data from a wide variety of sources show.  The growth of the GA industry in 2024 is both broad-based, covering everything from two-seat piston trainers to 15-seat busines ..read more

Aviation shop rat Air Facts Journal I have been a Private pilot for many years, flying on and off as time and money allowed. As I approached retiring from the company where I had worked for 25 years, I knew that I was going to buy a plane to use in my new venture and fly a lot more. I had narrowed the choice down to a Cirrus SR22 which was against the advice of the flight school I was using. They suggested a Cessna 182, which is a great plane but still, a Cirrus is all glass and new and really cool with the chute and all. While looking for the right plane to buy, I had also asked around to oth ..read more

Rubber bands – the reason I quit Air Facts Journal I delivered my little Cessna Cardinal to its new owner today. He was thrilled and sent me a picture of her by the new hangar. He is in his fifties and is eager to return to flying after a long hiatus. I hope it will be the start of a great adventure for him and his family. It may be the only plane he ever owns, or like me, he may go on to have the privilege of close relationships with many. The new owner was thrilled and sent me a picture of the Cardinal by its new hangar. There has been a buzz around the airport about this event. Like many ..read more

Quick land to Quicksand Air Facts Journal Editor’s Note: Author, Patrick Carter, also joined Air Facts Editor in Chief, John Zimmerman, on an episode of Sporty’s Pilot’s Discretion Podcast to discuss his harrowing experience in the Alaska backcounty after departing without survival gear and experiencing a landing mishap flying with his son. Listen here. A beautiful afternoon joyride with my son took a nosedive because of a few simple mistakes that I’ll never make again. In my 23 years of flying, and 13,000 hours in the sky, this Cub was the one and only plane I’ve damaged. And damaging the pla ..read more

Friday photo: herding checks in southeast Asia Air Facts Journal The view: Herding Chicks in Southeast Asia The pilot: Dale Hill, callsign ‘Nail 49’ The airplane: North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco The mission: As Forward Air Controllers (FACs), we often supported supply convoys coming up the Mekong River to deliver food, fuel, and ammo to the people/defenders of Phnom Pehn (Papa-Papa), the capitol of Cambodia.  The bad guys would lie in wait for the convoy and then attack it with heavy weapons (quad 50-caliber machine-guns and mortars).  With inputs made by the convoy commander ..read more

My First Oshkosh Air Facts Journal Editor’s note: We’re pleased to present this article was awarded second prize in the sixth annual Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots. Our panel of judges selected Joseph Cummins of Minneapolis, Minnesota as the $2,500 runner-up award. We hope you’ll agree that Joseph’s description of his first trip to AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI is a fine tribute to a great writer and pilot. As suburban Minnesota remained silent in the tranquility of pre-dawn stillness, the shriek of my 4:15 am alarm clock shattered my peacefulness and forced me awake.  “Why am ..read more

Blister Flight – Six Pilots and an Angel Air Facts Journal Editor’s note: We’re pleased to present the winning entry in the sixth annual Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots. After reading nearly 100 entries, our distinguished panel of judges selected Clay Simmons, a 22-year old pilot and aircraft builder based in Knoxville, TN, as the winner of the $5,000 first place award. We hope you’ll agree that Clay’s emotional journey to his most memorable flight is a fine tribute to Richard Collins, a great writer and pilot. Blister Flight: Six Pilots and an Angel By: Clay Simmons “Johnson Cr ..read more

The Zen of IFR Air Facts Journal In John Zimmerman’s thought-provoking article, “What Matters For IFR Proficiency? The Answer Is Quite Simple.”, he highlights that deficiencies in basic instrument flying skills was the probable cause of a lot of accidents in IMC – not the weather, not the airplane, but the pilot, who simply got overwhelmed and lost control. He ultimately concludes that the best way to stay proficient then, all things being equal, is to practice flying in IMC (real or simulated) to ensure you can minimally meet the ACS standards for basic attitude instrument flying. In John’s ..read more

Diversity: The Double-Edged Sword of General Aviation Air Facts Journal Diversity.  It’s what keeps species alive, and general aviation burning blue fuel. Without it, flying would have burnt out in the last millennium because it would never have been able to spread from two brothers to a passion felt around the world. Fortunately, the curiosity of flight was in the hearts of those known and unknown to Wilbur and Orville, and fortunately for the rest of us, that passion is in the hearts of countless aviation innovators to this day.  But being an aviator innovator certainly has its cha ..read more

Drop missions: aerial delivery Air Facts Journal Another day in the life of an Air Commando living by our motto: any time any place. This is about my experiences in the 19th Air Commando Squadron, South Vietnam for about a year beginning in 1966. Generally most of our drop missions were to triangular fortifications that were built by the French when they were in control of Vietnam. It’s been quite a few years ago and I can’t remember the exact times or locations that we had our drops. We would drop at the same locations, at the same time, on the same day of the week. We picked up a lot of ..read more