Vintage Aviation News

APRIL 25, 2025

Landing the 727 at Meigs Field would be a challenge, as the runway there was just 3,900-feet (1,200 m), but the airline had a capable crew to take N7017U on its final flight, with Captain B.C. After a low pass for the public and the press that had gathered to watch, Captain Thomas made the approach on runway 36 north.

Cockpit 95

Cockpit Pilot Ceiling Rudder 95

Air Facts

MAY 5, 2025

The hourly sequence report showed Springfield had a ceiling of 100 feet obscured, a visibility of 3/8 mile and fog with a surface temperature of 30 degrees F. The forecast at our arrival time at Jefferson City was for a ceiling of 1,200′ overcast with a visibility of four miles in fog.

VOR 52

VOR Weather Approach Runway 52

Photographic Logbook

FEBRUARY 2, 2025

Over the last three years, The Bear has expressed great interest in visiting Alton Bay, the only FAA-authorized ice runway in the continental United States. A very brief 2022 season for the ice runway eliminated opportunities to return that year. The Bear was furious that she missed out. The Bear and me flying to Alton Bay!

Runway 95

Runway Knot Weather Turbulence 95

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 8, 2025

Dawn had broken bright and clear, and while icing , ceiling, and visibility had been my preoccupationrightfully so, given our arrival into Portlandthe actual threat of the day was wind. As we walked from the wharf to breakfast, I saw that peak wind gusts were tickling the 40-knot mark.

Crosswind 96

Crosswind Wind Shear Knot Airplanes 96

Air Facts

JULY 1, 2024

But he had the habit of jamming power at the approach end of the runway and with a shove on the throttle, and a quick pull on the yoke, he would take off. After lining up on the runway, I slowly and deliberately advanced the throttle marking the airspeed, oil pressure, and speeds. You can lose up to five knots or more.

Knot 97

Knot Approach Pilot Runway 97

Flying Magazine

MAY 3, 2024

Crossing the Cook Strait on a typically raucous ferry ride following a 40-knot blow, we spent another eight days road tripping through the South Island. All throughout our travels, the weather had been exceptionally variable, with low ceilings and pouring rain as well as bright sunshine being encountered more days than not.

Knot 119

Knot Weather Airplanes Ceiling 119

Flying Magazine

MAY 15, 2024

If utilizing Runway 17 with left traffic, the crosswind turn will be heading 080, downwind 350, base 260, etc. Don’t accept the excuses of “I can’t fly if I can’t see the runway,” or “I can’t feel the airplane.” VFR to MVFR…then 2 miles visibility and a ceiling of 1,200 feet agl. It’s an ATD. What could go wrong?

Crosswind 110

Crosswind VOR Airplanes Runway 110

Air Facts

DECEMBER 30, 2024

This was indeed the case as I observed my GPS indicated ground speed to be 165 Knots. I encountered unexpected headwinds to start, slowing my groundspeed down to 75 knots at times. Landing in Moriarty was somewhat odd and memorable, as I was expecting a busy airport with its long runways and did not encounter a single soul.

Weather 98

Weather Approach VFR On Top Knot 98

Pilot Institute

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

Runway visual range (RVR) under 2,400 feet triggers a SPECI, and another is issued if it rises to 2,400 feet or more within 10 minutes. Cloud ceilings below 1,500 feet or cumulonimbus clouds can trigger a SPECI. Well, these events can quickly affect visibility or runway conditions so much that they call for a special report.

Altimeter 52

Altimeter Weather Wind Shear Runway 52

Photographic Logbook

APRIL 19, 2024

I expected to manage some cloud layers during the New York portion of the flight, but the forecast called for a high ceiling at Northeast Philadelphia Airport. Phantom City Initially, I believed that the original forecast claiming high ceilings around Philadelphia would come to pass. Runway and raindrops. Runway and raindrops.

Approach 77

Approach Wind Shear Runway VOR 77

Learn to Fly

MARCH 12, 2024

The wind is reported with five digits (14021) unless the speed is greater than 99 knots, in which case the wind is reported with six digits. The last two digits indicate the speed of the wind in knots (KT) unless the wind is greater than 99 knots, in which case it is indicated by three digits. Now we get to the weather.

Weather 40

Weather Knot UTC Ceiling 40

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. No flying in winds exceeding 10 knots, no chance of obscuring precipitation, no use of runways shorter than 5,000 feet, no risk of encountering darkness or lowering ceilings.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Runway Crosswind Ceiling 52

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 2, 2024

While instructors idly watch, airplanes go off the runway, landings become too harsh, structure gets overstressed, and tolerances are exceeded. No flying in winds exceeding 10 knots, no chance of obscuring precipitation, no use of runways shorter than 5,000 feet, no risk of encountering darkness or lowering ceilings.

Wind Shear 52

Wind Shear Runway Crosswind Ceiling 52

AeroSavvy

JANUARY 16, 2024

Green – VFR ( Visual Flight Rules ) Ceiling > 3,000 ft. Winds over 15 knots are indicated by flashing yellow lights. I chose the default setting of 15 knots because the max demonstrated crosswind component of our Cherokee Six is 17 knots. C ( 12°F)/-11.0°C Two bright blue flashes indicate frozen precipitation.

Weather 52

Weather Ceiling Knot Visual Flight Rules 52

Pilot Institute

APRIL 24, 2024

Airports such as ATL and JFK have multiple runways and cover around 5,000 acres of land. This central core extends up to around 10,000 feet MSL, the airspace’s ceiling. However, the ceiling for each shelf is the same as the core. Although Class B airspace has a typical ceiling of 10,000 feet MSL, exceptions exist.

Clearance 52

Clearance Ceiling Airspace Classes Transponder 52

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

Bowman Field, where I had stopped on the way north, had a great FBO, 1,000-foot ceilings, radar, and a tower. An RNAV approach and circle to land (the long runway was closed) and I was back on good ol’ terra firma. In solid IFR, it was time for Plan B. It was time to divert. The folks at the FBO were gracious and helpful.

Weather 91

Weather Clearance Pilot Airplanes 91

ABEAM

AUGUST 26, 2023

So that’s what we did … They conveniently gave us runway 06, and off we were, carefully noting our fuel situation as a general repetition of things to come. We did a sloppy RNP-A approach to runway 31 at BIRK (Reykjavik city airport) and we taxied to the avgas pump. Westbound !! Towards Oshkosh !!! So perfect weather.

Weather 52

Weather Clearance Knot Airplanes 52

Air Facts

APRIL 24, 2024

We had light winds, good visibility, full cloud cover, and ample ceiling heights. What was changing, however, wasn’t the visibility, or ceiling heights, or wind—at least not perceivably. After a few minutes of flying through the “chop,” our runway was in sight. The flight started off uneventfully enough. We weren’t.

Turbulence 52

Turbulence Wind Shear Final Approach Ceiling 52

Flying Magazine

APRIL 30, 2024

The functionality is smart, in that it zooms in and out, adding and subtracting info from the display based on your speed and location relative to a runway—whether you are holding in the ramp area or taxiing onto the active for takeoff, for examples. Service Ceiling: 17,500 ft. Max Zero Fuel Weight: 3,400 lbs. Useful Load: 1,328 lbs.,

Pilot 111

Pilot Airplanes Approach Jet 111

Photographic Logbook

OCTOBER 11, 2024

As I passed Kelley's Island, wind streaks in the water out of the southwest indicated a wind of six to eight knots, exactly as forecast. Closer to South Bass Island, the Put-In-Bay Airport (runways 3-21) appeared along the southeastern shore. Moments before turning final for runway 21 at Put-In-Bay. This airport is a mere 1.4

Runway 89

Runway Approach Knot Drag 89

Air Facts

AUGUST 5, 2024

Next you look at NOTAM’s once again and notice that Runways 8R and 26L are closed. And a quick check of the ATIS on your trusty Sporty’s handheld VHF radio reveals that Runways 35 is currently in use. Assuming the mighty Warrior can produce a groundspeed of 90 knots, you take that number, divide it by 60, and you’ll end up with 1.5.

Density Altitude 98

Density Altitude Ceiling Runway Weather 98

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 1, 2024

It could carry a crew of two and four passengers at a cruise speed of 175 knots, or about 200 mph, at a service ceiling of more than 19,000 feet. In short order we were accelerating down the runway, ascending into the cerulean sky, climbing over the city, and being treated to a breathtaking view of the expansive ocean to the west.

Airplanes 98

Airplanes Runway Pilot Tarmac 98

Plane and Pilot

SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

I checked the weather by phone and was assured it would be great CAVU (ceiling and visibility unlimited) with 2-3-knot winds from 090 degrees. Turning final, I set up myself with what is now my runway. About 5 miles out, I contacted Lawson Tower, which cleared me for a straight-in to Runway 15. It was time to turn base.

Threshold 72

Threshold Runway Approach AGL 72

Fear of Landing

OCTOBER 18, 2024

A pilot who goes by Coyote Stan commented : “Everyone should get an opportunity to land and take off from this runway. ” The runway (04/22) is a tabletop runway with no overrun protection. Runway 22, the standard runway in use, heads southwest, with the California coastline. But I had it.

Runway 52

Runway Altimeter Pilot Lift 52

Vintage Aviation News

AUGUST 22, 2024

We strapped into the cockpit, completed routine checks and procedures, started the engines, and taxied to the end of the runway. I glanced over my shoulder to see our loadmaster scramble up the cargo bay’s side panels, then cling to the ceiling, barely clear of slashing horns. That was about 89 knots, as I recall. Load to pilot!

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Tail Cargo Airplanes 52

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 20, 2023

I flew to my hometown against a 30 knot headwind that stretched the flight time to just over three hours. The sun was setting as I sped down Oakland County International's runway 27L and took to a sky suffused with a ruddy evening glow. At the fuel pump in Sodus preparing for departure.

Runway 52

Runway Airplanes Approach Final Approach 52

Photographic Logbook

OCTOBER 28, 2023

Despite those ground clearances, we found that the ceiling above our home airport was high enough to accommodate VFR departures with airborne clearances. We flew at 7,000 feet with as much as a 30 knot tailwind. Final, runway 34, photographed from Two Six Romeo. Better safe than sorry. Photo shamelessly stolen from Alicia.

Clearance 52

Clearance Knot Instrument Meteorological Conditions Airplanes 52

Plane and Pilot

JANUARY 7, 2025

Heres their list and rationalizations: Caylas Picks It might be more common to see Jennies hanging from ceilings than seeing them in the open air, there are still a few out and about. Imagine rolling down the runway, feeling like youre in a rocket ship, only to feel a metaphorical afterburner kick in that catapults you towards the sky.

Airplanes 98

Airplanes Tail Pilot Jet 98

Flying Magazine

MAY 6, 2025

Thats a big deal because a Husky weak spot had been its landing gear geometry, which resulted in the highest rate of flipping over during runway loss of control landing accidents among its tailwheel peers according to research done by FLYING sister publication The Aviation Consumer.

Gross Weight 78

Gross Weight Horizontal Stabilizer Airplanes Rudder 78

Fear of Landing

MAY 9, 2025

During the take-off roll, the first officer noticed that although the Challenger 300 was accelerating normally, the right-side primary flight control had stopped showing acceleration above 40 knots. The captain slowed the aircraft from 104 knots and exited the runway onto a taxiway. He called out that he had no airspeed.

Turbulence 99

Turbulence V Speed Rudder Air Traffic Control 99

Aerotime

DECEMBER 28, 2024

The top 10 fastest fighter jets ranked Rank Aircraft Max speed (Mach) Max speed (mph) Max altitude (service ceiling) 1 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Mach 2.83 In maybe 50 seconds we went from about 400 knots and reached the advertised top speed of Mach 2.34, and the jet was still accelerating. 1,544 mph 55,000 ft 7 Mikoyan MiG-29 Mach 2.3

Jet 260

Jet Knot Pilot Cockpit 260

Fear of Landing

JANUARY 3, 2025

The flight crew requested an NDB approach to Grozny and were cleared for approach to runway 26. About a minute later: Flight 8243 : Now the hydraulics have failed The weather at Makhachkala was no better regardless of which source we use: a cloud ceiling of 750 feet with visibility down to 3,300 metres in haze.

Weather 111

Weather Airline Airlines Approach 111