News
I had been sitting in the ejection seat for 15 hours." F-15 C pilot recalls flying from Japan to Turkey via Alaska and Azores
1+ hour, 16+ min ago (313+ words) The F-15 Eagle'still holds a combat record for achieving 104 air-to-air kills to no losses. It's an impressive fighter in all respects, and it's big! The top surfaces of the F-15 are so large that it was nicknamed "The Tennis Court'. In production…...
Airline pilot tells why flying a Jetliner can be a lot easier than flying a Cessna 172
1+ day, 4+ hour ago (168+ words) With simplistic'flight characteristics, great visibility and a sophisticated'glass cockpit'outfitted with GARMIN G1000 avionics, the Cessna Skyhawk piston boasts a slow landing speed and a lenient stall. These characteristics make it a flight training favorite ideally suited for'student pilots'and it's perfectly designed…...
Huey crew members tell why UH-1s (almost) always flew with doors open during the Vietnam War
2+ day, 2+ hour ago (485+ words) The Bell UH-1 Iroquois, commonly known as the "Huey," was a multipurpose utility helicopter famous for its widespread use during the Vietnam War. Bell developed the powerful helicopter in the mid-1950s and produced more than 16, 000 units between 1955 and 1976, over 7, 000 of which…...
Boeing 747 copilot recalls when his jet had an engine fire on takeoff. The Jumbo landed safely thanks to the flight crew teamwork.
1+ week, 3+ day ago (392+ words) An engine failure during takeoff has very serious safety of flight implications. The aerodynamic effects of the failure and the immediate actions by the flight crew are necessary to ensure an acceptable outcome. Multi-engine transport category jet aircraft must be…...
B-17 pilot Colin P. Kelly, the US first hero of World War II
1+ week, 4+ day ago (365+ words) Each convoy was escorted by a destroyer division, six or seven destroyers led by a light cruiser. A force of two heavy and one light cruisers, two destroyers and a seaplane tender covered the invasion convoys. At 0550hrs, as civil twilight…...
Huey pilot recalls "the common occurrence" of safely landing a UH-1 riddled with bullet holes in Vietnam
3+ week, 1+ day ago (185+ words) In Vietnam Huey crew quickly got used to come under enemy fire, as Leslie Smith, former US Army UH-1 Huey dustoff pilot, recalls on Quora; "Three rounds came through a hole [in the windshield], we know by the exit holes…...
Naval Aviator tells what motivates people to pursue a military flight career (spoiler it's not money)
3+ week, 1+ day ago (322+ words) US Military Branches employ some of the most advanced aircraft in the world to complete their missions and defend their country. Utilizing extraordinary skill and precision, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard Pilots push each aircraft's limits…...
Boeing 707 pilot recalls doing zero-zero landing in Anchorage after Engine Failure
3+ week, 4+ day ago (201+ words) The "zero-zero" landing is an emergency-only procedure for landing of aircraft under conditions of zero visibility and zero ceiling. It can be used when a pilot paints himself into a corner and is left with no option other than to…...
I lifted my F-15 right main gear off the tarmac and lifted its right side over an F-16 avoiding collision. Eagle pilot recalls using differential throttles after hydraulic failure during taxi.
4+ week, 1+ day ago (273+ words) The F-15 Eagle still holds a combat record for achieving 104 air-to-air kills to no losses. It's an impressive fighter in all respects, and it's big! The top surfaces of the F-15 are so large that it was nicknamed "The Tennis Court'. In…...
Concordski Vs Concorde: the Tu-144 was bigger and faster than its Anglo-French counterpart but its glory was quite short
4+ week, 2+ day ago (454+ words) Developed in the 1960s/1970s, the Tupolev Tu-144 was the Soviet Union's only practical venture into supersonic commercial aviation. Though its career was all too brief, it was a major technological achievement for the Soviet aircraft industry. First flown on the last…...