I planned a flight knowing that I had slightly more than 1/2 tanks full and balanced. I preflighted but failed to check the wing top tank caps.
Aviation News
Picture of the Day: Weigh to go
Bethwel Too submitted this photo and note: “Kenyan registered aircraft undergoing weighing procedure at Wilson Airport in Nairobi, Kenya.”
Airplane camping on a weight and space budget
Kevin and Jill are turning their humble 1946 Taylorcraft into a cozy camping machine, packing ultra-light gear and carefully planning fuel stops to make the most of their 65-horsepower plane. While their setup may not be as glamorous as a Super Cub adventure, they’re having a blast exploring new airports, meeting fellow pilots, and enjoying the simpler side of aviation camping.
Taxi tips
Expect the unexpected.
Celebrating the centennial of the first global flight
The Museum of Flight in Seattle will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first successful global flight from Sept. 26-29, 2024, with special fly-ins, programs, and tours of historic aircraft, including the B-29 bomber FIFI. The event will feature a variety of globally renowned pilots and their aircraft, offering visitors the chance to meet them, enjoy lectures, and watch a documentary screening about Robert DeLaurentis’ pole-to-pole flight.
New collaboration adds flight sim scenarios to Sporty’s Learn to Fly course
Sporty’s has partnered with Infinite Flight to integrate its scenario-based flight simulator training with Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course, allowing students to practice maneuvers virtually. This collaboration offers pilots the chance to apply flight lessons in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk simulator with realistic weather scenarios before transitioning to real-world flying.
Deteriorating weather distracts pilot
A Cessna 177B pilot, distracted by avoiding weather, failed to monitor fuel reserves, leading to fuel exhaustion and an engine failure. The pilot performed a forced landing in a field, causing substantial damage and serious injuries to both occupants.
Picture of the Day: Back in the air
John Rick Bierman submitted this photo and note: “Insurance required a flight review in my rare aircraft, a Slingsby Firefly. The trouble was finding an instructor who would fly with me in an unfamiliar aerobatic aircraft. By chance I found just the man at Oshkosh who would take the task on. Thanks to Dale Yoder, now the sky is the limit.”
Enforcement before or after
What if we changed the order of FAA oversight of aircraft development and manufacturing to match that of the automobile industry?