Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2021 i Plane & Pilot

The NTSB has issued its final report on the Boeing B-17 known as 909 that crashed at Bradley International Airport in October of 2019, killing seven and injuring another seven, including one person on the ground. The aircraft, a four-engine bomber operated by the non-profit Collings Foundation, had just departed from KBDL when the plane lost partial power on one of its right-side engines. Shortly thereafter, the second engine on the right side also lost partial power. On attempting to return to the field to land, the pilot in command, who was also the director of maintenance for the Foundation, wasn’t able to get the plane back to the runway. It hit short of the active runway, crossed that runway, a taxiway and continued to a deicing facility, where it…

Our list from a few years ago of the 10 most beautiful light planes of all time focused on, well, beauty, and we highlighted planes that were sleek and graceful. If there were an airplane equivalent to the golden ratio, said to define human beauty, then those planes were all about that thing. The planes on this list, not so much. Indeed, if there’s any guiding rule in their design, it’s impossible to discern, and if anyone does figure it out, we sincerely hope they keep the secret to themselves. Almost all of these aircraft were designed the way they were for purely practical reasons. Which makes sense. Otherwise, why would anyone intentionally adopt the aesthetics represented here? After all, the 747, which is not on this list, has the…

“The big question remains: What does speed mean in real terms? What kind of advantages do those fast movers enjoy, and is it worth what you have to pay to get it?” When we look to buy a new plane, well, at least a plane that’s new to us, we often look first and longest at how fast it is. Our love of speed, and I’m right there with you on this one, is a complicated one. Planes that go really fast are really expensive to buy and drive. What’s my dream plane? Well, for going places, I’d say it’s probably the Gulfstream G650. But at a cool $70 million, that continent-hopping beauty is just outside my price range, so I’d have to aim a bit lower. A more pertinent…

Most aircraft accidents are caused by common occurrences. With light planes, it’s mostly pilot error or bad weather. With commercial aircraft, accidents are rare, and pilot error-caused accidents are almost unheard of. In fact, certain types of pilot error-induced crashes or collisions have been all but eliminated. But what about the least-expected kinds of accidents? What about ones that we can only classify as extreme events? Earthquakes, floods or tsunamis? These phenomena are seldom associated with aircraft accidents or incidents. But how common are they, and what are a pilot or flight crew’s chances of surviving such an event? Answers to these questions are largely speculative, though we do know that some extreme meteorological or seismic events have, indeed, caused aircraft accidents, though they are seldom spoken of in safety…

ACROSS 1 Required annually or every 100 hours 5 Where Continental Aerospace Technologies is and what it uses, abbr. 7 A bear of a plane 10 Continuous broadcast of pre-recorded weather information, abbr. 12 Companion of “avoid” 14 Approximate ETA suffix 16 Garmin Pilot competitor owned by Boeing 20 “Born,” in some announcements 21 Used for starting a bank 23 Unit that could be agl or msl, abbr. 25 Hospital professional, abbr. 26 Word before “of descent” and “overhaul” 28 Emergency egress 31 Do to your watch or watch for in the forecast 33 Compass direction 35 The A in the FAA’s AD 38 A real letdown 39 Locks might be installed in case of this DOWN 1 Agrees to, as a contract 2 The horizontal tail contributes to this…

MYSTERY Nearly 40 WASPs died in service during World War II, but only one went missing in action (MIA). What happened to Gertrude Tompkins Silver? BACKGROUND Gertrude Tompkins was a shy girl with a severe stutter and love for goat farming. She enjoyed the simple life, or at least she did until she fell for a Royal Air Force pilot who infected her with the aviation bug. Not only did she enjoy taking to the skies with him, but she also found the flight lessons he gave her completely intoxicating. He eventually died during a war mission, and while she grieved his loss, she refused to say goodbye to flying. Flying had completely transformed Gertrude, eliminating her stutter and replacing her shyness with bold confidence that surprised all who knew…

Situational awareness, or “SA,” as it is often referred to in military circles, is a valuable commodity for all pilots. The best fighter pilots have it in spades. However, the drivers surrounding you during your morning commute seem to have very little of it. And, worse, the people with their shopping carts exiting the local supermarket have absolutely none of it. In fact, they seem to be blissfully unaware as they wander aimlessly around the parking lot with cars whizzing past, trying to remember where they parked their car. So, let’s figure out just what SA is and why some have it and others, well, not so much. One of the things that separates the top military fighter pilots from the rest of us mere mortal aviators is the ability…

A few years ago, I was involved in a local chapter of an organization that is into preserving military aviation history, originally World War II stuff. Our chapter had two Stearmans, a PT-19, three L-19 Bird Dogs, an L-4 Grasshopper (Piper Cub variant), an L-2 Grasshopper (the Taylorcraft version) and my old Aeronca Chief dressed in Civil Air Patrol colors. I didn’t think my Chief really fit with the “in crowd,” as the L-birds were that cool shade of olive drab, and the Stearmans with the round engines were navy trainer yellow. With the Chief—civilian white with CAP markings—I felt like I was wearing a Beach Boys shirt at the Sturgis Bike Rally, where everyone wears black, wearing gloves with the fingers cut out, leather vest, bandanas, etc. You get…

As was the case with our inaugural photo contest, this past year’s Your Flying World Photo Contest wowed the judges with images that, once again, came to us from just about every imaginable segment of aviation. And our Grand Prize-winning photo, by Michael Morse, showed an Air Tractor Fire Boss firefighting modified ag plane dumping its load of fire retardant at a Southern California wildfire. We’re also proud to announce the 21 images that made it to the finalist stage in this year’s contest. And there were some stunning images among them, with great takes on everything from Light Sport aviation to firefighting heroes right up through to the heavy iron. Without further ado, the winners of our 2020 Your Flying World Photo Contest and the 18 other finalists! Congratulations…

The true tests of any aircraft design are longevity, adaptability and iconic beauty. The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star wins on all counts. While not the first U.S. jet fighter, it was developed in record time, becoming the first U.S. aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight, ultimately serving in various forms in the active U.S. military for over five decades. “Peter Eighty,” as a 1945 Army Air Force brochure dubbed it, remains a timeless beauty. And the XP-80 was the first official product of the famous Lockheed Skunk Works of U-2, SR-71 and F-117 fame. The P-80 was born of a confluence of opportunity, which included emerging intelligence reports on the Messerschmitt Me 262 twinjet, the availability of the British Goblin Jet engine, and a talented team of engineers…