The Day I Dropped the Oxygen Masks On My Passengers

This is what happens when we rush

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Airspeed is Life

Questions about the Asiana 214 crash start with: How did experienced pilots let a plane get so low and slow on a visual approach?

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FOQA is Watching

The little black box that looks over our shoulder.

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Life on Reserve

Being on call means never knowing where you'll fly from one day to the next.

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Knives on Planes

Is a minor speed-up of security lines worth the extra risk?

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“Items may shift during flight…”

...and may cause a (minor) medical emergency.

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The Experiment, Part Two

Can someone with only flight simulator experience take off and land an airplane on the first try? I wanted to find out

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The Experiment, Part One

Can an ordinary person take off and land an airplane on the first try, with only flight simulator experience? We put it to the test

Is Denzel’s Upside-Down Flying Trick Plausible?

When it comes to accuracy, <i>Flight</i> lost me at the walkaround

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Let George Fly the Plane

Autopilot is one of the greatest inventions ever for pilots. But have we paid a price?

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Divert? Stick to the Plan?

The decision to divert to an alternate airport requires a close watch on the fuel gauge.

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The Verdict on Air France 447

One big factor in the accident: uncertainty as to who was flying the plane.

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The Myth of Making Up Time

Unless your flight is over six hours, there's usually not much the crew can do to shave off more than a few minutes.

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Flying an 80-Year-Old Plane

A rare chance to take the controls of a 1931 Stinson Tri-Motor.

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A Rough Ride

The Captain assured the passengers that everything was under control, but I'm sure some of them thought this was the end. I would have.

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New Rest Rules for Pilots

You can lead a pilot to a rest period, but you can’t make him sleep.

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New York to Mumbai, By Way of Amsterdam

A flight of firsts.

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Time to Renew my CFI

Why go to the trouble to renew a certificate I don’t use? The bottom line is that I just worked too hard to get it.

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The Irritations of Airline-Speak

"I find myself cringing."

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It Was a Dark and Stormy Night…

With Hurricane Irene safely behind us, I thought I’d share a story from my pre-airline days, about one of my scariest experiences as a pilot

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