The Mystery: What was causing the crashes of the pioneering jet the de Havilland Comet. The Backstory: When it comes to lists of planes, the de Havilland Comet jetliner is often mentioned prominently. It was not only the first jet airliner, but many regard it as one of the most beautiful aircraft of all time. more »

Across     1  A wispy cloud or a small jet     4  Aka: Pathfinder     9  Direct, ______ x 2   10  The “T” in CFIT   11  What the majority of airplanes are these days   12  Big alloy maker   14  Agency most concerned about 100LL   16  North or South ___, abbr. more »

In 1938, more than 10 years after Charles Lindbergh successfully crossed the Atlantic solo in the Spirit of St. Louis, another American, Douglas Corrigan, made the crossing as well, taking off from New York’s Floyd Bennett Field and landing 28 hours and change later in Ireland, where Corrigan asked where he was. You see, Corrigan more »

Across     1. Large Florida aircraft sales and service provider     5. Major centers of airline flight patterns     7. O to a pilot     8. Rotating about the front to back axis   10. Roswell arrival   11. At OSH they’re red or yellow or green….   12. Airline that was ADS-B pioneer   13. Prefix for plane or built   15. Every more »

Across     2  First modular space station     4  Guy who made a big noise with a Bell     7  What to fly when getting there is pretty standard     8  Clyde of Silverwing fame   10  Mostly used in aviation instead of SM   12  Renaissance man who designed methods of flight   14  more »

With the widespread availability of envelope protection for light planes, the question has to be asked, how safe are these technologies and how easy is it to disconnect from them in an emergency? Envelope protection got started in light GA in the 1960s, when Mooney introduced its Positive Control, manufactured by Brittain Industries from Tulsa, more »

Plane & Pilot collected many interesting facts and tidbits about the history of the Piper PA-28s. Year Piper began exploring new four-seater concept: 1953 Cherokee designers: Fred Weick, John Thorp, Karl Bergey Other notable designs from Weick: Ercoupe, NACA cowlings, Piper Pawnee ag plane From Thorp: Lockheed Neptune, Piper Sky Scooter, T-18, Wing Derringer Year more »

The Mystery: What is the biggest airplane in the world? Sounds simple, but you hear several different models being spoken about as the “biggest.” Is the term meaningless, or can there be a champ? Subscribe today to Plane & Pilot magazine for industry news, reviews and much more delivered straight to you! The Backstory: There are more »

It’s been a wild and unpredictable half century for arguably the most innovative airliner ever, the Boeing 747. Dreamt up back in the mid 1960s, the double-decker jet burst onto the scene in a way that probably only one other airliner ever has, and that one was supersonic. With the ability to carry more passengers more »

Across     1  Mooney ____ Ultra     5  Mnemonics based pre-landing checklist     8  High winds     9  Mnemonics based word for when you do your pre-take off checklist   10  What stealthy aircraft want to avoid being   12  The object of our obsession   14  Steep nose descent   17  Faintly lit   more »

Are aircraft condensation trails really a form of chemical warfare being carried out on unsuspecting innocents below?

What a glider is: Non-powered aircraft that is not lighter than air Derivation of the term “glider:” Unknown Other common term for gliding: Soaring Difference: In soaring, pilots gain altitude in flight Glide ratio: Cessna 172: 9:1 Best high-performance sailplane: Better than 70:1 Northern flying squirrel: 2:1 Steinway Piano: Infinitely poor zero:1 Methods for altitude more »