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Flyer Forum Code of Conduct

At its best, the Flyer Forum continues to be a valuable resource for the General Aviation community

It is a place where flyers of all experience levels can meet to discuss and exchange up-to-date undistorted...

Submissions for FLYER 's 'That Worst Day' page have always come from FLYER readers, and we're on the lookout for more.

For fictional tales of Pilot X, a story told in 900 words, with three thoughtful questions and answers, makes a ideal...

Hi, just wanted to share a little experience. I didn't experience this myself but heard of it, and when you know how... it's always easy... but when you have never encountered the situation, you may be taken by surprise.
I was flying with an...

Sadly, this magnificent PT-22 Ryan collection Aircraft based in France, Clermont-Ferrand, has crashed Sunday 23/02/20. Both the pilot and the passenger died in the crash. I saw it many times at Airshows. I saw it recently, last Friday the 21/02/20...

There's been times when we've all been up in the air wishing we was on the ground. I've probably put myself in that situation more than once, but for different things. Having been crew for an airline, and sleeping in the dark bunks across the North...

So, it's my first time in the aircraft for a month or so, but I didn't feel really rusty. I was methodical on the pre take off checks, but I didn't get any sense something was wrong until I rotated. And then I sensed something was really wrong....

The eurowing goldwing is a single seat pusher canard microlight and has a fantastic cooling system called open cockpit.One morning after a particularly difficult night shift I headed straight to Cumbernauld for a 07:00 departure before the forecast...

Hey All,

I was curious to know if anyone on here has any Thunderstorm stories to tell, and if we could learn from them?

I remember seeing a video on YouTube of a PPL flying in Kent IMC and ending up in an embedded cell, can't find it but it was...

After flying some IFR circuits at London Southend Airport, it was time to call end to a wonderful evening; but not without error. The previous part of the flight was flown IFR and it was time to make a VFR flight back to Stapleford. If you would...

Great TWD in September issue.

I identified both with the CAPS naysayers who argue against the laws of Physics and the numpty moment of forgetting to add power on autopilot altitude capture after a descent.

In regards to the final question of what...

In-depth video with unseen footage of single pilot decision making on an international flight from Dinard, France to Stapleford, UK.

This flight was by far the most challenging, but in hindsight one of the most rewarding to date. I share with...

I hope the OP doesn't mind me extending the series...

I turned up to the airfield a few weeks ago to fly my new aeroplane. It is a wonderful high performance beast that I am very proud of - still in the full flush of early aircraft ownership.

I...

In the latest 'The Flying VLOG' we fly from Bournemouth to Stapleford in the final flight of 2017. The weather during this flight was by far the worst I've ever flown in. Lots of turbulence and lots of experience with that feeling I'd rather be on...

Pilot X is a retired airline pilot who enjoys passing on his skills to new young pilots…

Pilot X wasn’t the type to rely on anecdotes and memories for his flying fix, even though he had more than most flyers could dream of. At an age when many of...

A couple of weeks back I needed to get over to France for a job and could, with a bit of juggling, take the aircraft (at my expense instead of the paid-for ferry)

On the day the Channel weather was awful in the morning and flyable in the afternoon....

Hello, can you tell me something about preparation before start the atpl theory course? i am interested in physics and mathematics skills requirements of flight schools. my level is not enough in these subjects and how can i solve this problem?...

Another thread on this forum where an aircraft suffered a failure of an aileron cable brought back another memory of a similar situation that was caused by a catastrophic human error rather than mechanical.Quiet evening at Cumbernauld with no...

I have been chasing an oil leak on my 172. Eventually found it, fixed it, and all was well. Until the day after my satisfactory test flight, when after another short 1 hour flight I was horrified to see all that oil back again, and this time in...

Anyone else think they are getting more pointless and uninteresting? The last one really is scraping the bottom, man gets cold in microlight right up to last few lines.....then suddenly has a mid air!!!!

Come on Flyer let's get back to where we...

OK, hands up anyone who hasn't had a door open during take-off! Makes me recall first Examiner encountered, asking if he could hold the door open while I prepared for take-off, on an exceptionally hot day. Is that a standard trick?

Hi guys. I've just joined as a way of therapy. It's genuinely keeping me awake!

So a couple of days ago I took a mate flying with his 2 kids. Aircraft was a warrior and landing on grass. I took of with winds 10 degrees off at 13 kts. When we came...

I was out today and dipped the tanks in my '172 before departing. Enough for there and back with something to spare.
On departure for the return leg at the hold, running through the checks. I got to the "fuel on and sufficient" and even by...

Hopefully others might not make the same mistake.
Something that happened to me a long time ago and I have never forgotten it. I arrived in a brand new Beech Musketeer, at a country aerodrome, in the evening, the day before a flying display.
All was...

"Are we going in?" Paul asked.
"I think so" I responded.

All engine parameters were good and correct.
I opened the throttle 3/4 full before releasing the brakes and going all the way... Probably just as well as if I'd held it at...

Well, you may learn something from this, I know that I certainly did.
Flying the Bulldog out of Bournemouth last year on the day of the airshow.
Great I thought, see the Red Arrows from the air.
Didn't realise that the airspace around Bournemouth...

Tea for two

Leia Fee tells the tale of Pilot X, who departs in haste to catch up with his friend Pilot Y. By chance, both suffer an identical component failure, even if circumstances dictate very different results…

Pilot X gently swung someone...

Had a nice little pole round in my Auster j5g this morning , going know where special just a flight for the hell of it after a wet runway lay off, thought I would do a few turns just for a bit of practice and fun, one steep turn to the right...

A night for OWLS

T-shirted Pilot X enjoys his summer evening microlight flights from a relaxed coastal strip. What could possibly go wrong? By Leia Fee

The summer had been better than forecast and today looked like more of the same. The...

Double Drifter

This month, Jonathan Mitchell’s Pilot X is a student flying his qualifying cross-country, whose waypoints mysteriously go missing…

After what seemed like a summer full of false alarms, Pilot X’s flying instructor was smiling. The...

Too good to last?

Pilot X is a skilled aerobatic pilot, with the right attitude to practice and planning. But is he sufficiently flexible? Can he cater for the unseen? Adrian Blease tells the story...

Pilot X was good, he knew that. He put it...

Is there a reason that these are now updating very infrequently?

I always enjoy reading and learning from TWD

Bushed Pilot

Hour-building, work pressures, knowledge of the aircraft, weight, altitude, heat… just where did this month’s Pilot X go wrong? Richard Boswell takes us bush flying

Pilot X wiped the sweat from his brow. In his short time bush...

My turn in paradise

Pilot X lands successfully on the narrow dirt strip, but then finds his single-engine, low-wing turboprop facing 90° across the runway − and he’s short of ideas as well as space! By Richard Boswell

X flew over the strip and...

A Bright New Year for Pilot X

Cessna or Piper? High-wing or low? What difference can it make that a quick few minutes conversion training can’t solve? Adrian Bleese on Pilot X’s bright New Year

One 3rd January, with the ink on his PPL barely...

The Risk Manager

Company founder and present CEO, instructor, charter pilot, salesman and finance raiser… the pressures on Pilot X are building.
By Richard Boswell

As the rain started to patter down on the windscreen, X smiled. It quite...

Moving on from the employee motivation link that I posted in another topic, I came across this item about Management Skills VS Leadership Skills. It has an aviation / TWD theme and definitely added to my stock of knowledge on the way you can go...

The dog that bit

‘Patience’ is missing from this grumpy pilot’s checklist. Adrian Bleese takes time-out to tell us the story

It would be a cold day in hell before Pilot X would admit that he couldn’t be there on time. What was the point of...

Sparkling performance

Adrian Bleese introduces Pilot X to grass strip flying. A few trees, a few wires, a slight slope and a bright sunny day. No problems, surely…

Pilot X was a bright spark, so he knew that when his flight guide said that PPR...

Flying the Big Sausage

David Young tells how Pilot X failed to learn from experience, and his short-field technique can’t cater for every extra kilogram or atmospheric hurdle

We have all done it: a moment of cold sweat as we realised our...

Display in the Blood

Nick Barnard introduces us to a pilot who loved the surge of raw power, yet was eager to avoid mishaps…

Pilot X was a fast learner, and good at detail, which is not a bad combination when it comes to a Yak-52. He soon...

Simple Factors

Pilot X figures that a half-full tank will still leave him plenty in reserve − but are there any factors he hasn’t taken into account? By Adrian Bleese

Pilot X could remember with pride all of his aviation firsts: his first...

The Price of Trinkets

David Phillips tells the tale of four friends, shopping for aviation goodies at a trade show, but they get more than they bargain for...

The day had been a success. Pilot X and his three flying compatriots had taken in a...

Flying under Pressure

Pilot X flies north on a business trip in his immaculate Saratoga – his first serious use of a beautiful aircraft. What could possibly spoil his carefully planned day?

Pilot X knew that, today, he had truly arrived in the...

Cold Comfort Farm

Craig Reefers recalls a shivering PIlot X on a short trip between two farms strips on a very cold morning…

Pilot X silenced the alarm, dragged himself out of bed and stumbled downstairs. Feeling somewhat fragile, he made a...

Seven hours hanging on

Four airfields logged on the Saturday, and a new one for the logbook planned for Sunday – which Pilot X finds a far longer day than expected... by David Young

As the rain continued to drip off the soaking wing onto his...

Bumps in the Sunshine

Craig Reefers tells the tale of Pilot X’s first trip to the sun and freedom of America skies

It had taken X a bit longer than he’d expected to get his PPL, the usual combination of work, weather and aeroplane availability...

One extra drag

Ian Seager looks into the mind of Pilot X - a pilot with a compulsion and a heavy aircraft...

The violent movement stopped and the chaos was replaced by silence. X sat motionless in disbelief. Wisps of smoke could be seen coming...

Caravans in the Bush

Richard Boswell takes us with Pilot X landing a Cessna Caravan on a short, rough strip in the sub-Saharan Africa, faced with the first thermal activity of the approaching rainy season…

X felt the sweat penetrate his shirt...

1. A lot.

2. Rich cut.

Three Big Bears

Richard Boswell follows three experienced pilots towards a very small gap in a line of very tall trees…

From the relative comfort of his airline seat, X peered out of the window at the rugged mountains below. As the 747 powered...

Flying into dreamland

Richard Boswell tells the tale of Pilot X, a beautiful Spring day and a non-starting Chipmunk

The thing he loved most about this particular aeroplane was the smell. It looked good too – the silver paint scheme of the...