Air Facts

AUGUST 5, 2024

A friend reminds you of a couple additional nuggets of due diligence to be reckoned with—a hangar and insurance. Luckily, your friend just so happens to have a friend with some hangar space available at your home airport in Pueblo, Colorado. The weather is VMC but it’s hot, and the density altitude is really creeping up there.

Density Altitude 89

Density Altitude Ceiling Runway Weather 89

Air Facts

MAY 24, 2024

Centerline, centerline, centerline Air Facts Journal It was a beautiful May day as we grabbed the tow bar to pull the 1981 Cessna 182 out of the hangar. Even though this was late May, it was early enough in the day that the temperatures and density altitude hadn’t climbed to outrageous heights—yet.

Aileron 87

Aileron Crosswind Knot Runway 87

Plane and Pilot

JULY 2, 2024

We may be the best pilot ever born, but we can’t force a tired Skyhawk to climb above its genuine absolute ceiling, undefined by any performance chart. And the finest example of a Cirrus SR22 is not going to want to lift a full load out of a backcountry strip on a warm afternoon with a density altitude reading five digits.

Density Altitude 53

Density Altitude Airplanes Pilot Wind Shear 53

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

The airplane’s engine, propeller, and wings, which have struggled all summer against the ravages of high temperatures and density altitude, are now in their happy place. Ramps need plowing, the T-hangar door is frozen closed, the fuel truck won’t start, and there is a waiting list for deicing.

Ceiling 98

Ceiling Airplanes Weather Density Altitude 98

Plane and Pilot

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

The airplane’s engine, propeller, and wings, which have struggled all summer against the ravages of high temperatures and density altitude, are now in their happy place. Ramps need plowing, the T-hangar door is frozen closed, the fuel truck won’t start, and there is a waiting list for deicing.

Ceiling 80

Ceiling Airplanes Weather Density Altitude 80

Plane and Pilot

OCTOBER 3, 2024

As for outright performance, the Gweduck “will hold altitude on one engine.” Precisely what the single-engine ceiling is, the team can’t say. “We We just fly the thing around at 1000 feet, so the ceiling, we don’t know. Sealed mil-spec connectors are used on all engine compartment wiring due to so much water about.

Airplanes 62

Airplanes Rudder Knot Aileron 62