Air Facts

MARCH 26, 2025

The airspeed indicator registered 55 knots, close to the Cessna 172s stall speed. But as I banked into my final approach, my heart sank. I did the worst thing possible and tried to lose altitude by steepening my approach. Time seemed to freeze as I floated in ground effect.

Knot 52

Knot Runway Pilot Tail 52

Air Facts

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024

An incomplete summary description of FASF is whether the airplane made it out of ground effect. That phenomenon is best named Failure to Achieve Sustained Flight (FASF). This is more theoretical than practical for visual AOA, but can affect some proposals such as a general aviation stick shaker. No math required.

General Aviation 98

General Aviation Pilot Approach Airplanes 98

Photographic Logbook

JANUARY 25, 2025

Not Cool, Man After transitioning across multiple sectors of Boston Center's vast airspace, the home stretch found us on with Boston Approach under a crisp, blue New Hampshire sky. With as much as 25 knots of tailwind, we made the flight from Sodus to Alton Bay in only two hours. It was only half full of parked aircraft.

Runway 68

Runway Airplanes Threshold Approach 68

Chess In the Air

JUNE 24, 2022

This is consistent with Rick’s report, which referenced 9 knots of wind. Note that a 43 knot gust from a direction of 190 degrees was measured at 17:39, one minute after the accident (provided that the time stamp is accurate). The ADSB trace shows Shmulik’s ground speed of 92 kt as he began his final turn.

Pilot 52

Pilot AGL Wind Shear Runway 52