Decoding your first METAR and the weather shorthand every pilot has to speak
Learn to decode every element of a METAR report with this step-by-step guide for student and private pilots.
PatternAll Articles
Every article from Radio Hangar - aviation history, technology analysis, flight training, destinations, and news.
Five aircraft shaping the future of American air combat
Five military aircraft programs are reshaping American air combat, from upgraded legacy jets to autonomous drone wingmen.
TowerBudget airlines push for two point five billion in federal fuel relief
US budget carriers seek $2.5 billion in federal fuel relief as jet fuel above $4/gallon threatens ultra-low-cost routes and regional airports.
TowerFAR ninety-one dot one oh three and the most important regulation you're probably not following all the way
FAR 91.103 requires pilots to review all available information before every flight - here's what that actually means in practice.
PatternThe SWISS Airbus A three thirty rejected takeoff at a hundred and four knots in Delhi
A SWISS Airbus A330 rejected its takeoff at 104 knots in Delhi after an engine fire, injuring five during evacuation.
TowerThe passenger medical emergency at eight thousand feet and the decisions that matter before you ever key the mic
How to handle a passenger medical emergency in flight, from declaring an emergency to choosing the right airport and landing safely.
PatternHermeus and the Mach five airplane that wants to make New York to London a ninety-minute commute
Hermeus Corporation is building a Mach 5 combined-cycle engine to make New York to London a 90-minute flight - here's where they actually stand.
VectorTom Reilly and the XP-82 Twin Mustang that took twenty years to fly again
How Tom Reilly spent two decades restoring the world's only flyable XP-82 Twin Mustang from a rusted hulk in an Ohio field.
TaildraggerRyanair CEO warns Wizz Air and airBaltic may not survive the winter as fuel costs spike
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary warns that Wizz Air and airBaltic may not survive the winter as rising fuel costs squeeze margins.
TowerThe bombing of Guernica on April twenty-sixth, nineteen thirty-seven and the afternoon that changed aerial warfare forever
On April 26, 1937, the Condor Legion bombed the Basque town of Guernica in a three-hour attack that changed aerial warfare forever.
TaildraggerThe checkride disapproval that happens before you even start the engine
Avoid the most preventable checkride failure by verifying every document, endorsement, and aircraft record before exam day.
PatternThe GE Aerospace Catalyst turboprop and the first clean-sheet engine design general aviation has seen in half a century
The GE Aerospace Catalyst is the first clean-sheet turboprop engine for general aviation in 50 years, promising 16% better fuel efficiency.
VectorThe MQ-25 Stingray and the Navy's unmanned tanker revolution
The first production MQ-25 Stingray completed its maiden flight on April 25, 2026, marking a milestone in unmanned carrier-based tanker aviation.
TowerFlying Legends at Duxford and the warbird airshow where history never left the ground
Flying Legends at Duxford is the world's premier warbird airshow, flying WWII fighters from the same grass where they once scrambled for battle.
RampMerlin Labs and the autonomous flight AI that wants to turn every airplane into a self-flying machine
Merlin Labs is building a retrofit autonomy system that has already flown King Air turboprops with zero human intervention.
VectorFAR ninety-one dot two oh five and the equipment list that keeps your airplane legal for day and night VFR
FAR 91.205 defines the required instruments and equipment for day and night VFR flight using the A TOMATO FLAMES and FLAPS mnemonics.
PatternEugene Bullard, the first Black combat pilot who flew for France because America wouldn't let him
Eugene Bullard, born in Georgia in 1895, became the first Black combat pilot in history, flying for France because America refused him.
TaildraggerThe Secret Visual Language Between Fighter Jets and Civilian Pilots That Decides How an Intercept Ends
Every pilot should know ICAO's visual intercept signals - the wing rocks, squawk codes, and responses that determine how a military intercept ends.
TowerThe thunderstorm twenty miles ahead and the three options you have right now
When a thunderstorm appears on your cross-country route, you have three options - only two of them are safe.
PatternThe Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik pulled from a Russian lake and the quest to fly the most-produced warplane in history
The story of how the most-produced military aircraft in history was pulled from a Russian lake and restored to flight.
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