The Pitts Special, Curtis Pitts, and the Little Biplane That Built American Aerobatics
The Pitts Special biplane transformed American aerobatics into a world-class program - and Aviat Aircraft in Wyoming still builds new ones today.
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Every article from Radio Hangar - aviation history, technology analysis, flight training, destinations, and news.
The Precautionary Landing, the Off-Airport Option Every Cross-Country Pilot Forgets Exists, and the Judgment Call That Saves Lives Before the Engine Makes It for You
The precautionary landing is a deliberate decision to land before a manageable situation becomes an emergency - and knowing when to use it can save your life.
PatternThe Tenerife Runway Collision, the Five Words That Changed Aviation Phraseology Forever, and Why Every Transmission You Make Has to Mean Exactly What You Say
The 1977 Tenerife collision killed 583 people over ambiguous radio words - here's exactly what every pilot must know about standard phraseology.
PatternThe Texas Air Guard F-16 Ejection Near Traverse City, the ACES Two Seat That Saved a Life, and What Every Pilot Should Know About Military Traffic in Shared Airspace
A Texas Air National Guard F-16 went down near Traverse City, Michigan during a training flight; the pilot ejected safely - here's what pilots need to know.
TowerThe Überlingen Midair, the TCAS Resolution Advisory That Could Have Saved Seventy-One Lives, and the Rule Every Crew Has to Own Before the Box Speaks
The 2002 Überlingen midair killed 71 people when a crew followed an ATC instruction instead of their TCAS Resolution Advisory - and changed how the industry trains pilots forever.
VectorTrim Discipline, the Hands-Off Test Every CFI Uses, and the Bad Habit That Sneaks Into Every Student's Muscle Memory
Trim discipline separates pilots who manage an airplane from those who fight it - learn the hands-off test CFIs use and how to re-trim every phase of flight.
PatternWrong Way Corrigan, the Curtiss Robin He Nursed Across the Atlantic, and the Navigation Error Nobody in America Ever Believed
On July 18, 1938, Douglas Corrigan landed in Ireland claiming he'd followed the wrong end of his compass - a story no one believed and everyone loved.
TaildraggerADS-B Spoofing, the GPS Foundation That Makes the Whole System Vulnerable, and the Electronic Attack Falsifying Position Data Across Three Continents
GPS spoofing is silently falsifying aircraft positions across the Middle East, Baltic, and Caspian regions, exploiting a fundamental authentication gap in ADS-B that has no short-term fix.
VectorBedford, the Hill, and the Funding Fight Behind Every Clearance You Have Ever Received
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford testified before Congress on September 15 seeking sustained funding to keep ATC modernization on track - a fight that affects every flight in the national airspace.
TowerBeijing's New Airspace Lockdown, the Skyscraper Crash That Triggered It, and What International Pilots Need to Know Before Filing for China
China implements sweeping new airspace restrictions around Beijing effective September 20, 2026, reshaping approach and departure corridors at both major airports.
TowerCal Rodgers, the Vin Fiz Flyer, and the First Flight Across America
In 1911, Cal Rodgers flew a grape-soda-sponsored Wright biplane from Brooklyn to Long Beach in 84 days, becoming the first pilot to cross the United States by air.
TaildraggerCarbon Monoxide in the Cockpit, the Cabin Heater That Hides the Leak, and the Silent Incapacitation That Creeps Up Before You Realize Anything Is Wrong
Carbon monoxide from a cracked exhaust system can silently incapacitate a pilot before any symptom feels serious - know the signs and carry a detector.
PatternCarl Ben Eielson, the Fur Ship Nanuk, and the Arctic Search That Cost Alaska Its Greatest Bush Pilot
Carl Ben Eielson pioneered commercial aviation in Alaska before disappearing over the Bering Sea on November 9, 1929, sparking one of aviation history's most dangerous search operations.
TaildraggerCatalina Airport in the Sky, the Ridge-Top Runway Twenty-Six Miles Off the California Coast, and the Channel Crossing That Every Western Pilot Has to Make Once
A complete pilot's guide to flying into Catalina Airport (KAVX) - the ridge-top runway 26 miles off the California coast, with channel crossing prep and approach briefing.
RampClaire Chennault, the American Volunteer Group, and the Shark-Toothed P-Forties That Were Already Fighting Japan Before America Knew It Was at War
Before Pearl Harbor, roughly 100 American pilots were already flying combat against Japan under Claire Chennault - the story of the Flying Tigers and how tactics beat technology.
TaildraggerClass Delta Airspace, the Part-Time Tower, and the Airspace That Reverts to Golf When the Lights Go Out
Class Delta airspace vanishes the moment a control tower closes - understanding what replaces it is essential knowledge for any cross-country pilot.
PatternClyde Pangborn, the Gates Flying Circus, and the Forty-One Hours Over the Pacific That the Barnstorming Era Made Possible
How barnstormer Clyde Pangborn's years hanging off biplanes above county fairs gave him the skills to complete the first non-stop transpacific flight in 1931.
TaildraggerDag Hammarskjöld, the Douglas DC-Six Albertina, and the Ndola Crash That Has Never Been Explained
The 1961 crash of UN-chartered DC-6B Albertina, which killed Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld near Ndola, remains officially unexplained 65 years later.
TaildraggerF-16 Crashes in Northern Michigan, Pilot in Stable Condition After Ejecting
Radio Hangar explores F-16 Crashes in Northern Michigan, Pilot in Stable Condition After Ejecting.
TowerFAR Ninety-One Point One Fifty-Nine, the Hemispheric Rule, and the Altitude Decision Every Cross-Country Student Has to Own Before the Examiner Asks
A complete guide to FAR 91.159's hemispheric rule - how it works, why the +500 feet matters, and how to build a full altitude decision for your cross-country.
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