Matt Claiborne

Have you ever wondered how high a plane can fly? Many people confuse an airplane’s “cruising altitude,” which is simply the altitude at which the pilot has chosen to fly today, with the “ceiling”–the limit of its abilities. Most planes do not operate at their ceilings very often for safety reasons. An aircraft’s service ceiling […]

Imagine flying in a world where every country had different rules. Pilots of international flights would have to mark each border they crossed by speaking to controllers in a different language or by being licensed by every government they come in contact with. In short, international aviation would be a lot harder than it is […]

Cessna aircraft are so ubiquitous that many people refer to all small piston-powered airplanes as “Cessna’s.” Their distinctive high-wing designs make them recognizable, even from a great distance. When it comes to training aircraft, the Cessna 152 and 172 are among, if not the, most popular planes for flight training in the world.  Over the […]

At the height of the Cold War, the strategic reconnaissance aircraft was a convenient piece of equipment. In the days before spy satellites and drones, one of the only ways to know what your enemy was doing was to fly over and have a look.  But doing so was extremely dangerous. Several branches of the […]

Most people know that the FAA is responsible for certifying pilots (or airmen, as the FAA calls them). But did you know that the FAA also certifies aircraft? And not just when it comes to N-numbers and registrations, either. When a manufacturer wants to build a new airplane type, the design must go through a […]

Buying an airplane isn’t unlike other major purchases one might make. It’s not much different than buying a car, a house, or a boat. You can choose new or used. You can buy a beautiful ready-to-fly example or a sorry fixer-upper. But there is a striking difference. Cars are well known to only depreciate, but how […]

Have you ever wondered what the numbers and letters on an airplane mean? On some planes, they are huge, while on others, they look tiny. And do they all start with N? Let’s answer some of these common questions about airplane tail numbers. What is an Airplane Tail Number? Tail numbers, or N-numbers in the […]

A lot of a pilot’s job occurs before the flight. There’s route planning and weather forecasts to check. There are airport procedures to study and airspace restrictions to review. But one of the most important things that a pilot must complete before every flight is a review of his or her aircraft’s performance information. The […]

Lightning is one of the most potent forces of nature. It is seemingly random, a powerful act of God that shakes you in your boots. Everyone knows not to be playing golf in a thunderstorm because metal and tall objects attract lightning. But what about airplanes? They’re made of metal and flying in the clouds!  […]

The Second World War is remembered through the airplanes that survive from it. There were land-based campaigns and naval battles, but the war was fought and won in the air. Aviation was advanced enough that it became the defining aspect of the generation – fleets of thousands of bombers and fighters zooming across the skies […]