Here are the 30 most popular posts by number of page views:
- Bedford and the Normalization of Deviance (142,383 views)
The NTSB report on the Bedford G-IV crash has been released, and "pilot error" doesn't even begin to describe it. How do respected, well-trained, experienced pilots screw up so badly? And could it ever happen to us? Sadly, the answer is "yes".
- C-130 Bird Strike (35,236 views)
C-130 goes mano-a-mano against an Eagle. The result? See the photos for yourself.
- Aircraft Crash Videos (25,553 views)
Aircraft crash and incident videos I've gathered from various places on the internet. This is a perennial favorite, if my server logs are any indication.
- "I Don't Work for You!": A True Story (24,888 views)
Pilots who want to hire on with a major airline will tell you it's not necessarily easy. But you know what's even harder? Trying to quit! Here's a true story about a friend who tried to do just that -- and couldn't.
- Aircraft Tire Pressure (20,440 views)
Tires are probably the least sexy part of an aircraft: a ball of hot, stinky, greasy rubber. it's also the airframe component which absorbs the most punishment, so they deserve a little attention every now and then.
- Last Flight of the First Gulfstream Jet (20,069 views)
The first Gulfstream jet ever manufactured made it's first flight in 1966. It was recently retired after 44 years of continuous service with a single owner. Here's a look at the history and future of this one-of-a-kind aircraft.
- Aviation Scholarships (16,901 views)
Okay, so you want to pursue flight training but the funds just aren't there. Wouldn't it be great if someone appeared out of thin air with the money you need to achieve your goal? It's not as far-fetched as you might think...
- Gyroscopic Precession (14,652 views)
Gyroscopic precession is not well-understood by most aviators... unless they're aerobatic pilots, that is.
- Constant Speed Propeller Maintenance (14,031 views)
Physical failure of a prop blade or hub in flight is far more likely to kill you than an engine failure. So why do many pilots ignore the relatively infrequent maintenance needed by their constant-speed propeller?
- A Tragic Pile of Twisted Metal (13,964 views)
What's worse than having your pride-and-joy destroyed in an accident? Obliterating it yourself... on purpose. Welcome to the world of 21st century liability concerns. The real losers: our children.
- Gulfstream G650 Accident Report (13,863 views)
The Gulfstream G650 accident report has been published by the NTSB. While they strongly point the finger at Gulfstream, after reading the full accident docket, the takeaway for me is that given the kind of testing required by the FAA, it's a wonder accidents don't happen more often.
- About (13,371 views)
A bit about myself, my flying career, and the history of this web site.
- Archive (11,773 views)
This is a complete reverse chronological archive of all posts at the House of Rapp going back to May of 1997.
- A Day at Medfly (10,910 views)
A photographic tour of a day of flying at the California Medfly eradication program -- one of my many day jobs.
- Photos (10,484 views)
I love photography! This page highlights some favored images from my life and travels as seen through the Instagram app.
- The Red Rocket (9,375 views)
I suppose every pilot has a catalog of "dream aircraft" they'd like to fly before their gravity-defying days are over. My bucket list includes a quirky looking homebuilt called the Questair Venture. The Venture conjures up a unique set...
- No Apologies (9,262 views)
Aviators can be an ambitious lot. We want to go places (no pun intended), and feel like we should always be progressing toward larger airplanes, new ratings, more hours. Sometimes I'll hear an aviator speak in apologetic terms about their flying because they "only" fly this or that. Whether the...
- A Ball of Blue (8,630 views)
NATS, the British ATC entity, recently published a video modeling a day's air traffic over southern England. It's an impressive technical achievement, but it left me feeling sad about what's missing from the skies over there.
- Ten Aviation Blogs Worth Reading (8,497 views)
Quality writing deserves recognition, don't you think? A fellow writer prompted me to list ten of my favorite aviation blogs...
- A Starship in the Wild (8,406 views)
When I was a kid in the 1980s, Beech represented some of the most exciting and cutting-edge stuff in the world of flying. For example, the much anticipated -- and highly unsuccessful -- Starship. We came across one recently in the mountains of Colorado, and to my eyes it still looks as sweet as...
- RV Aerobatics (7,328 views)
The aerobatic community's largest untapped resource is sitting under our noses: the 5000+ experimental RVs and their pilots.
- Vmc Rollover (7,312 views)
This video of a Beech Queen Air crash in the Philippines is a reminder to every multi-engine pilot that Vmc is called "red line" for a reason and should not be trifled with.
- Most Popular Posts (7,240 views)
A list of the most popular posts at the House of Rapp.
- Team Aerodynamix (7,232 views)
Physical ability is less important that good judgment when it comes to flying... but there's no denying the impressive skill of groups like Team Aerodynamix. Take a look at this video and I think you'll be hard pressed to disagree.
- Learning to Fly -- Without An Instructor? (7,096 views)
Just how important is the instructor when it comes to learning to fly? That might be a surprising question for an CFI to ask, but the longer I teach, the more cognizant I become of the many ways in which an instructor can function as a barrier to the student's progress. And apparently I'm not the...
- G-IV Type Rating, Day 1 (6,858 views)
Day one of type rating training on the Gulfstream IV business jet. Paperwork, orientation, and first impressions.
- Jet Blue 292 (6,548 views)
Were the pilots of Jet Blue 292 heroes? The media seems to think so. I, on the other hand, make the case that they were not heroes, just aviators doing the exact thing they'd been trained year after year to do.
- Martin Mars (6,425 views)
Photos of some very impressive fire fighting done with the world's largest operational flying boat, the Martin Mars.
- Big Brother is Watching (6,237 views)
As pilots, it's worth remembering that virtually all aircraft contain computerized devices, even if they're just portable ones. They're everywhere, and they record things that can come back to haunt us later.
- Circle-to-Land Complications (5,787 views)
The FAA is adding new circling radii for some (but not all) approaches. Sounds good on paper, but I can foresee some unintended consequences that might not be too pleasant.