Table of contents for November/December 2025 in Plane & Pilot

Aviation heritage takes on many forms and is carried on by people from all walks of life, tackling tasks that are crucial to the preservation of the historic monuments that these aircraft are. Among this group are museum staff and volunteers around the country that showcase the skills and dedication necessary for this mission, down to the smallest technical detail, though their work is sometimes less visible to the public. On the Hudson River along the western shore of New York City, one such place is the Intrepid Museum. The aircraft carrier USS Intrepid launched in 1943 and took part in World War II, the Vietnam War, and recovery for space missions. It has been a museum since 1982 and contains military aircraft from the 1940s onward, the Concorde supersonic…

Since 1965, Plane & Pilot has been a trusted copilot of aviators across the nation—a source of expert insight, technical deep dives, historical tidbits, and the latest news from the industry we all know and love. From flight reviews of the newest airplanes to hit the market to the intricate history of rare warbirds, we’ve seen it all in the 60-year history of this publication. But, let’s be honest, most general aviation magazines are also jampacked with similar stories, experiences, news, and reviews. Since first getting my hands on this publication, I’ve wanted to shake things up, and thanks to the support of my leaders and coworkers at Firecrown Media, we’re going to do just that. Beginning in January 2026, we will be launching a new look, feel, and entirely…

ACROSS 1 First woman to fly a plane, Blanche _____ 4 Experimental aircraft, the _____ Velocity Twin 8 Height, related to sea level 11 ____ breeze 12 Horizontal air motion 13 Strategic nuclear missile, abbr. 14 ____ turn: anything greater than a 45-degree bank 16 Aluminum symbol 20 Not secured properly 21 Aircraft timekeeper 22 Bismarck Airport’s state, abbr 23 Spin like a propeller 26 Low in temperature 27 Ripped 29 _____ 500L, a concept plane created by Otto Aviation 31 Radio frequencies 33 For each 35 Astronaut, ___ Grissom 36 They’re measured in knots 37 Texas Top Aviation founder and owner, Hank ____ DOWN 1 The “S” in MOSAIC 2 Condition in which a reciprocating engine has exceeded maximum manifold pressure allowed by manufacturer 3 Melt 4 Keep plane in operational condition 5 ____’n…

Conversation around the airport hangar crowd generally rotates among subjects covering lots of topics, including what this or that airplane is like, which one does this or that best, which is the best performer—things that are long on opinion and frequently more speculation than fact. And then someone will say, “What about homebuilts?” and I feel eyeballs turn toward me. I’ve only flown a few dozen homebuilts, out of the hundreds of amateurconstructed experimental designs out there, so I’m hardly an expert. But I am emboldened to render a broad-based opinion, although it’s probably delivered sharply enough to offend some of the hearers in the group. Homebuilts are different, I’ll begin. There are no surprises, and very few breakthroughs, when it comes to light aircraft design. Every airplane is a…

By the mid-1960s, Cessna Aircraft Co. had been enjoying considerable success with its model 172, which began a decade before as a tricycle-gear upgrade to the tailwheelequipped 170B. Modifications had transformed it into a swept-tail Skyhawk, with electric flaps and “Omni-Vision” windows. Still, it retained the strutbraced wing and squared doors from the 1940s. Clearly, it was time to start planning for a next-generation Cessna—the plane of the ’70s. It would be a high-wing airplane but one without struts, an innovation already planned for the 210 Centurion. This required a massive center-section structure, which added weight. A National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)—the precursor to NASA—64 A215 laminar-flow airfoil was chosen, and the desired enhanced cabin room caused the wing to be mounted farther aft than in the 172. To…

If you’re an adrenaline junkie, wild wanderer, or someone who simply relishes the tranquility of some of the Mountain West’s most picturesque landscapes, encountering the unexpected is often part of the journey. But when those unexpected moments turn life threatening, Two Bear Air Rescue (twobearairrescue.org) serves as a vital lifeline to do what other rescue operations simply cannot. Serving Montana, Idaho, and parts of Wyoming, Two Bear Air has utilized a Bell 429 helicopter and will soon use an Airbus H145 D3 equipped with a hoist to lift injured hikers, snowmobilers, swimmers, equestrians, dirt bikers, and climbers out of some of the most dangerous terrain in the country. “There wasn’t an aviation resource in the [Flathead] Valley besides ALERT [before Two Bear Air’s founding over a decade ago],” said Two…

Beech 23 Waupaca, Wisconsin/Injuries: 2 Serious NTSB Report: CEN24LA001 The private pilot who had approximately 169 hours bounced the lowwing airplane twice during landing, so he initiated a go-around. During the go-around, the airplane veered to the left off the runway and collided with a grass hill near the runway. The airplane came to rest upright and had substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. PROBABLE CAUSE(S): The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the go-around, resulting in a runway excursion and an impact with terrain. Cessna 182R Olathe, Kansas / Injuries: None NTSB Report: CEN24LA002 According to the pilot, before departing for the approximately one-hour…