A Cherokee pilot is cautioned to not to try to scare his passenger, only to find out how scary an engine failure is for all aboard. It's clench time!

A ski landing on the Alaskan ice succeeds ... by inches.

A hurried takeoff induces an Arrow pilot to miss a fundamental engine control.

A Bonanza pilot suffers a catastrophic engine failure but lands safely using a synthetic vision system.

Hot weather, an overloaded airplane, and bad advice create a dangerous chain of events. Be glad you're on the ground!

In the chaos of a forest fire, a reconnaissance pilot forgets rule one: fly the plane.

When the alternator fails, the battery is supposed to be good for 30 minutes. But when it quits after only 18, how do you get the gear down?

A dual alternator failure in IFR, at night, on a twin just out of annual - what could possibly go wrong? Have your flashlight and raincoat handy and climb into the right seat.

The possibility of landing at night in the country's biggest swamp motivates a Cherokee to fly an engine-out approach very carefully.

A newly-minted instrument pilot falls into the impending clearance trap. Cinch up that harness and expect some turbulence!

An unsuspecting cross-country pilot gets "thumped" by an F-16.

Poor decisions are made to satisfy an impatient right-seater.

A 172 pilot on a family outing encounters the perils of flying IFR - standing for "I Follow Rivers."

It's nice having a deep-voiced controller to save your bacon when you're icing up in hard IMC in the mountains.

Interesting things happens when a Maule pilot attempts a night landing with no runway lights.

An Archer pilot considers his options in the fuzzy area inbetween IFR and VFR.

Assuming he's all alone at a remote strip, a back-country pilot neglects to use the radio to self-announce ... as does the other pilot in the pattern.

Flying in and out of tiny airstrips in the jungles of the Philipines creates unique challenges, and a podcaster tries to pronounce Philipino names in "Lagubang Lessons."

Turbulence, wind shear, and the necessity of tightening your seat belt to avoid continually banging your head on the airframe all contribute to a memorably uncomfortable flight.

A 172 pilot learns that not everyone loves airplanes as much as pilots do.

If it weren’t for the roar of the 230-horsepower Continental engine, you could have heard a pin drop. We would have preferred to hear the gear drop.

A Bonanza pilot discovers that there is normal "Chicago winter cold" and then there is "popped-door winter cold."

An electrical failure in IMC requires instruments to be read by matchlight. (Originally published in the Feb. 1997 issue of 'AOPA Pilot' magazine.)

A Champ pilot underestimates his passenger's weight with nearly disastrous consequences.

Two military aircraft arrive at the same beacon simultaneously, with one going twice as fast as the other.