This paper presents experimental and computational work aimed at understanding how individual pads behave in a tilting pad journal bearing under limited lubrication. Instrumented testing revealed that insufficient flow leads to oil film aeration at the axial edges rather than classic leading-edge starvation, along with elevated temperatures near the pad edges. These seemingly counterintuitive results were later confirmed through a multiphase CFD fluid-structure interaction model that captures pad tilt, shaft position, heat transfer, and air-oil phase distribution. Together, the experiments and simulations challenge common bearing assumptions and improve understanding of pad-level behavior and its impact on bearing performance and dynamics.