I Learned About Flying From That

What happens when a well-intentioned Flight Instructor lets a rusty student "dig a hole" during a cross-country flight? In this episode, host Carl Valeri is joined by flight instructor, mechanic, and aviation writer Jamie Beckett, who recounts a humbling 1992 New England flight where inadequate planning, misplaced confidence, and misidentified landmarks led to a surprise landing on a U.S. Army helicopter field.

Join Carl and Jamie as they break down the critical lessons learned about pre-flight briefing, overcoming complacency, and why owned mistakes make everyone a safer pilot.

In Episode 133 of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri welcomes back airline pilot and aviation attorney Chris Pezalla to discuss a harrowing mechanical failure during a tailwheel checkout flight.

What started as a routine practice session in a Cessna 140 quickly turned into a critical emergency. During climbout in the traffic pattern, Chris and his instructor discovered that the elevator flight controls were jammed. When forcing the controls freed the elevator with a loud bang, the aircraft pitched nose-down toward traffic on a nearby highway—only for the elevator to jam again.

Imagine landing your aircraft after a seemingly routine flight, only to find the FAA waiting for you on the ramp. In this special episode of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with commercial pilot Elliot Mintzer to discuss a harrowing experience from early in his PC-12 career. What started as a standard Part 91 contract flight from the Mid-Atlantic to Texas quickly unraveled into a multi-year legal battle that threatened to end Elliot's aviation career before it truly took off.

In Episode 131 of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with Leslie Cobble, a seasoned flight instructor and owner of flight schools in Arkansas and Hawaii. What was supposed to be a routine engine break-in flight over the beautiful shores of Maui quickly turned into a terrifying fight for control.

In Episode 130 of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with airline pilot and aviation attorney Chris Pezalla to recount a marathon time-building flight that quickly turned into a damp, late-night lesson in aeronautical decision-making.

Twenty years ago, a 19-year-old Chris and a friend rented a Cessna 152 to fly from Daytona Beach down to Key West. What started as a straightforward opportunity to build cross-country flight time evolved into a grueling ordeal on the journey home.

In episode 129 of I Learned About Flying from That, host Carl Valeri sits down with pilot Christy De La Torre and flight instructor Mac Bradley to unpack a routine instructional flight that quickly escalated into a real-world emergency.

During a cross-country check ride preparation flight from Wiley Post to Wichita Falls, Texas, Christy and Mac were practicing pattern work when a critical mechanical failure occurred. After a touch-and-go landing, Christy attempted to pull the throttle back, only to discover the throttle cable had completely severed—leaving their aircraft's engine stuck operating at full power.

In Episode 128 of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri welcomes Bill English, a veteran pilot, flight instructor, and former NTSB accident investigator with over 40 years of aviation experience.

Bill recounts a harrowing situation while flying a Cessna 172 that had just undergone a major engine overhaul. Setting out on a cross-country training flight with two CFI trainees, the crew noticed what appeared to be water condensation on the windshield shortly after takeoff. The "rain" quickly worsened, turning into a brown film that completely obscured the front windshield. They soon realized a plug in the engine's...

In this episode of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with pilot David Segel to discuss a seemingly routine night flight that quickly turned into a harrowing lesson in survival.

While attempting to regain his night currency at Alpine Airpark in Wyoming, David took off expecting a bright, full-moon lit sky to safely illuminate the surrounding 10,000-foot peaks. Instead, moments after leaving the runway, he was met with pitch-black darkness caused by an unexpected lunar eclipse. As severe spatial disorientation set in and his autopilot began blaring "Terrain! Pull Up!" warnings, David...

In this episode of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with veteran pilot Richard Sheffield to recount a harrowing incident from his early flying days in Texas.

What started as a routine solo flight in an Aeronca Champ turned into a desperate struggle for control on a gravel ramp. Richard shares the terrifying moment his engine surged during a solo hand-prop start, sending the aircraft into a clockwise pivot toward a parked Beechcraft Bonanza.

Whether you're a taildragger enthusiast or a student pilot, Richard’s story is a powerful reminder th...

What would you do if you lost your engine in the dark, less than 500 feet off the ground? In Episode 125, Carl Valeri speaks with Shreya Verma, a commercial pilot and CFI with over 2,000 hours of flight time. Originally from Nepal, Shreya shares her journey into aviation and the most intense 40 seconds of her career.

While conducting night takeoffs and landings with a student in DeLand, Florida, Shreya experienced a total engine failure at 450 feet. Against the odds, she successfully completed a 180-to-200-degree turn to land safely back on the runway. Tune in to hear her step-by-step...

In Episode 124 of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri is joined by Dan George, founder and Chief Instructor at FlightInsight. Dan shares a startling story from his early days as a CFII flying in actual Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). While shooting the RNAV approach into Maryland’s challenging Freeway Airport (W00) with a student, a perfect storm of factors—an offset approach course, older GPS equipment, patchy rain, and a short runway—led to a terrifying visual illusion right at the Minimum Descent Altitude.

In episode 123 of "I Learned About Flying From That," host Carl Valeri sits down with pilot James McDiarmid to discuss a dream cross-country flight that quickly turned into a terrifying emergency.

Cruising at 23,000 feet in his Mooney Acclaim en route from the UK to Italy, James was enjoying a smooth ride—until the engine unexpectedly quit cold over Brussels. Faced with freezing temperatures and a complete loss of power, James was forced to declare a Mayday and initiate a harrowing dead-stick glide toward an unfamiliar runway, with his wife by his side and the odds stacked against th...

In this episode of the I Learned About Flying From That podcast, host Carl Valeri welcomes guest Tom Frink to discuss his firsthand experience with an in-flight engine failure that forced him to land on a busy Florida highway.

Frink, an experienced flight instructor, recounts the moments leading up to the incident, his training and decision-making process, and the aftermath of the successful emergency landing. He shares his insights on the importance of recurrent training and maintaining situational awareness, especially in general aviation. This episode is packed with valuable lessons for pilots of all experience levels and...

In this episode of the I Learned About Flying From This podcast, host Rob Reider interviews Heidi Porch, a retired airline pilot who survived a harrowing emergency landing in the Pacific Ocean. For a pilot who admitted a lifelong fear of swimming, Heidi details the technical and psychological challenges of ditching a Cessna 182 during a ferry flight from California to New Zealand in 1984.

In this episode, host Rob Reider speaks with Kevin Winder, a veterinarian and pilot from Alberta, Canada, who experienced every pilot's nightmare: a total engine failure during a routine cross-country flight.

Former Army helicopter pilot and fixed-wing aviator Jim Desmond returns to I Learned About Flying From That to share a harrowing story from March 1973. While attempting a flight from Fort Riley, Kansas, to Colorado Springs, Jim fell victim to a severe case of "get-there-itis."

Spatial disorientation accounts for less than 10% of fixed wing GA accidents; but among those, the fatality rate is 90% - a horrible statistic that hasn’t declined in the past two decades even with significant advancements in avionics. Host Rob Reider chats with Dave Speranza, who at the time was a non-instrument-rated pilot who inadvertently found himself in IMC. He’ll share how it affected him and how he handled the situation. 

Sponsored by Avemco

A “time-saver” offered by ATC might not have been a good idea for the pilot and his wife en route to the Bahamas, putting them farther over water than they’d like and into weather they didn’t expect. Instrument-rated private pilot Kevin Reick shares that story with host, Rob Reider, and another from his instrument instruction when the cockpit got as dark as the night sky they were flying in.

Sponsored by Avemco

If you’ve ever “busted an altitude, inadvertently gone into a restricted area or other controlled airspace or something else that could get you in trouble with the FAA, they’ve offered an “out.” It’s the FAA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System and it could save you some heartburn. It’s more commonly known as the NASA report - if you’re not familiar with it, this episode of ILAFFT will be an eye-opener.

Sponsored by Avemco

As pilots, we’re taught to trust our instruments - trusting our feelings can lead to problems. But in an airplane you know very well, if there’s a strange sound or vibration, trusting your feelings might be the right thing to do. One pilot, experiencing this situation, convinced an A&P mechanic to double check a recently completed repair. What he found was a botched job that could have resulted in a catastrophic situation.

Sponsored by Avemco Insurance 

VFR Traffic Advisories, also known as “flight following,” is a service that is provided by ATC, workload permitting. But it can also be a life saver. In today’s episode, we’ll hear how controllers assisted a pilot who needed help when his engine started running very roughly and he began to lose altitude over terrain that was not at all conducive for a forced landing. The pilot was grateful for the help controllers provided.

Sponsored by Avemco Insurance 

Join Rob Reider on episode 113 of Flying Magazine's I Learned About Flying from That podcast as we meet a pilot who, fresh off earning his commercial certificate, accepted his very first flight for hire: ferrying an early, "very ragged" Cessna 150 from Connecticut to Florida. What seemed like a straightforward job quickly devolved into a tale of significant lapses in aeronautical decision-making. Bob Kamm shares just how ragged the plane was, what he had to overcome to make the flight, and what he learned about ADM!

Join host Rob Reider for episode 112 of I Learned About Flying From That with John Price, who, nearly 40 years ago, embarked on his first solo flight into Class C airspace as a student pilot. This cross-country journey became an indelible experience, despite challenging conditions like clouds, an unfamiliar airport, and situational confusion. Though family finances prevented John from earning his private pilot's license, his story is packed with invaluable 'back to the basics' lessons for all aviators. Discover how a moment of "right pavement, wrong direction" shaped his understanding of flight, proving that some lessons are learned best through...

Join host Rob Reider in Episode 111 of I Learned About Flying From That, featuring acclaimed air show pilot Anna Serbinenko, the "sky dancer". Anna recounts a harrowing incident during her Canadian Arctic Aviation Tour in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. After a successful performance, her routine post-landing 360-degree bow with air show smoke turned into an "oh sh*t moment" due to gusty, shifting winds. Anna shares the critical lessons learned, including the importance of never relaxing too soon and the need for counterintuitive control inputs in unexpected situations.

This episode is sponsored by Avemco Insurance.

Host Rob Reider interviews Pete Egan from Ireland about a harrowing flight. Pete was in the backseat of a plane not certified for instrument flight, scud running along the River Shannon from an airport near Dublin to Limerick. Despite a weather briefing recommending against VFR flight and the departing airport reporting less than VFR minimums, they took off. What they almost encountered could have cost them their lives. Discover how this incident taught Pete crucial lessons about aeronautical decision-making and the dangers of "get there-itis".

This episode is sponsored by Avemco Aviation Insurance.

In I Learned About Flying from That, Episode 109, host Rob Ryder features experienced pilot Mark Brooke, who recounts a harrowing incident from August 1979 during his air taxi days, when a seemingly easy flight from a grass field near London to Leeds became a "nailbiter". Mark, then an instructor building hours for his commercial license, faced a series of converging "holes in the Swiss cheese lined up scenarios". His predicament stemmed from fuel mismanagement – opting not to take on more fuel initially and later skipping refueling at Leeds due to cost and a belief he had enough for the return tr...

Welcome to episode 108 of Flying Magazine's I Learned About Flying From That podcast, featuring Jose Acevedo, a private pilot and military aircraft mechanic stationed at Travis Air Force Base, who holds high performance, complex, and commercial ratings despite a "circuitous route" to his private pilot ticket due to military deployments and training inconsistencies. Jose shares two critical "I Learned About Flying From That" incidents: the first involved a flight to Lake Tahoe in a TV20 Trinidad where he faced severe density altitude issues at the 6,200+ foot elevation airport on a hot day, resulting in an extremely close takeoff from...

In this episode of Flying Magazine's I learned about flying from that podcast, host Rob Reider speaks with Tom Bevard about a terrifying in-flight incident in his Cessna 140, which had been modified with Cessna 150 seats. Tom recounts how his adjustable pilot's seat, despite a pre-flight check, slid to the full aft position during takeoff just as he was about to rotate, causing the aircraft to shoot up at a high angle of attack and low speed, rapidly approaching a stall. Fortunately, his vernier throttle remained at full power. With the seat all the way back, Tom could no longer...

In this episode of I Learned About Flying From That, host Rob Reider speaks with Terry Fagg from Queensland, Australia, who shares a compelling story about a significant equipment failure during a solo glider flight in 1979. Terry was just 15 years old at the time, with about 30 total flying hours.

He was flying an ASW15, a high-performance competition glider known for being state-of-the-art but also having some quirks that made it "not real easy to fly". While climbing to altitude in a strong thermal, Terry noticed the stick was progressively getting further forward until it became stuck full...

In this episode of Flying Magazine's "I learned about flying from that" podcast, host Rob Reider speaks with Tim Kurrek about a truly challenging incident that occurred over 20 years ago. Tim, a longtime instructor with extensive tailwheel and glider experience, was on what should have been a routine flight in IMC in his trusted Cessna 180 when the engine suddenly and unexpectedly quit. With no autopilot and the gyros spooling down, Tim was immediately thrust into a situation requiring proficient hand flying and quick thinking. After declaring the engine failure and contacting NorCal, he began troubleshooting while maintaining his best...

What sounds inconsequential on the ground can turn deadly in the air. Join Rob Reider on this episode of "I Learned About Flying From That" as he speaks with Philip Harris. Philip recounts a seemingly ordinary taxi out in his Rans S6 with his father, where a familiar thump masked a potentially catastrophic propeller strike. Discover how a post-flight inspection revealed the terrifying truth: a severely damaged propeller that could have failed at any moment during their flight, or worse, while taxiing amongst crowds at an airshow. Philip shares the vital lessons learned that day about trusting your instincts...

Organization is important in every facet of life, especially in aviation. It's why we have checklists, and breaking the flow of those procedures can be hazardous to your health. While preparing for a casual flight to play golf, Dr. Baron Hamman deviated from his preflight routine to call his brother, inadvertently skipping the step of securely latching the aircraft door. Hear what happened in this episode.

A bird strike is a possibility that every pilot has to face, and they happen so quickly it's generally up to the bird to do the avoidance maneuver. In this episode, we'll meet two people who were literally inches from losing their lives when not one but two geese hit their airplane in the dark of night at an altitude of about 3,000 feet. Hear their harrowing story and how quick actions prevented tragedy. 

The internet and rise of social media have been a boon for so many around the world. But when there's a disaster, particularly one that involves an airplane, so-called experts are often quick to speculate about the cause and place blame. But there are few people out there whose reporting puts accuracy ahead of the need to be first with a story. Today, we'll meet “Hoover” from Pilot Debrief, a YouTube channel that offers aviation mishap analysis, and hear how it all got started for him. 

In this special 100th episode celebration of the ILAFFT podcast, Lisa DeFrees shares her insights and experiences from behind the scenes. We’ll take a nostalgic journey through our Top 10 favorite stories that captivated listeners over the past five years. Each tale resonates with the spirit of flying—be it the thrill of piloting, the challenges faced in the air, or the stories that connect us to the broader aviation community. As we reflect on the journey so far, we’ll also offer listeners a glimpse into future episodes. Join us for a memorable episode full of laughter, learning, and a...

Have you ever had problems locating an airport even from a few miles away? Altitude, sun angles, haze, and unfamiliarity with the airport can cause problems. And then there's the issue of which runway you should use. A VFR pilot in a Cessna 182 had a problem locating the field and the right runway and found himself very close to another airplane on approach to the correct runway. Hear what happened on this episode. 

There's a phrase used when talking about aircraft incidents that has become popular: “The holes in the Swiss cheese lined up.” And it happened to two pilots who encountered weather that almost brought them down … but not in a way one would expect. Snow-clogged engines, a cigarette lighter, differential pressures—the holes lined up. For the first time, Bob Rutherford shares the full story of what happened when his co-pilot caught fire.

Kevin Capozzi was the proud owner of a pressurized Cessna 337 Skymaster. He flew it a lot and knew its strengths and even its quirks, like fuel gauges that weren't always trustworthy. But he knew the fuel burn and meticulously kept track of it. So when both engines stopped almost simultaneously, the cause was a mystery. Hear what happened in this episode. 

On an airliner, one of the flight attendants has the responsibility to make sure the boarding door is closed and locked for the flight. On some much smaller airlines, it's the first officer's job. So what happens if it opens on its own at 8,000 feet? It's a potentially deadly situation for the plane and passengers, and it happened to today’s guest, Lori Cline. Hear her remarkable story.

Consider this scenario. You're a pilot who has a medical issue that prevents you from being PIC in your own airplane. And as you're waiting for the reinstatement of your medical, you enlist the help of a friend to sit in the right seat, the real PIC, so you can stay proficient even though you can't log it. But what if there's an incident? Who is responsible: you or the buddy in the copilot's seat?