Aviation News Talk – Pilot Stories, Safety Tips & General Aviation News

Max Trescott teams up with Tom Turner—executive director of the American Bonanza Society’s Air Safety Foundation—to help listener Marc Brodecki weigh options for earning his private pilot certificate. Marc, a 39-year-old aerospace engineer in Los Angeles with glider experience, is evaluating three flight training options: a nearby tailwheel-focused school (that includes a Stearman), a larger flight school at Torrance using Sling aircraft, or buying and learning in the Beechcraft Bonanza he eventually wants to own.

Tom provides extensive guidance on Bonanza ownership. He discusses which Bonanza models (S-35 or early V-35...

Max Trescott takes listeners inside the cockpit of the future in episode 390, as he shares his firsthand experience flying the fully electric Bristell B23 Energic trainer and talks with executives from H55, the Swiss company behind its electric propulsion system. This in-depth episode explores the technical, operational, and strategic aspects of electric flight training aircraft.

The B23 Energic is a joint project between Czech aircraft manufacturer BRM Aero and H55, the latter founded by the team behind the Solar Impulse aircraft that flew around the world on solar power. Max discusses how H55...

Max Trescott interviews Dr. John Trowbridge, a physician and former senior Aviation Medical Examiner, to tackle a hidden yet critical safety topic: how over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications contribute to general aviation accidents. Studies have found that up to 40% of fatal accidents involve pilots with impairing substances in their system—ranging from allergy medications to sleep aids to alcohol. The problem? Many of these substances are legal and even commonplace, yet can significantly degrade judgment, memory, attention, and coordination.

Dr. Trowbridge emphasizes that many pilots—and even their doctors—are unaware of FAA wait-t...

Max Trescott welcomes aviation columnist, aerobatic instructor, and DPE Dr. Catherine Cavagnaro to explore smarter ways to plan cross-country flights. The conversation is inspired by Catherine’s June 2025 AOPA article titled “The Benefits of Getting High,” which argues that pilots often default to lower cruising altitudes or direct GPS routes without considering efficiency or safety trade-offs.Catherine explains that pilots should dig into their aircraft’s POH (Pilot’s Operating Handbook) to find performance charts that highlight how altitude affects both time and fuel efficiency. For her Bonanza, she found that the highest true airspeed at 65% pow...

Max talks about common gotchas with RNAV GPS approaches, especially when using vectors to final (VTF). The conversation picks up where Episode 383 left off, with listeners asking how vectors to final (VTF) influences glidepath capture on WAAS approaches.

He explains that under normal circumstances—flying the approach via own navigation from an initial approach fix (IAF)—the GPS glidepath doesn’t turn magenta or allow autopilot coupling until the FAF becomes the active waypoint. The magenta color indicates that the GPS receiver has completed a signal quality evaluation, verifying that the WAAS signal is goo...

A cabin door pops open just after takeoff. It’s noisy, surprising—but the aircraft is still flying just fine. So why are general aviation pilots still crashing and dying in these scenarios? In this episode, Max explores the unsettling trend of fatal accidents caused not by mechanical failure, but by how pilots react to in-flight distractions—specifically, an open cabin or baggage door.

In just the first five months of 2025, four U.S. GA crashes involved doors opening shortly after takeoff. Three were fatal; the fourth resulted in serious burn injuries.

Max w...

Max Trescott examines the tragic crash of a Citation S550, N666DS, in San Diego during an attempted RNAV (GPS) 28R approach to Montgomery Field at approximately 3:46 AM. After departing Teterboro, NJ, and making a fuel stop at Wichita's Jabara Field, the pilot continued westbound overnight.

After refueling, the flight continued to San Diego, where the Montgomery Field AWOS was inoperative, and weather was marginal. The pilot requested weather at nearby airports.

The aircraft correctly crossed the final approach fix PENYY at 2500 feet but then flew below the glide path and...

Max Trescott and Rob Mark launch the first episode of NTSB News Talk, diving into NTSB agency news, recent accidents and newly published NTSB reports to help pilots better understand accident causes and improve decision-making in the cockpit. Please help us improve the show by sending us your feedback here. To hear future episodes of NTSB News Talk, Follow or Subscribe to the show in your podcast app.

They begin with a surprising administrative shake-up: the unexplained termination of NTSB Vice Chairman Alvin Brown . Rob questions the lack of transparency, pointing out how an independent ag...

Max tackles a common frustration among pilots: why RNAV (GPS) glide paths sometimes fail to couple with the autopilot. A recent Facebook post from a pilot flying a Cirrus SR22T triggered the discussion, as the poster encountered exactly this problem during an LPV approach, mistakenly attributing it to an expired database. Max explains that the real culprit was a fundamental misunderstanding of RNAV approach procedures.

Unlike an ILS glide slope, which is a physical radio beam transmitted from ground equipment, an RNAV glide path is a computed construct generated by the aircraft’s...

Max Trescott shares his top recommended settings for Garmin avionics systems, specifically the G1000, G1000 NXi, G3000, G5000, and the Cirrus Perspective and Perspective+ systems. These configuration tips enhance situational awareness, flight safety, and pilot efficiency—and many also apply to Garmin standalone navigators like the GTN 650 and 750.

The episode begins with a critical safety upgrade: switching the Traffic Page vectors from Absolute to Relative. Unlike absolute vectors (which only show heading), relative vectors display a target aircraft’s flight path in relation to your own—allowing you to detect potential collision courses earlie...

Dr. Victor Vogel, a former oncologist turned flight instructor, founded the nonprofit Susquehanna STEM to the Skies to improve STEM education in rural Pennsylvania. The aviation-based STEM program was launched to address declining science and math scores among students, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. By combining aviation concepts with hands-on learning, the program offers a powerful way to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in real-world contexts.

Victor discovered that aviation offers rich, practical applications for STEM—such as flight navigation, time-speed-distance calculations, weight and balance, and engineering challenges. At the heart of th...

In this special crossover episode, Max Trescott, host of the Aviation News Talk podcast, appears as a guest on Dr. Tony Kern’s Only Human podcast. The two aviation safety advocates engage in a candid, insightful conversation that bridges their shared backgrounds in aviation, safety culture, and leadership.

The episode begins with a segment called “This Week in Safety Land,” spotlighting a tragic helicopter crash involving tourists over the Hudson River. The Director of Operations (DO) at the company involved chose to cease operations pending investigation, only to be overruled and fired by the CE...

Max talks with ferry pilot Sarah Rovner, founder of Full Throttle Aviation, about her adventures and challenges flying planes across continents. Sarah stumbled into ferry flying when she helped deliver a plane and quickly found herself flying everything from gliders to agricultural aircraft across Central America and even the Atlantic. Her unique edge wasn’t just piloting—it was handling the complex international paperwork required for cross-border flights.

Sarah explains the nuances of flying foreign-registered aircraft, using handlers, and dealing with customs and regulatory hurdles in countries like Mexico and Canada. She...

Max discusses engine-out scenarios and best glide strategies, prompted by listener feedback on Episode 372, which analyzed the crash of a Bonanza B35B (N2UZ) that suffered engine failure at 7,500 feet near Charlottesville, VA. Although the pilot did many things correctly, he overshot a long field and crashed. Max highlights choices that might have improved the outcome, such as flight following and alternate route planning.

Listener emails, read by Aviation News Talk intern Kelly, offer insights and experiences. Karen Larson shares how a conversation about the episode helped her husband safely...

Max talks with Dr. Tony Kern about human error, airmanship, and the hidden threats pilots pose to themselves. Tony shares how his passion for understanding error began with the tragic loss of two of his former B-1 bomber students in 1992. The crash, attributed to "a failure of airmanship," prompted him to research the elusive meaning of that term—work that eventually led to his book Redefining Airmanship.

Beyond medical transport, they assist military veterans by flying them to camps designed for rehabilitation, as well as special events like Major League Baseball ga...

Max talks with Adam Broun of PALS SkyHope, a volunteer pilot organization that provides free air transportation for medical patients, veterans, and others in need. Founded in 2010 by three pilots in the Northeast, PALS SkyHope has conducted over 34,000 flights, serving more than 4,000 families.

Beyond medical transport, they assist military veterans by flying them to camps designed for rehabilitation, as well as special events like Major League Baseball games. They also provide commercial airline tickets, through partnerships with JetBlue and Southwest, as backup transportation.

Safety is a major...

Max talks about the NTSB’s final report on the fatal crash of a Piper PA-28-140 in Moab, Utah, in October 2023. The crash killed a North Dakota State Senator, his wife, and their two children. The probable cause was spatial disorientation due to somatogravic illusion, leading to controlled flight into terrain.

Despite being an experienced military helicopter pilot with over 2,000 flight hours, the pilot had limited fixed-wing and night-flying experience. The crash occurred on a dark night with no moon, conditions that significantly increase accident risk. ADS-B data shows the ai...

The NTSB held a press conference to provide preliminary findings from the flight Max talks about new findings from the NTSB Preliminary Report on the midair collision over the Potomac River involving a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a PSA Airlines regional jet near Reagan National Airport (DCA). The episode features audio from NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy and DOT Secretary Sean Duffy, highlighting the systemic risks in the airspace.

The report reveals a history of frequent near-midair collisions at DCA, with 85 close encounters (under 200 feet vertical, 1,500 feet lateral separation...

Max talks with Ranferi Denova about what pilots need to know about flying small planes to Mexico, though the advice applies broadly to international flights from the U.S., including to Canada and the Caribbean. Ranferi assures pilots that flying to Mexico is safe and rewarding, provided they plan ahead and follow proper procedures.

He details aircraft and pilot documentation requirements, such as an airworthiness certificate, insurance, and an FCC radio license. He also explains essential paperwork, like the Mexican flight permit (A IU) and the newly required LOPA...

Max gives and update on the Learjet crash in Scottsdale and the crash of a Cirrus SR22 in Santa Barbara. He also analyzes the crash of N2UZ, a Bonanza B35B, which suffered an engine failure at 7,500 feet while flying over Virginia. The well-trained pilot attempted to glide to Charlottesville Airport (KCHO) but crashed in a wooded area just beyond a 3,000-foot-long field. ADS-B data shows that the aircraft’s10.2:1 glide ratio was insufficient to reach the airport from its initial altitude. He discusses factors that could have altered the outcome, including diverting to Snow Hill, a...

Max talks with Connor Hailey from ForeFlight about their new aircraft insurance comparison tool, designed to help aircraft owners evaluate their insurance policies. The tool allows users to upload their current policy, which is analyzed using AI to extract key details. Pilots can verify and adjust their information, including certificates, ratings, and flight hours, which ForeFlight Logbook can auto-fill. The tool then compares the extracted policy details against an aggregated range of similar policies, showing whether the premium is fair.

The tool is currently only available to U.S.-based aircraft...

Rachael Webster recounts the surreal experience of having her airplane stolen from Palo Alto Airport. Initially mistaking the tampered aircraft for a kind gesture, she later received a call from the club informing her that her Citabria had been stolen and flown toward San Carlos with its transponder off. The aircraft was eventually discovered, nose-down but largely intact, on a beach south of Half Moon Bay. The thief, a man calling himself “Sun Rock,” had allegedly sought to expose airport security flaws. After landing, he went for tacos and was promptly arrested.

Th...

The NTSB held a press conference to provide preliminary findings from the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) related to the January 29 midair collision near Reagan National Airport between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a PSA Airlines CRJ regional jet. The Black Hawk was conducting a checkride with night vision goggles and was following FAA-designated helicopter routes. The CRJ was cleared for a visual approach to Runway 33.

The investigation revealed discrepancies in altitude readings from the Black Hawk’s instruments, raising concerns about possible erroneous al...

Max interviews Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB investigator, to discuss the accident investigation process, in relation to the DC midair collision. Jeff explains ICAO Annex 13, the international standard that guides accident investigations worldwide. He details the NTSB’s congressional mandate to investigate every civil aviation accident and explains their resource constraints, which often require FAA inspectors to assist.

The conversation covers the NTSB’s investigative process, including the launch of a GO team for major accidents, the role of accredited representatives, and the importance of securing accident sites. Jeff discusses the retr...

Max provides updates on the midair collision over the Potomac River between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a regional jet, followed by an analysis of the fatal crash of a Learjet 55 in Philadelphia.

Regarding the Potomac collision, the episode clarifies earlier reports about the Black Hawk's flight path, noting that it was slightly off its assigned helicopter route but not landing at Reagan National. Preliminary findings indicate that the helicopter was higher than permitted and slightly off course. The episode also examines ATC staffing at the time of...

Max discusses the tragic midair collision at Reagan National Airport between a PSA Airlines CRJ700 regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. The midair crash over the Potomac River was captured by a Kennedy Center webcam.

ATC instructed the Army helicopter to follow the airliner to Runway 33, but it did not comply. The helicopter was not transmitting ADS-B Out, though its position was tracked using Mode S transponders. TCAS alerts are disabled below 400 feet, meaning the pilots had no automated warning. Nighttime perception challenges likely contributed to the...

Note: There is a video version of this episode for Patreon.com supporters at the $20/month level, which also gives you access to over 90 other videos. Max Trescott talks with Patrick Lienhart about FlySto.net, a platform bringing Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) to general aviation (GA). FOQA, widely used by airlines, collects and analyzes flight data to enhance safety by identifying trends before they lead to incidents. FlySto applies similar principles, allowing GA pilots to review their flights, compare data, and track performance improvements.

FlySto offers multiple perspectives, i...

Max talks with Jim Goldfuss about his journey from a career in logistics and retail to fulfilling his dream of flying professionally with PlaneSense, a fractional aircraft ownership company. Growing up around aviation, Jim earned his private pilot’s license in 1989 but paused his flying ambitions due to financial constraints. Decades later, with stable finances and family support, he resumed training, earning his instrument rating, commercial license, and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) certificate between 2020 and 2022.

Jim credits his time as a CFI with sharpening his aviation skills and communication abilities, which pr...

Max talks with Dr. Mark Alford, who shares his journey transitioning to the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet. He completed a nine-day type rating course in Knoxville, preparing through extensive study and simulator sessions to master the jet’s systems and emergency procedures.

Mark highlights the challenges and rewards of his Supervised Operating Experience (SOE) with Max, which involved 25 hours of mentorship to remove his type rating restriction. They undertook diverse flights, including weather flying, night landings, and mountain approaches, like Eagle County Airport’s challenging RNAV GPS approach and high-performance departure. Mark...

In this Aviation News Talk episode, Max Trescott analyzes the recent crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216, a Boeing 737-800, in South Korea. The aircraft landed gear-up on runway 19 at Muan International Airport, slid down the runway, hit a concrete berm, and burst into flames, leaving only two survivors among the crew. He performed a video analysis of the aircraft’s speed along the runway and concluded that the aircraft didn’t slow until after it left the runway, suggesting the engines were still at high power during the slide.

The incident unfo...

Max talks with Jason Blair, a DPE, about multi-engine ratings and training challenges. Jason explains that most pilots pursue multi-engine ratings as add-ons to their commercial certificates. He advises following an efficient training path: private single-engine, instrument rating, commercial single-engine, and finally, the multi-engine add-on.

Challenges with multi-engine training include mechanical delays, as many trainers are older aircraft, and higher accident rates during instruction. Jason highlights the VMC demonstration as a critical yet risky maneuver that simulates engine failure. Pilots must maintain control and recover methodically by managing power and airspeed, a...

Max talks with Dr. Catherine Cavagnaro about the value of advanced flight training and aviation experiences. Catherine shares her family tradition of gifting adventures instead of physical items, often involving flights to places like Fredericksburg, Texas, or Ireland, blending fun, learning, and aviation.

They discuss using flight training as a “gift to oneself,” encouraging pilots to pursue new ratings or specialized courses to improve skills. Catherine highlights the instrument rating for enhancing precision and multitasking, and the commercial rating for smoothing out flying and improving passenger comfort. She advocates for specialized train...

Max talks with Dr. Quay Snyder, an expert in aerospace medicine, about the critical role of sleep and fatigue management, especially in aviation. Dr. Snyder delves into the structure of sleep, emphasizing the importance of REM sleep for emotional recovery and memory consolidation, and deep sleep for physical restoration. He provides practical advice, such as maintaining a cool, dark, and quiet sleep environment, avoiding heavy meals and screen exposure before bed, and adopting consistent pre-sleep routines. Writing down worries and using relaxation techniques like box breathing can further improve sleep quality.

C...

Max talks with Dr. Catherine Cavagnaro about the dangers of "timid turns" in traffic patterns, where overly shallow bank angles can lead to overshoots and potentially dangerous skidding turns. Catherine recounts a case where a pilot overshot final approach due to excessive speed and timid turns, underscoring how these habits can increase the risk of stall-spin accidents.

They explore the physics of turns, emphasizing that speed impacts turn radius far more than bank angle. A 30-degree bank is both safe and effective, increasing stall speed by only 7% while significantly reducing turn...

Max talks about the tragic crash of a Robinson R44 helicopter (N881KE) in Houston on October 20, 2024, which claimed four lives. The accident occurred during an air tour when the helicopter collided with a radio tower at night. While the immediate cause—the helicopter hitting the tower—is clear, the episode delves into the broader contributing factors, offering lessons for all pilots.

The tower struck was lit and operational despite a recent NOTAM suggesting otherwise, but a significant factor was the operator’s recent move to a new location. This change introduced risks as pil...

Max talks about discuss the tragic crash of a Beechcraft B55 Baron, N73WA, that departed from Catalina Island in Southern California on October 8th. The flight, taken in dark night conditions, sadly resulted in the loss of all five onboard, including two Certified Flight Instructors and two student pilots. Somatogravic illusion—an effect where acceleration feels like a climb—likely played a role in this incident. This sensation can mislead pilots into pushing the nose down, risking a controlled descent into terrain, especially dangerous during night departures over unlit areas.

Coincidentally, I flew...

Max talks first about the fatal crash of N57HP, a HondaJet, which crashed earlier this week during takeoff from Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ. The aircraft reached 133 knots on the runway, well above the rotation speed of 115 knots, before rejecting its takeoff.

Max also talked with Rob Mark about a near-miss incident at Chicago O'Hare involving Envoy Flight 3936, an Embraer 170. The incident took place on September 25th, when the aircraft was cleared to land on Runway 10 Center but mistakenly landed on Runway 10 Left instead. This misalignment was the result of multiple small...

Max talks with Eric Peterson, Director of Santa Clara County Airports, discussed the landmark arrival of G100UL, an unleaded 100-octane aviation gasoline, at Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, making it the first airport in the U.S. to offer GAMI’s G100UL fuel. Santa Clara County, motivated by studies linking lead exposure to nearby airports, decided to phase out leaded fuels in 2022, initially adopting Swift’s UL94 fuel. However, the new G100UL caters to aircraft needing higher-octane fuel, expanding lead-free options for pilots.

To encourage adoption, GAMI is offering incentives: airc...

Max talks about how to respond to system failures, including those not covered in the POH. The process starts with assessing the severity of the failure—whether it’s a minor inconvenience or a threat to safety. Pilots should determine if they can substitute other instruments or indicators for the failed system and assess if the issue could lead to cascading failures, such as an engine fire after a turbocharger malfunction.

Choosing the right place to land is also crucial. Not all failures require an immediate landing, so if time permits, pilots should cons...

Max talks with John Kinard of AeroLuxe Aviation, based in Nashville, which operates a fleet of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, including R44 and R22 helicopters. Following Hurricane Helene, the company became involved in relief efforts after seeing the devastation in North Carolina. John contacted the Ashville, NC EOC, and was told that help wasn’t needed. Nonetheless, AeroLux decided to fly three R44 helicopters to the disaster area to see how them might assist.

The helicopters operated out of a base at a Harley-Davidson dealership in Asheville, which had been converted into a co...