Learn the two common types of jet engines and what makes them different.

I discuss why we use carburetors and the different types of carburetors in aircraft engines.

How military aircraft fly in formation, the different types of formations used, and how they deal with contingencies.

I talk about low-frequency radio ranges, a long-dead primitive form of instrument navigation.

Learn about where and why ice forms, and why it’s such a big deal to the pilots who fly through it (and try to avoid it).

I cover the different ways pilots put dumb bombs on target.

High-altitude, high-speed aerodynamics, including Mach tuck, coffin corner, and Dutch roll.

I cover the different types of airspeeds, what they all mean, and why they’re important.

I cover some details of laser- and GPS-guided weapons; how they work, tactics, and shortcomings.

Part 6 of 6: I cover gross navigational errors (GNEs), some of the procedures used in the cockpit to mitigate risk, and strategic lateral offsets, or SLOP.

Part 5 of 6: I cover performance-based requirements, including required navigation, communication, and surveillance performance; and some of the technologies we use to achieve those requirements.

Part 4 of 6: I cover extended operations, or ETOPS, and how pilots plan flights with the ability to divert to airports halfway across the ocean.

Part 3 of 6: I cover organized track systems, including the busiest oceanic airspace in the world, the North Atlantic, and its North Atlantic Tracks (NATs).

Part 2 of 6: I cover high-frequency radio, and how it’s used to send messages over the horizon, and selective calling, or SELCAL.

Part 1 of 6: I cover oceanic flight plans, including how they're received; and voice position reporting.

The basics of cross-country flying and racing in gliders, and an intro to Paul MacReady’s theory of efficient glider flight.

The different kinds of aerial refueling, its history, and its challenges.

Learn about the high-altitude redesign (HAR), non-restrictive routing (NRR), RNAV routes, and other new airspace projects.

Hypoxia, the different types of hypoxia and its signs and symptoms, and the different ways pilots have of receiving supplemental oxygen.

The first of a series covering how pilots defend against incoming missiles. On this episode: using geometry and exploiting radar.

Noise abatement departure procedures (NADPs): what they are, how they’re flown, and how they’re used to reduce the environmental impact of airliners on noise-sensitive communities.

Learn about the technologies that aircraft and ATC use to safely separate aircraft.

I cover turn circles, rate and radius, entry windows, and the basics of one-circle and two-circle fights.

Learn how we are able to fill the skies at high altitudes, even though altimeters get less accurate way up there.

I discuss the different ways aircraft are launched from, and recover to, aircraft carriers.