Episodes
Sometimes we conduct a careful preflight, and we still don’t find everything that might go wrong under the cowl. This Bonanza pilot discovered fuel all over the engine—after returning to the airport.
Published 09/21/23
A pilot practicing aerobatics nearly lost a critical part of the airframe of his project Pitts S-1, a problem that couldn't be found during preflight.
Published 09/08/23
Instructor Josh Harnagel acquired a Beech B36TC Bonanza and was flying on a work trip when the turbocharger failed, leading to an off-airport landing.
Published 08/23/23
Pilot and instructor Doug Rozendaal recounts stories of flying the Douglas DC-3, Beech 18, and Cessna 402 across the upper Midwest for a freight operation—and key lessons on avoiding or mitigating icing encounters..
Published 08/09/23
An expert pilot in the airshow and movie business recalls a shoot in Hawaii when a trio of cables appeared where they had not been before, and almost killed him.
Published 07/27/23
A former flight test pilot for the U.S. Navy had two encounters with icing--in a Piper Seneca and in an Aero Commander--that he'll never forget.
Published 07/14/23
A former Air Force pilot was taught to always follow the procedures—but a foray into weather almost cost him his life as a student.
Published 06/29/23
Helping a cousin get to college orientation turned exciting for pilot Ford von Weise, and the ensuing emergency caused a VIP aircraft to break off its approach.
Published 06/16/23
Pilot Tom Hill heard a loud bang and saw something fly off of the front end of his 1974 Cessna 210, and the closest runway was at one of the busiest airports in the U.S.
Published 06/05/23
Pilot Ryan Worley suffered an electrical system problem in the Cessna 172 he was flying, exacerbated by the fact the ammeter wasn't working to clue him into the issue.
Published 05/10/23
After the photo mission was done, the wake turbulence generated by a PT-19 trainer was enough to upset a Cessna 170, as pilot and photographer Leonardo Correa Luna found out.
Published 04/26/23
John Jordan shares stories from early in his career flying out of California's wine country, in a Warrior and a 172, that illuminate why preflight planning is crucial.
Published 04/05/23
Musician and pilot Christine Mortine was flying a mission for the Recreational Aviation Foundation when she had engine trouble and applied her backcountry training to the resulting off-airport landing.
Published 03/22/23
Al Cerullo transformed his experience flying helicopters in the Vietnam combat zone into a career flying aerial photography for a long list of movies and TV shows in his Eurocopter AS355 Twin Star in New York.
Published 03/08/23
Instructor Matt Keane found himself over the marine layer with a failed engine and an electrical system on the discovery flight he was conducting. Find out how he managed the emergency.
Published 02/21/23
When pilot Jim Desmond thought he was ready to fly a two-thirds-scale homebuilt Mustang in which he had no experience, he set himself up for a serious lesson.
Published 02/07/23
With an F-4 Phantom throttles stuck in full burner—what does a crew do? Pilot Brad Hood tells the story.
Published 01/24/23
A flight taking a day-VFR-only airplane in the darkness led airshow pro Matt Younkin to re-evaluate how he got there, and consider next time to listen to his gut instincts.
Published 01/04/23
Air boss, controller, and private pilot Wayne Boggs took the opportunity to ferry a Piper Arrow across the Caribbean, and ended up in an encounter with instrument conditions, without a rating.
Published 12/22/22
With a career spanning the military, the airlines, and pilot training, Skyborne Airline Academy's Ed Davidson shares key lessons learned in two incidents from his flying experience, including an assist to a light twin ailing over the Caribbean.
Published 12/08/22
Kevin LaRosa, aerial coordinator for "Devotion" and "Top Gun: Maverick," was flying an Airbus AS350 AStar, near Grants Pass, Oregon, and pressed on into deteriorating visibility. LaRosa came to the "commit point" with fuel and got into a tight spot.
Published 11/22/22
U.S. Air Force Capt. Aimee Fieldler took a student up for a training mission just before their check ride—and got caught by rapidly changing weather upon landing back at Annapolis, Maryland.
Published 11/15/22
Pilot Gary Figgins recalls a flight with a colleague flying in the left seat, when the engine in the Cessna 182 they were flying in experienced a total power failure over the hilly terrain of southeastern Missouri.
Published 10/31/22
Pilot Chris McClure made fast work of a fire in a Cessna 150 towplane, including restrictions to visibility inside the airplane.
Published 10/14/22
Pilot Jack Henion thought it was bad enough to have an electrical failure in a Cessna 210 over the mountains, until he learned what it would take to fix it.
Published 09/30/22