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 te...
Jun 27, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 390
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 signifi...
Jun 21, 2025•52 min•Ep. 389
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 fin...
Jun 13, 2025•44 min•Ep. 388
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...
Jun 06, 2025•57 min•Ep. 387
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...
May 31, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 386
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 th...
May 23, 2025•18 min•Ep. 385
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 Vi...
May 22, 2025•37 min•Ep. 384
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 gr...
May 17, 2025•51 min•Ep. 383
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 s...
May 10, 2025•44 min•Ep. 382
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...
May 03, 2025•52 min•Ep. 381
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 com...
Apr 22, 2025•46 min•Ep. 380
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 f...
Apr 11, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 379
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 ...
Apr 04, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 378
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 f...
Mar 29, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 377
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 airlin...
Mar 21, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 376
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 n...
Mar 15, 2025•55 min•Ep. 375
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 col...
Mar 12, 2025•31 min•Ep. 374
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 paperw...
Mar 07, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 373
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 dis...
Mar 01, 2025•53 min•Ep. 372
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 ...
Feb 26, 2025•14 min•Ep. 371
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 secur...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 370
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 discrepancie...
Feb 15, 2025•34 min•Ep. 369
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 laun...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 368
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 ...
Feb 07, 2025•56 min•Ep. 367
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 ...
Jan 31, 2025•17 min•Ep. 366
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 t...
Jan 24, 2025•58 min•Ep. 365
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) certif...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 364
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,...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 363
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 h...
Jan 03, 2025•27 min•Ep. 362
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...
Dec 26, 2024•55 min•Ep. 361
