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 ...
Jun 26, 2025•27 min
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...
Jun 11, 2025•31 min
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 t...
May 28, 2025•36 min
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 proficien...
May 07, 2025•56 min
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 ta...
Apr 30, 2025•25 min
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.
Apr 16, 2025•28 min
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.
Apr 02, 2025•33 min
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.
Mar 19, 2025•31 min
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 gl...
Mar 05, 2025•45 min
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.
Feb 19, 2025•30 min
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.
Feb 05, 2025•33 min
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.
Jan 28, 2025•24 min
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.
Jan 03, 2025•36 min
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?
Dec 27, 2024•31 min
A ride in a Mustang ignited a dream for Don Wykoff, and he followed that dream into the Air Force, becoming an instructor pilot — an IP — before moving on to Vipers. And in the Air Force, even an instructor has an instructor. So when he and another IP flew together on a long cross-country, and when the weather went below minimums at their destination, get-there-itis left them with few options.
Dec 12, 2024•35 min
On a vacation trip with his wife in their Cherokee Arrow, FLYING Magazine columnist Les Abend experienced the dreaded zero charge indication on his panel. He was VFR on top and would have to fly into the clouds to get to an airport. Would his battery have enough juice to keep the panel going? What happened? And why did it happen again on the same trip?
Nov 20, 2024•34 min
Aviation is full of acronyms. And over the years, many have been forgotten because of great strides in technology. NDB, MLS, PAR, GCA, even VOR are gone or going away. FSS is seldom used because of the availability of ADS-B weather that can be viewed on an iPad. But in 1979, not having that technology almost cost the life of a pilot.
Nov 04, 2024•29 min
NOTAMs are important. And as student pilots, we're taught to check them thoroughly before every flight. Even at our home airports things can change quickly, and NOTAMs can affect flight-planning decisions. But when one student pilot had to land at a different airport and then finally headed home, the pattern was very full. Was there a NOTAM for this congestion? Find out on this episode.
Oct 16, 2024•23 min
How well do you know the people you fly with? In corporate flight departments, you get to know the other pilots pretty well, but in the airline world, crews often meet for the first time only hours before a flight. And it’s difficult to know if the other crew member is a good stick, or even if the person is in good physical condition. On this episode, the lack of familiarity with an FO's health led to an in-flight emergency.
Oct 01, 2024•47 min
A pilot reacted quickly after the airplane he was flying went into full feather over the Amazon. The outcome was positive, but did he do the right thing?
Sep 04, 2024•30 min
After an annual inspection, condition inspection, or even an oil change, the airplane needs to be flown to make sure it’s operating at 100%. And if you’re the owner, you’ve got to do that flying. One pilot did a simple check after factory maintenance, but on his way home, he got a surprise: smoke in the cockpit.
Aug 21, 2024•31 min
This week is an amazing tale of a pilot doing something most would never want to do: ferry an airplane across an ocean. Meet the pilot, who in an unfamiliar plane, was forced to put it down in the Pacific and hear what he learned from the experience.
Aug 07, 2024•32 min
Dr. Stan Markus is an owner and lover of antique aircraft. And when the engine quit on his Stearman, away from his home airport, he only had a few seconds to find a suitable landing field that would not be a hazard to those on the ground, himself, or his airplane.
Jul 24, 2024•29 min
A recent equipment upgrade created an erroneous incompatibility with fuel flow sensing for pilot and social media influencer Kay Hall. Hear how it unfolded in this episode.
Jul 11, 2024•29 min
Landing in a parking lot on a private pilot checkride provides a powerful lesson in preparation and humility. Dave Schoen shares a story from his student pilot days.
Jun 26, 2024•37 min
Joey and Rachel Brown give their Cessna 150 a workout flying from California to Florida and back. It was all good until the final leg, when headwinds and downdrafts exceeded aircraft performance and they were no longer able to maintain altitude (even in a climb configuration). Fortunately, avoiding get-home-itis made for a happy ending.
Jun 12, 2024•38 min
Flying is unforgiving, soaring even less so. Hear how glider pilot Bob Katz turned a loss of lift out of range of his airport into a picture perfect off airfield landing on a golf course after his Plan A and Plan B didn't work out. But good outcomes of unplanned situations don't happen by chance, every flight is an opportunity to rehearse a "what if" scenario.
May 30, 2024•39 min
A low time instrument pilot launches into IMC with a gradually failing vacuum pump and learns a lesson about proficiency and instrument cross-checking. The wisdom to invite another pilot along as a second set of eyes in the cockpit likely changed the outcome of this lesson.
May 08, 2024•30 min
British pilot Mark Brooke has flown many different airplanes, from light singles and 727s for DHL to the Dassault Falcon 7X and even a Bucker Jungmeister. Hear how he handled a maintenance faux pas in a Beech Baron and his own faux pas on a downwind landing in a Tiger Moth.
Apr 24, 2024•28 min
Turbulence and windshear drove CFII Anna Serbinenko and her students to attempt a difficult diversion. Then, a search and rescue crew runs into trouble when they decide to push for their home airport following a hydraulic failure.
Mar 18, 2024•42 min
