Flight for the Human Spirit Podcast

A week after being delayed on the take-off of his Transcontinental flight and Michael Combs is at peace knowing that all things are moving to their appointed place. Recorded at the US Aviation hangar on the day before the flight that will take Hope One to Carlsbad, CA...Michael shares the events of the week, and one of the greatest lessons that he has learned from The Flight for the Human Spirit.

It took nearly two years of planning, practice and preperation, but Hope One is now flying onward to Carlsbad, CA where we will stage for a Transcontinental Flight that begins on Saturday. This podcast is from the night before departure and brings you the latest statistics from this incredible project that has inspired more than 26 million people.

Throughout the world, we have adopted a philosphy of creating and producing products and services that are just "Good Enough." As consumers, we are getting used to spending our money on cheap and simple items and as employees and citizens we are conforming to just giving the bare minimums that equal "Good Enough". Our economies are failing, and our true potential is being shut out. How high can you fly? How far can you go...if you let yourself soar?

After flying over 25,000 miles into 49 states and 159 airports...everyone was curious as to how the REMOS Light Sport Aircraft held up. In this episode, pilot Michael Combs discusses the status of The Flight for the Human Spirit as well as his impressions of the Sun n Fun Airshow. Recorded from Meridian, MS...Michael is awaiting a strong storm system to pass before he returns to his home base for several speaking engagements. So was the REMOS a good choice for an endurance flight? Listen in and find out.

One of the common questions that Michael Combs has been asked as he has traveled across the country in a Remos Light Sport Aircraft: "Is Mission Control really real?" Yes...it is! Michael's son Steve has devoted much of his time throughout The Flight for the Human Spirit to taking on the various tasks of Mission Control from Monitoring Weather, Tracking the progress of The Flight, and issuing a "Go/No Go" status. It is a position that carries a large level of responsibilities, but also a comes with many rewards. But what does Steve fly on a day to day basis? Find out in this interesting episode!

By popular request, here is the episode that you've been waiting for! Michael Combs and Bob Warner discuss the adventure of flying over the Canadian wilderness in a Remos Light Sport Aircraft. The weather was "unsettled" according to the forecasters, and the risks were great as the two began their flight day from Boeing Field in Seattle, WA. The route led them to Vancouver, then onward to Kamploops and Prince George, British Columbia. Imagine just what it is like listening to an airline attempting to land in heavy winds at an airport that you are heading toward...or deciding to leave the safest route to fly over some of the most rugged country found on earth. It all happened on The Flight for the Human Spirit. This is history in the making and certainly will become a collector's edition as you listen to the actual words and experiences of these two pilots.

The Flight for the Human Spirit has succeeded at flying further than around the world! This history making flight has taken much dedication as well as the heart and soul of Michael and Michele Combs as they put everything on the line to encourage more than 20 million people to follow their own dreams and make them into a reality. In this episode Michael and Michele bring you up to date on the last scheduled days of the route since departing from Seattle, and bringing Hope One to Lake Havasu for an Air Show and speaking event. They are driving from Lake Havasu City, AZ to Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert in a rented Nissan Versa on thier way back home the next day via a commercial flight. During this episode they are surrounded by European motorcyclists, who may be fans of The Flight for the Human Spirit...or simply may be trying to help the Nissan get better highway mileage.

The Flight for the Human Spirit has made it safely to Alaska and back to the "lower 48." Canadians appreciated the message behind The Flight and that they were included in a piece of aviation history. Bob and Michael experienced adventure, grandeur, and a lesson in patience as they waited for the weather to clear. The amazing part of this portion of The Flight is that a westerly route opened up and saved many days of waiting for the primary route to become clear. Listen in as we hear about the flying conditions and how good it feels to see the end of this amazing journey approaching.

California is now behind the tail of Hope One and the route has been changed to head into Canada as soon as possible. Michael has announced Bob Warner as the member of the Flight Crew who will accompany him through Canada and Alaska. The Canadian government does not recognize the Sport Pilot's License so Bob will serve as the Pilot in Command. The journey will take more than 1,200 nautical miles and three flying days to reach Juneau which will be the Alaska stop. Upon reaching Juneau, they will return along the same route. In this episode Michael discusses the flight legs from San Diego to Eugene, OR. Why was San Diego a spiritual stop for Michael? Find out by listening to this episode.

The Flight for the Human Spirit has reached the West Coast! In this episode, Michael Combs describes how The Flight progressed from Salt Lake City to San Diego, CA. He has now finished covering the hot desert regions of the Southwest and is now heading northward on a trek that will end in Alaska within the next few weeks. San Diego was a place that had a profound impact on helping Michael to improve his mental outlook and gain greater health that eventually led to the concept of this flight. Now as he returns for the first time in nearly seven years, he is moved to reach out and help as many as he can to encourage millions of others to follow their dreams, and to live their lives with no regrets. Today is the day to begin following your dreams, and to live your life with passion!

Flight Day #29 is nearly complete, but high winds in Elko, NV forced The Flight to stop one leg early. Upon landing in Salt Lake City, Michael Combs had officially piloted the Remos Light Sport Aircraft over 17,000 miles! Salt Lake City is the 119th stop and Utah is the 44th state. While at the airport, another weather check revealed that The Flight would be delayed due to a developing rain system in Northern Utah. This may cause The Flight to be grounded for several more days due to high winds that are once again forecase in Nevada. In this episode, you can hear the rain falling in the background as Michael describes the flight from Las Vegas to Salt Lake. What was it like to finally see Hoover Dam from the air? Listen and find out how incredible this journey is.

Three Long Flight Days brought winds, storms, and heat. With the density altitudes reading 9,200 to over 10,000 feet at take-off, Michael flies solo from Denton, TX to Henderson, NV. Good crowds and fantastic FBO's and sponsors at some stops, then no one and challenging FBO's at others. Flying at the Grand Canyon was an unforgettable moment for Michael, but so was the unexpected flight over Palo Duro Canyon in Texas. Nothing prepared him for a near collision with another aircraft who taxiied onto the runway as he was on final approach. What happened? Find out in this episode that sets the stage for the final seven states!!!

Flight Day #25 brought Hope One back to the home base in Denton, TX one last time for a photo shoot, and to regroup before setting out to fly the last 8,000 miles of this historic journey. The flight was not without problems though as an unexpected storm loomed on the horizon and Hope One experienced the second flat tire of the nose wheel. In this episode, Michael shares Ten Things that he learned while attending the AirVenture Airshow. What were the fans of The Flight like? What was it like to fly into Oshkosh for the first time? What does he really think the future of aviation holds? Find out the answers to these and other questions in this episode recorded on the day before The Flight for the Human Spirit continues on its trek to Alaska.

Hope One has safely landed once again in Oshkosh, WI. This was the 100th stop for The Flight for the Human Spirit which has now covered more than 14,000 miles. In this episode Michael talks about his flight into AirVenture 2010. He also introduces Scott Evans, the Manager of Airport Operations for The Flight. Scott is a fan who asked, "What can I do to help?" He has become an integral component to The Flight by arranging the details of each stop along the way. What is Scott's dream? Find out in this episode recorded live at the Learn to Fly Discovery Center.

The Flight for the Human Spirit returns to the sky to face an amazingly challenging day. Weather loomed up ahead that brought thunderstorms and 25 mph gusts...how far could The Flight safely go? About 100 miles from Tulsa the GPS began to flicker, 30 miles out it died. The back-up navigation system also failed. What is the best way to continue? Listen to Michael talk about a challenging day that became a test of his own Human Spirit in this episode.