I Learned About Flying From That

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 thermal, Terry noticed the stick was progressively getting further forward until it became stuck full forward. This left him unable to push forward to descend and flying dangerously close to a stall speed at around 7,000 feet. Finding himself in "deep deep strife" with virtually no pitch control, Terry spent about two hours at altitude, floating in thermals and figuring out how to fly the glider in this precarious state. Standard stall recovery procedures were impossible with the stick stuck forward, and radio assistance was unavailable. He managed to return to his gliding club's field and executed a challenging "long low slow circuit," making a difficult landing by basically "flopping in" close to the ground. Initially criticized by the duty instructor for his landing, the severity of the emergency was revealed when, while examining the stick, the damaged elevator link strut – a metal control rod that had failed due to fatigue – finally snapped off completely, showing the elevator was no longer connected. Terry later learned that he was the only person known to have successfully landed an ASW15 with this specific failure; other instances had resulted in serious crashes. The incident profoundly taught him at a young age that flying, despite being enjoyable, is also a "dangerous business" where unexpected events can occur. He learned the critical importance of trusting his gut feeling when something feels wrong and adhering to aircraft manual procedures. This episode is brought to you by Amco Insurance.

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 proficient hand flying and quick thinking. After declaring the engine failure and contacting NorCal, he began troubleshooting while maintaining his best glide speed. However, battling heavy rain and downdrafts, Tim realized his descent rate was higher than expected, and he wouldn't make the initial airport NorCal vectored him towards, which was surrounded by suburbia. This critical realization forced a rapid decision and a change of course towards what he hoped would be more suitable terrain. Breaking out of the clouds at a low altitude, he faced the daunting task of selecting and landing on an unconventional off-airport site under challenging muddy and crosswind conditions. The landing, while successful in preserving life and aircraft integrity, presented its own immediate set of problems with the aircraft sinking into the mud. What followed involved navigating interactions with a gruff local farmer, law enforcement, and the FAA, all while trying to understand the mysterious engine failure. Ultimately, the cause of the engine issue was identified, and the challenging process of recovering the aircraft from the field, with the farmer's reluctant assistance, became another chapter in the story. Tim shares the powerful lessons learned about the importance of aircraft knowledge, maintaining pilot proficiency, critical situational awareness, and the absolute necessity of pre-planning flights, even IFR ones, with VFR charts to understand the ground below. His experience vividly illustrates astronaut Frank Borman's quote: "A superior pilot uses his superior judgment to avoid situations which require the use of his superior skill".

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 taxiing amongst crowds at an airshow. Philip shares the vital lessons learned that day about trusting your instincts and the importance of a thorough post-flight inspection. This is a chilling reminder that even experienced pilots can be fooled by the familiar, and that a moment of doubt warrants immediate investigation.

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.

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. 

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. 

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 glimpse into future episodes. Join us for a memorable episode full of laughter, learning, and a shared passion for aviation.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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? 

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.

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?

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. 

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.

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.

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? 

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.  

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

Joey and Rachel Brown give their Cessna 150 a workout hand-flying 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

With a failing engine and unforgiving terrain all around, flight instructor Mark Henshall had a decision to make about whether or not to turn back to the runway. Also, picking up a mayday from a fellow pilot comes to a difficult end only to be followed by a surprising revelation.

Finding the right teacher can be complicated, but when a flight instructor falls asleep on a student's first-ever lesson it raises red flags. Also, low visibility and a failure to communicate lead to a head-to-head close call in the pattern.

A pilot faces an instrument failure in the clouds and recalls how a decision to head home in the dark—despite having never flown at night—led to a harrowing experience in the pattern.

Experienced pilot Al Hewitt was proficient, current, and ready to go for a short IFR trip he'd made many times before, but when he broke out of the clouds on a familiar approach nothing was as expected.

Wanting to build flight time and under pressure from another pilot, a young aviator decided to take a jump plane up for one last flight in spite of dangerously low fuel indications and the approaching sunset.

During a night proficiency flight, a pilot was practicing partial panel IFR when he had an emergency he did not expect.

Pilot Victor Vogel was left with only a flashlight and a pencil following a total electrical system failure in his Beech Sierra—and he was headed straight for the nation's capital region.

Pilot Scott Tomlinson hopped into his RV-6, ready to take his girlfriend on a flying date to Ocracoke Island. But a skipped part of the preflight just about ruined their day together.

An Air Force Warthog pilot suffered an engine failure during a training mission, but was his course of action the right one?

Pilot Charles Turner witnessed an accident and tried to save one of the occupants. It took him 20 years to share the story, and where it led him.

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.

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.

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.

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..

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.