Taking Off Podcast – Aviation Life

Dan and Christy discuss the crash of Air Midwest 5481 that took 21 lives on January 8, 2003 at Charlotte International Airport.  And now another 1900D has crashed in South Sudan just a few weeks ago.

Dan and Christy talk about new career opportunities for her as an airline pilot, and also what the lifestyle is like working flying the big jets.

Dan and Christy pull the veil back on what it's like to film the studio talk show “In The Hangar” and recall their favorite moments so far. Season 9 to record on March 7-8 2025.

: From the Archive, Dan and Christy, in the early months of Covid were able to meet Mike and Mark Patey for the first time and talk to them about how they got started.

FAA is implementing a couple new changes to the airman medical certificate, including different procedures for testing color blindness and classification of medicals that are deferred to the FAA for guidance.  Dan talks with Aviation medical Examiner Dr. Drew Sambell to talk about the changes and other medical questions.

Dan and Christy talk about VFR Flight Plans and why they're hardly used for today's General Aviation pilot in the US.

Merry Christmas from the TakingOff Team!  Bryan Turn of JustPlaneSilly joins Dan and Christy to talk about how becoming a pilot has changed no pilot things in everyday life.

Dan and Christy talk updates in their lives, including what took Christy off flight status for a month and how you can teach an old dog new tricks as Dan learns something new and challenging in aviation.

Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals is announced as the 3034 Roberto Clemente Award Winner. We go back to 1972 and examine the plane crash that took the life of MLB Great Roberto Clemente. The Roberto Clemente Award is given to the MLB player that best represents the game through Character, Community Involvement, and […]

Dan and Christy talk about the list of celebrity pilots, beyond the very commonly known ones, there are quite a few you might be surprised to learn are pilots.  How many did you know?  And yes, we left out Alton Brown and several others.

From the In The Hangar archives, Dan and Christy interview DPE Joe Casey about the physiology of Spatial Disorientation and how easy it is for a person to get upside down and never realize it.  The condition has led to many airplane crashes, notably Kobe Bryant's helicopter pilot and more recently the crash of a […]

Dan and Christy sort through the data to determine if it is indeed safer to fly versus drive.  To come to the correct conclusion, you must separate commercial airline travel from General Aviation.  The data comes from the McSpadden Report and an article done by the Pilot Institute: https://pilotinstitute.com/is-flying-safer-than-driving/

Garmin or Aspen/Genesys? Dan and Christy talk about whats new, including upgrades to avionics in both of their planes and Dan's upcoming helicopter training.

William LeBaron recounts his story of landing on an airstrip owned by a Tribe in Arizona. LONG: Dan talks with William LeBaron about his experience landing at a private airtrip on a Reservation in Arizona, believing he had permission.  Even after getting second permission, the Tribe's Fish and Game officials impounded his Mooney M-20 and […]

Dan Bass, a single pilot on a small plane, passed out because of carbon monoxide poisoning while flying.  He awoke crashed in a snowy field.  His story is riveting.  Dan and Christy talked to him first in studio, then got an update on location at EAA Airventure.  This podcast combines both interviews.

With the recent Brazil crash of an ATR-72, Dan and Christy look back to 1994 and discuss the American Eagle Flight 4184 that crashed near Chicago on Halloween. The plane had been put into a hold in icing that overran the plane's anti-icing ability and affected the airflow over the control surfaces.

Is the DPE shortage getting worse? Designated Pilot Examiner and Major Airliner Line Check Airman Joey Johnson joins Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy for a talk about life as a DPE and as a Line Check Airman. Joey also talks about his non-profit foundation to help veterans transition into the aviation field.

Dan and Christy talk with Bryan Turn @JustPlaneSilly about his leaving the IT field and in his middle-age, making a career shift to airlines.  But what is his path?  What are his struggles?  Is the Pilot Shortage over or did it even exist?

Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk about EAA Airventure 2024 of what to see and what to do AND they have a pair of weeklong passes to give away.  Just leave a comment below answering why you're deserving.  The team will read and vote on who receives them and announce it this Sunday evening (July […]

From the archive, one of the very first episodes of In The Hangar, Christy hosts some OshKosh veterans about their best advice for attending EAA Airventure whether you're a first-timer or an experienced Osh-goer, something for everyone!

Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy sit down for a debrief of the much anticipated skydiving jump in honor of the 100,000 subscribers achievement.  Did Christy freeze at the door?  Did she pull the chute or did her instructor?  Let's find out what went right and what went wrong.

It's T-Minus Two Days before the big jump.  Two years ago, Dan and Kerry ambushed Christy on camera at Airventure and Christy declared she would jump when the channel hit 100K in subscribers.  That has now happened and Christy is getting ready to depart a perfectly good airplane.  How does she feel about?  Let's find […]

Dan (@TakingoffDan) was heading out to do an exciting backcountry trip with aviation superstars Mike Patey (@MikePatey) and Cory Robin (@flycory) when they got the sad call– Two young men were missing out on Utah Lake and they were needed to conduct search and rescue. The two aviators have been volunteering for years to go […]

Christy has made the move from right seat, First Officer at Envoy to the left seat as Captain.  She talks about the struggles and joys of making the move and how sim training and IOE went.

Jimmy, from Jimmy's World chats with Dan and Christy about cars, planes and auctions.

Dan (@TakingOffDan) and Christy (@PilotChristy) talk with FAA Regional Administrator Rob Lowe about the FAA and how they work with pilots on issues of safety.  They also take questions from a studio audience.

Learn to Fly US when International join Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotCHristy for this weeks Taking off podcast.

On this episode of The Taking Off Podcast, we talk to the creator of the Aviation Accidents / This Day in History Facebook page.

From the ARCHIVES Flying Clubs with Bryan Turner Are Flying Clubs a possible answer to the high cost of purchasing an airplane? How do Flying Clubs work? Bryan Turner from @JustPlaneSilly sits in the Host chair and asks the questions from two different Flight Club organizers, Christy Wong (@PilotChristy) of the Aerovalley Flying Club and […]

Updated Dan (@TakingOffDan) and Christy (@PilotChristy) talk about the struggles, victories and defeats in their battle with weight loss.  In flying General Aviation, weight is an important issue on these airplanes, and besides the obvious of being more healthy, weight can make a difference in the cockpit

Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy play the game of posing certain situations for Christy to advise on best possible paths to become an airline pilot.  If you would like Christy to possibly address your own situation, go to the YouTube page for this podcast and leave a comment with your scenario.

Dan @TakingOffDan is joined by Joe Casey and Robert Johnson to investigate the theory that twin engines are better than one. Is it safer? Do two engines double what you can carry?

Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy reminisce about their favourite and most memorable episodes fo the aviation talk show “In The Hangar.”

From the Archives, Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk to Chandra Patey and Suzy Patey about being married to aviation superstars Mike and Mark Patey. Captured on location at Stearman Field in Kansas.

It was the deadliest US crash with the Boeing 727 collided with a small Cessna 172 in San Diego and resulted in some big changes in air travel and in the way air space is controlled.  Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotCHristy talk about the crash the its aftermath.

LONG: Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk about Christy's extraordinary chance to be the first officer on an Envoy test flight to a Jamaica Airport that has never had an airliner land on it! Sounds like the perfect job for the Embraer E-175.

Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy update the listeners to whats happening at the TakingOff Channel — and what's going on in each others life.

Small airports are the backbone of General Aviation, but what kind of obstacles and problems do they face?  And are they dying?  Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk with Sharlette Wright of the Cleburne Municipal Airport and Brad Stanford of the Dublin, Texas airport to learned more about what drives small airports in the United […]

Listen in as Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk about what life is like during the holidays for airline pilots.

Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk about the back story on her Envoy E-145 video about the venerable regional jet's last flight for Envoy and retirement to the desert. She takes a look at how groundbreaking the jet was. Watch the YouTube video here

Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk with James Spearman of Spearman Aircraft to talk about the shortage of airplane mechanics for General Aviation and also the benefit of the electronic ignition.

Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy sit down with Charles Cook, the founder of a new aviation video network, Aeroverse.  The new network will have over 300 aviation titles covering everything flying from lighter than air to the trip to the moon.

LONG: Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk about what's going on at the TakingOff YouTube chanel and Christy talks strategy as to why she's delaying as long as possible the move to the Captains seat.  Also, a new sponsor is testing out the channel to see if it would be a good partnership—so check out […]

Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk to Seth @CommercialPilotinCommand who is a Commercial Pilot in Florida and makes his living from his certificate.  From ag flying to banner towing, there are a lot of jobs for pilots in which to make a living these days without necessarily going to the airlines.

October 20, 1977, a Convair crashed while transporting the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt and 5 others were killed while 20 survived. Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk about the crash and what led to the plane going down.

Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy, are joined by aviation funnyman Bryan Turner @JustPlaneSilly to talk about career changes, or “second acts.”  Bryan has worked in IT all his adult life and is considering the change to becoming a professional pilot.

Many pilots find it intimidating to talk over the radio with ATC. Dan @TakingOffDan and Christy @PilotChristy talk with Center Controller Scott Pinkerton and Tower Controller Matt Wells about the issue and how best to communicate with ATC and get over the fear factor.

Dan (@TakingOffDan) and Christy (@PilotChristy) talk about the recent rash of general aviation crashes, including the gut punch of the Richard McSpadden accident in the Cardinal out of Lake Placid, NY. The two also talk about what's coming next for the channel.

The Pros and Cons of the Airline Pilot Schedule—Christy @PilotChristy talks to Dan @TakingOffDan about the good and the bad of the schedule airline pilots have to keep in order to get the job done, balancing work and home for the best possible mix.

An Air Canada 767 experiences fuel exhaustion due to paperwork mistakes at over 40,000 feet.  The airplane has to glide to a safe landing and the only place in reach is an old shut down military base that the first officer used to fly out of.  Unfortunately, this day, it was being used for go-karts.  […]

AviatorAir in Grand Prairie, Texas, providing their Baron multi engine plane and instructor Reagan so that Dan Millican @TakingOffDan, Bryan Turner @JustPlaneSilly, and Colten Mortgage owner Brant Phillips could try a full immersive week of multi engine training culminating in their checkride. Starting late on Monday, with checkrides scheduled for Thursday and Friday, the trio […]