Behind the Cockpit Door: Insights from Joel Turpin
In this episode our guest is Joel Turpin, a veteran pilot whose flying career spans everything from Piper Cubs and DC-3s to Boeing airliners and the Pilatus PC-12. In this episode, Joel shares stories from more than five decades in aviation and discusses his recent article, The Captain is Lying—one of our most-read pieces of the year. We talk about passenger perceptions, emergency landings, and how technology has changed the pilot-passenger relationship. Whether you’re a student pilot or an experienced airline captain, Joel’s thoughtful, candid reflections offer lessons for anyone who takes flying seriously.
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31:42
Alex Sack—Do Crash Videos Really Make Us Safer Pilots?
In this episode of the Air Facts Podcast we welcome Alex Sack, a commercial pilot and longtime contributor to Air Facts. Alex is known for his sharp insights and willingness to question the status quo, and his article “Do Crash Videos Make Us Safer Pilots?” was no exception. With more than 70 comments, it became one of the most discussed pieces on the site — raising important questions about how we process accidents and what role, if any, social media plays in promoting safety. In this episode, we dig into Alex’s perspective and the broader implications for pilots, educators, and content creators alike.
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37:05
The Arrogant Pilot—Peterson Conway
Peterson Conway is one of the defense tech industry’s biggest power brokers, recruiting for some of the buzziest defense and hard tech firms in Silicon Valley. Conway regularly commutes from the Carmel area in California to Silicon Valley in his Cub. On one particular flight, in the early morning darkness, Conway failed to pull out a flashlight when he was checking his fuel gauge and, as a result, misread the gauge which led to landing on a highway into oncoming traffic. Walking away with no injuries (to anyone), Conway recounts the events and the many lessons learned in this episode of the Air Facts Podcast.
About Air Facts Podcast: The Story Behind the Story
Welcome to the Air Facts Podcast: The Story Behind the Story, where we go beyond the written word to bring you the voices and experiences behind the articles you read at AirFactsJournal.com.
Each episode, we sit down with Air Facts contributors to learn more about them and to hear the story behind their story. What inspired them to write it? What lessons did they take away? And what can we all learn from their experience? Now sit back, relax, and join us for the Air Facts Podcast: The Story Behind the Story.
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