I Learned About Flying From That

In this episode of the I Learned About Flying From That podcast, host Carl Valeri welcomes guest Tom Frink to discuss his firsthand experience with an in-flight engine failure that forced him to land on a busy Florida highway.

Frink, an experienced flight instructor, recounts the moments leading up to the incident, his training and decision-making process, and the aftermath of the successful emergency landing. He shares his insights on the importance of recurrent training and maintaining situational awareness, especially in general aviation. This episode is packed with valuable lessons for pilots of all experience levels and highlights the resilience and preparedness necessary for safe flying.

In this episode of the I Learned About Flying From This podcast, host Rob Reider interviews Heidi Porch, a retired airline pilot who survived a harrowing emergency landing in the Pacific Ocean. For a pilot who admitted a lifelong fear of swimming, Heidi details the technical and psychological challenges of ditching a Cessna 182 during a ferry flight from California to New Zealand in 1984.

In this episode, host Rob Reider speaks with Kevin Winder, a veterinarian and pilot from Alberta, Canada, who experienced every pilot's nightmare: a total engine failure during a routine cross-country flight.

Former Army helicopter pilot and fixed-wing aviator Jim Desmond returns to I Learned About Flying From That to share a harrowing story from March 1973. While attempting a flight from Fort Riley, Kansas, to Colorado Springs, Jim fell victim to a severe case of "get-there-itis."

Spatial disorientation accounts for less than 10% of fixed wing GA accidents; but among those, the fatality rate is 90% - a horrible statistic that hasn’t declined in the past two decades even with significant advancements in avionics. Host Rob Reider chats with Dave Speranza, who at the time was a non-instrument-rated pilot who inadvertently found himself in IMC. He’ll share how it affected him and how he handled the situation. 

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