I Learned About Flying From That

In this episode, host Carl Valeri is joined by Eric Crump, Vice President of the Aerospace Center for Excellence, as he recounts a critical situation during a commercial pilot training flight. While flying at night in a Cessna 172RG high above a cloud deck, Eric and his crew smell electrical smoke in the cockpit. With no visible horizon and freezing temperatures threatening rapid ice accumulation in the cloud layer, they are forced to shut down the master switch, leaving them completely without electrical power or navigation equipment

Faced with a total electrical failure, degraded weather conditions below, and a thick icing environment during descent, Eric shares the crucial decision-making process, teamwork, and flight instructor instincts that allowed them to manage multiple compounding emergencies and land safely.

When an explosive engine failure at 900 feet AGL completely covers the windscreen in oil and cuts all electrical power, routine checkride prep suddenly becomes a low-altitude emergency. Flight instructor Mike Pavlik and student pilot Nicolas Kirchner join host Carl Valeri to recount their harrowing Piper PA-28 flight out of Lakeland, Florida. They break down the split-second decisions required to manage a violent mechanical failure, lost communications, cockpit smoke, and pattern traffic—delivering vital lessons on airmanship, resource management, and keeping your cool when everything goes wrong without warning.

In this episode of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri is joined by Boeing 777 pilot and aviation attorney Chris Pezalla to recount a challenging flight during the COVID era. After diverting to a Central Florida airport to wait out a storm, Chris faced an unexpected runway incursion while taxiing for departure in wet weather with obscured airport markings. Chris shares how communicating with Air Traffic Control restored safety, how he handled a follow-up inquiry from the FSDO, and why filing an Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS/NASA) report is crucial for every pilot.

Sponsored by Avemco Insurance.

What happens when a well-intentioned Flight Instructor lets a rusty student "dig a hole" during a cross-country flight? In this episode, host Carl Valeri is joined by flight instructor, mechanic, and aviation writer Jamie Beckett, who recounts a humbling 1992 New England flight where inadequate planning, misplaced confidence, and misidentified landmarks led to a surprise landing on a U.S. Army helicopter field.

Join Carl and Jamie as they break down the critical lessons learned about pre-flight briefing, overcoming complacency, and why owned mistakes make everyone a safer pilot.

In Episode 133 of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri welcomes back airline pilot and aviation attorney Chris Pezalla to discuss a harrowing mechanical failure during a tailwheel checkout flight.

What started as a routine practice session in a Cessna 140 quickly turned into a critical emergency. During climbout in the traffic pattern, Chris and his instructor discovered that the elevator flight controls were jammed. When forcing the controls freed the elevator with a loud bang, the aircraft pitched nose-down toward traffic on a nearby highway—only for the elevator to jam again.