Midlife Pilot Podcast

• EP156 - Checkride Prep Reality Check with CFII Erica Gilbert

  Checkride prep reality check with CFII Erica Gilbert! Brian passes his instrument written ("a solid grilled cheese sandwich with slightly better ingredients than Kraft singles"), Ben confesses his multi-engine notice of disapproval after chasing the CDI below the glide slope—then passed two days later—and Erica reveals her 100% initial pass rate secrets: mock orals should be 3-4 hours of pain, Day One starts with defining PIC, and exact FAA phraseology matters on every rating. Plus: 1DullGeek's Thanksgiving rant about flying with friends (the fuel leak meow incident at Clarksburg), why "what are the next two things?" might save your check ride, and the hard truth about midlife pilots—you've forgotten how to study and haven't done anything you suck at in a long time. It's a marathon, not a sprint.Audio note: Technical difficulties with our guest's audio—it's listenable but not perfect!Erica Gilbert's check ride prep secrets:Day one: Lay out ACS, FAR/AIM—"Shocking how many students had never seen the ACS""Anyone going through training needs to be their own best advocate"Find an instructor who uses a syllabus and transitions canceled flights into ground lessonsStage checks with senior CFIs at solo, solo cross-country, and pre-check rideMock oral should be 3-4 hours (your actual oral will be 1.5 hours if you know your stuff)"You'd rather spend the money with an instructor than an evaluator"Practice active recall with exact FAA phraseology out loudPIC authority starts lesson one: "Make the plane do what you want it to do"In midlife: "You've forgotten how to study and haven't done anything you suck at in a long time"The marathon mindset: "Will we stop for lunch? Take a breather if your adrenaline can handle it"Mentioned on the Show:* Erica Gilbert, Aerosafe: https://www.gilbertaviation.com/aerosafe* Erica Gilbert, IFR course: https://www.gilbertaviation.com/ifr* Midlife Pilot Podcast- Thaden Invasion 2026: https://midlifepilotpodcast.com/thadeninvasion* Keith O'Brien, Fly Girls (includes Louis Thaden): https://bookshop.org/p/books/fly-girls-how-five-daring-women-defied-all-odds-and-made-aviation-history-keith-o-brien/8152b66cad2a720c?ean=9781328592798* Seth Lake's VBT overview: https://arflightsafety.com/VBT.html* Avoiding brianrot (New York Times): https://www.soundsclassic.com/receivers.html* Sandel displays: https://www.pacificcoastavionics.com/collections/sandel* Old Marantz stereos: https://www.soundsclassic.com/receivers.html* Rear projection TVs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rear-projection_television* Private Pilot ACS (PDF): https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs/private_airplane_acs_6.pdfSupport the Show:Patreon.com/MidlifePilotPodcast - Discord access, exclusive content, and check ride debriefs!MidlifePilotPodcast.com - Merch, Thaden Invasion RSVP, feedbackHappy Thanksgiving from the Midlife Pilot Podcast crew. We're thankful for every single one of you who listens, supports, and shares this journey with us.🎯 THE THADEN INVASION: March 13-15, 2026 | VBT | Bentonville, Arkansas

  --------  

  1:10:42

  --------

  1:10:42
• EP155 - “This Guy Never Saw Me" - A Pattern Predicament

  Pattern predicament! Discord member Dom shares audio and flysto.net data from a close call at an untowered airport—100 feet of separation, spotty ADS-B, garbled radio calls, and the eternal question: turn right to avoid or stay predictable in the pattern? The non-CFI crew looks at 14 CFR 91.113, Wild West untowered airports, and why sometimes you just need to GTFO. Plus: Thaden Invasion updates, icing on the vegetables origin story, and why "show your belly" might not be the best advice.Mentioned on the Show:Episode 44 with Bryan of Just Plane Silly - Icing on the vegetables originFlysto.net - Track log visualization and analysis (FREE!)Flying the Overhead Break - AOPA technique14 CFR 91.113 - Right-of-way rulesBWG - Bowling Green-Warren County Airport, Kentucky - Brian's pattern work airportM54 - Lebanon Municipal Airport, Tennessee - "Wild West" untowered fieldGCC - Gillette-Campbell County Airport, Wyoming - Steve Schofield's home baseSupport the Show:Patreon.com/MidlifePilotPodcast - Discord access & exclusive contentSpecial thanks to our 5 longest supporters!: 1DullGeek, Biff B, Chris C, Josh M, and Aero Grizzly!MidlifePilotPodcast.com - Merch, feedback, Thaden Invasion RSVPLeave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts!youtube.com/@midlifepilotpodcast - Live Mondays 8PM ET10% of Patreon proceeds support Freedom Aviation Network's anti-human trafficking effortsClosing wisdom: "Common sense is like deodorant. The people who need it most never use it."Send us your pattern predicaments, close calls, or confessions to [email protected] - we'll keep you anonymous if you want!🎯 THE THADEN INVASION: March 13-15, 2026 | VBT | Bentonville, Arkansas

  --------  

  50:44

  --------

  50:44
• EP154 - "You've Got to Find Something Else to Do"

  Airplane down! Not a crash—just 65 days and counting of repair purgatory. Special guest 1DullGeek (Mark) joins to talk about what happens when your plane is out of service for months, Keith C's emotional feedback about avoiding aviation altogether, and the reality of airplane ownership. Plus: Brian's IFR long cross-country with C-130s and blown approaches, Ben's icing adventure to Cincinnati, and the Cherokee 235 that "totally spoiled" Mark's wife. The Thaden Invasion details keep rolling in!Mentioned on the Show:VBT - Thaden Field - March 2026 fly-in locationGaston's White River Resort - Arkansas fly-in fishing destinationLUK - Lunken Airport - CincinnatiFort Campbell - Brian's airport hopping areaPAH - Barkley Regional Airport - Paducah, KYIPJ - Lincoln County Airport - North Carolina (Mark's home base)VUJ - Stanly County Airport - Where Mark's plane was in annualJosh's Sling TSI Build Playlist - Aviation 101Midwest Panel Builders YouTube - Avionics videosSupport the Show:Patreon.com/MidlifePilotPodcast - 1DullGeek & Son checkride debrief NOW AVAILABLE!MidlifePilotPodcast.com - Merch, feedback, RSVP for Thaden InvasionLeave us a 5-star review and get a sticker!youtube.com/@midlifepilotpodcast - Live Mondays 8PM ET10% of Patreon proceeds support Freedom Aviation Network's anti-human trafficking effortsNew Patreon Members: Rich H and James S at the Hershey Bar level - Welcome!Closing wisdom: "Sometimes it's best to remain silent and look stupid, rather than opening your mouth and removing all doubt." - DrewSpecial thanks to Keith C for the honest feedback about stepping away and coming back. We're not taking attendance—this community is here when you need it.🎯 THE THADEN INVASION: March 13-15, 2026 | VBT | Bentonville, Arkansas

  --------  

  1:02:35

  --------

  1:02:35
• EP153 - Information Whiskey: "I've Studied My Brain Into a Porridge-Like Consistency"

  Information Whiskey strikes again! BIG NEWS: The Thaden Invasion is official—March 13-15, 2026 in Bentonville, Arkansas! Brian confesses his Sheppard Air conversion after weeks of IFR written torture ("The FAA told you to look at figure 71, but you have to memorize it's actually figure 24"), his wife solves compass errors in 8 seconds ("Here, idiot"), and Ted's fuel gauge crisis leads to the ultimate "It's Always Fuel" moment. Plus: Ben kills another twin, navigating without flight following during the shutdown, and why flying different planes makes you better.In this episode:🎉 THE THADEN INVASION IS HAPPENING: March 13-15, 2026 at VBT, Bentonville, Arkansas!Why Bentonville rocks: Frank Lloyd Wright house, Crystal Bridges Museum (free!), mountain biking capital, Fly Oz backcountry destinations, and Flying Magazine's "Coolest Airport in the Country"Ben's twin curse continues: "I warned this flight school of my curse and they still accepted me" - switching to BE-55 BaronJekyll Island adventure with red bug rentals and son EvanGovernment shutdown reality: How to fly safely when ATC can't take VFR requests and controllers are on skeleton crewsTed's "It's Always Fuel" crisis: "This wing is either full or empty. There's no level in it. I have no confidence that I have fuel at this point."Chinese lantern with actual flame floating past Ted's wing at night: "I can hear the FAA: 'So how did your wing catch on fire?'"The Hacienda Cherokee: Still out there, still getting refueled mid-air, still haunting Ben's flightsSafety talk that actually matters:Ben's wisdom: "See and avoid is ALWAYS our responsibility - 50 hours or 5,000 hours, period"Monitor approach frequencies even when not on flight followingKnow arrival/departure corridors at major airports"Keep your eyes outside and don't get lazy. Don't start playing on your phone."Ben's Cherokee stalker story: Same plane intersected his course twice in one dayWeather nerdery from Erica Gilbert:Ted's 30.48" altimeter after atmospheric river: "That is a HIGH number"Jet stream troughs create low pressure; ridges create high pressureHigh pressure = stable air, clear skies, but poor visibility from trapped pollutionListener feedback gold:Chris H: Why flying multiple planes makes you better - "I became too comfortable flying just one plane and built bad habits"The value of clubs: 180-2, PA-28, and 172 access keeps you sharp and forces proper checklist usageFly-in essentials:One mile walk to brewery, one mile to downtown (Ben's proud of this planning)Grass strip + paved runway availableLive podcast recording somewhere in Bentonville (street corner? Hangar? Brewery? TBD!)Hotels, Airbnbs, mountain biking, art museums, and aviation - something for everyoneBrian: "Ben has rented us a giant complex with what seems like a slaughterhouse in the back, but I'm sure it's fine"Mentioned on the Show:Legends Air Center - FBO at Thaden Field - Your Bentonville basecampFly Oz - Thaden Field - Backcountry flying destinationsVBT Pilot Briefing - Everything you need to knowFlying Magazine - The Coolest Airport in the Country - VBT featureCrystal Bridges Museum - Free American art museum in canyon parkBE55 - Beechcraft Baron 55 - Ben's new twin48A - Cochran Airport, Georgia - Picked up Evan here09J - Jekyll Island Airport, Georgia - Red bug rentals!Hacienda - The 64-Day Flight - Still flyingSheppard Air - Brian's IFR written redemptionGilbert Aviation IFR Course - Keeping Brian saneNOAA - What Is the Jet Stream? - Erica's explanationCheckmate Aviation - The best checklists (Chris H approved)LGE Flying Club, Georgia - Multi-plane accessSupport the Show:Patreon.com/MidlifePilotPodcast - Discord, exclusive content, checkride debriefsMidlifePilotPodcast.com - Merch, feedback, stickers for reviews!New Patreon Members: Andy & Babs, Sierra Tango, Patrick L, Michael R, Michael W - Welcome aboard!

  --------  

  1:02:06

  --------

  1:02:06
• EP152 - "Into the Wilds of GA": MOSAIC Day Celebrations, Carb Heat Confusion, and Airframe Chaos

  ("One Fifty Two") Ted celebrates Mosaic Day by breaking free from the "walled garden" of light sport aviation and "soloing" both a purple lightning-bolt Cessna 152 and a 172. As our friend Dominic eloquently writes, sport pilots are now "loose upon the natural wilds of general aviation," discovering that some planes "require you to hold the yoke one-third to the right just to fly straight and level. It's a feature." Ted's conclusion: "I buttered almost every landing...they're so easy to land compared to the egg." The bad news? He keeps forgetting carb heat exists.Ben logs his "maybe second best landing ever" (wife-verified!) at the Gainesville fly-in and surprises her with a short field takeoff. Brian gets Nashville Approach's fastest "stay outta the Class Charlie" dismissal ever, attends a stellar Commemorative Air Force hangar dance, and reminds us that filing IFR doesn't guarantee instant gratification when controllers are slammed.The crew tackles listener feedback from newly-minted MOSAIC pilots navigating "airframe chaos" (G1000s, steam gauges, and seats "smushed flat" so you "can hardly see over the firewall"), motion sickness solutions featuring Chick-fil-A minis and relief bands, and why even Bob Hoover dealt with air sickness. Plus community shoutouts including a 60-year-old nailing his commercial checkride with a power-off 180 in 15-gusting-25, and Xyla Foxlin getting her plane back after losing her medical.Mentioned on the show:ABY - Albany Ga: https://www.airnav.com/airport/ABYGVL - Gainesville Ga: https://www.airnav.com/airport/GVLFlySto: https://www.flysto.net/homeM93 Southernaire: https://www.airnav.com/airport/M93M54 Lebanon Tenn: https://www.airnav.com/airport/M54Ted's "soloing a 150" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmXyFeK09ngCheckmate Aviation: https://www.checkmateaviation.com/myaeroglass: https://www.myaeroglass.com/Xyla Foxlin lost her medical: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj0H8oVS7qgXyla got her plane back!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eu-T7P3o6tUJoin the Midlife Pilot Podcast community, support the show on Patreon, and get merch at www.midlifepilotpodcast.com

  --------  

  1:00:52

  --------

  1:00:52

Meer Vrije tijd podcasts

Trending Vrije tijd -podcasts

Over Midlife Pilot Podcast