Aviation News Talk – Pilot Stories, Safety Tips & General Aviation News

Have you ever wondered about the causes of pilot fatigue? Or how you can recognize the signs of fatigue in yourself and others? Do you about the regulations and guidelines for flight and duty time limitations to prevent fatigue? Dr. Victor Vogel joins us today to talk about what pilots need to know about the causes of fatigue, and what you can do to counter fatigue and sleepiness. Support the Show...

Join Max Trescott as he delves into an astonishing real-life story with Jonathan Fay, who was struck by a laser while flying, and against all odds, tracked down the perpetrator. The criminal used a powerful industrial laser to target his aircraft and immediately afterwards, Jonathan could not see any of his instruments. He did succeed in landing, though he had eye damage that lasted for several we...

Max talks with Catherine Cavagnaro about a crash in Kentucky last week that killed a young CFI and his student. The crash was tragic on multiple levels and gathered a lot of attention online because of the CFI's social media posts made throughout the flight that demeaned the student. The CFI even documented the line of thunderstorms they flew into before the aircraft broke up in flight. We talk ab...

Max Trescott test flies the new single engine DA50RG aircraft that was recently certified in the U.S. by Diamond. Diamond has been working on different configurations of the DA50 for over ten years, and the 5-seat DA50RG with retractable landing gear is the first version to be certified and delivered in the U.S. It uses a 300 hp, FADEC controlled engine that runs on Jet A fuel. Base price for theD...

Max talks about an emergency that occurred earlier in the month as Endeavor flight 1516 departed LaGuardia enroute to Savannah, GA. The controllers and flight crew worked together remarkably well, and there's a lot that general aviation pilots can learn from their interactions. We also replay an interview from the Plane Crazy Down Under podcast in which they interviewed Mark Robinson, of Frequenti...

Max talks with Rob Mark about remote towers, a new technology similar to air traffic control towers, and we discuss why FAA has been so slow to certify them in the U.S., despite successful demonstrations in Virginia and Colorado. Remote towers are in successful operation in other countries. Max also talks about somatogravic illusion how it was most likely the cause of the fatal crash of a Cirrus S...

Max Trescott talked with FAA Administrator nominee Mike Whitaker in 2019 about his former job as FAA Deputy Administrator. Mike talked about that job, about his activity as a Private pilot and his thoughts on NexGen and the future of General Aviation. Mike talked about factors that led to the decline of GA after the 1970s, and his optimism for further growth due to demand for more pilots, the Part...

Max talks with Robert Schapiro about how pilots can add on a gyroplane rating to their certificate. It takes surprisingly few hours for a pilot to add-on a gyroplane rating. He also talks about the accident rates for small airplanes, cars, and motorcycles. And finally he shares four inspirational stories from pilots who have overcome obstacles to get their pilot certificates. Mentioned on the Show...

Max talks with Dr. Warren Silberman about an investigation into nearly 5,000 pilots suspected of falsifying their medical records to conceal that they were receiving benefits for mental health disorders and other serious conditions that could make them unfit to fly. Dr. Silberman talks about issues raised by the article, and he also has advice for what you should do BEFORE you go to get your next...

Max talks with Catherine Cavagnaro about the new FAA Advisory Circular AC 90-66C on non-towered operations and straight-in approaches. The new Advisory Circular is significantly longer than the previous version, and it places much more emphasis on straight-in approaches. It says "the FAA does not recommend that the pilot execute a straight-in approach for landing, when there are other aircraft in...

Max talks about the July 2021 crash of a Challenger Jet that was doing a circling approach at the Truckee, CA airport. The NTSB just released its final report on that accident, And there's a lot that GA pilots can learn from this accident. The NTSB faulted the first officer's improper decision to attempt to salvage an unstabilized approach by executing a steep left turn to realign the airplane wit...

Max talks with Laurence Balter about how the general aviation community in Hawaii is flying relief supplies to help victims of Maui's wildfires. The town of Lahaina is served by just a single road, which has closed frequently since the wildfires began a week ago. Electricity and cell phone outages have also hampered relief efforts. Soon after the fires, local Maui pilots began organizing to fly su...

Choosing a flight instructor is one of the most important decisions you'll make as you work to become a pilot, and later as you work on additional certificates and ratings. And that's because having the right CFI can be one of the biggest factors in your success. Not that you can't succeed with an awful flight instructor, but it's so much easier if you're with the right flight instructor. Most lik...

284 The Surprising Distraction before a 737 Crash + GA News Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you listen, please sign up and join the club to support the show!...

283 Wings to Rotors: How you can start now to add a helicopter rating to your pilot certificate + GA News Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you listen, please s...

282 Foggy Night: Unraveling the crash of a Cessna Citation 550 jet at French Valley in Southern California Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you've learned something from the show that made you a safer pilot or pass a checkride, please join the club and support the show! Make a monthly donation via Patreon and get various goodies, or make a one time donation via PayPal . Send...

281 What's Wrong about the 70-50 Takeoff Rule with Catherine Cavagnaro + GA News Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you listen, please sign up and join the club...

280 Miracle in the Mountains: Heroic Rescue by Alaska Air National Guard Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you listen, please sign up and join the club to suppo...

279 Poor Decision Making Kills Airline Pilot in C150 Crash + GA News Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you listen, please sign up and join the club to support t...

278 Prop Safety, Checklist Usage: Listener Mail - A Friday Mailbag Special + GA News Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you listen, please sign up and join the c...

277 External Pressures & Stress Lead to a Cessna 170 Accident + GA News Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you listen, please sign up and join the club to suppor...

276 Capturing the Skies – Why and How to Record Your in-Cockpit Audio Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Join now as a member to support the show with a donation via  PayPal  or  Patreon . Send us an  email If you ha...

275 What Fixed Wing Pilots Need to Know about Helicopters + GA News Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you listen, please sign up and join the club to support th...

274 Checklist Usage, FAA Medical Preparation, & Aging Pilot Solutions: Listener Mail - A Friday Mailbag Special Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you listen, pl...

273 Checklist Accident Failures: The Importance of Using Checklists Properly + GA News Your Cirrus Specialist. Call me if you're thinking of buying a new Cirrus SR20 or SR22. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Want to Fly or Buy a Cirrus. Aviation News Talk is a listener supported show. So if you listen, please sign up and join the...