The Wing Wag

Celestial navigation is one of the oldest forms of navigation dating back thousands of years.  It can be as simple as following the North Star or as complex as measuring the angular distances between stars and the moon to calculate what time it is.  Whatever form of celestial navigation you are doing, the idea is the same; use the known positions of the heavenly bodies at a particular time to calc...

Dead reckoning is one of the most basic forms of navigation; you simply move in a known direction and record how far you travel going in that direction.  Using your old location, you can now compute your new location.  You might be surprised to find out that some of the newest most technologically advanced aircraft still use this form of navigation.  Join us to find out why this ancient form of na...

Most pilots are required to have a medical certificate.  This certificate helps to verify that a pilot is healthy enough to safely pilot an airplane.  While the medical certificate requirement is a very important part of aviation, it can cause pilots a lot of stress; there are a variety of medical certificates to choose from and each has its own privileges and restrictions.  Not to mention that a...

So you've decided to become a pilot.  Choosing a flight school can be overwhelming.  Every flight school has its own personality and style of teaching.  You want to find the flight school that's the perfect fit for you.  Join me this week as we go over what to look for (and avoid!) when picking a flight school.

Happy New Years! Pilots are almost trying to improve their skill.  Here at The Wing Wag, we are no different.  Join me this week to discuss some of the ways in which I want to improve as an aviator, an airplane owner, and a podcaster in 2026.  Let's just hope that these resolutions last longer than my resolution to stop eating candy... If you have any aviation-related goals for 2026, I'd love to h...

Santa apologists, sometimes called full-flighters, have long held the belief that Santa himself delivers all the Christmas presents during a single flight around the entire world.  My brother Matthew and I set out to prove that this is not possible for a variety of reasons such as the distance of the trip, the number of stops, and the fuel requirements.  As we got further into our research, we beg...

In this episode, I'm going to answer 5 questions that non-pilots always ask me: 1. What is causing all of the plane crashes recently? 2. What do you do if your engine dies in flight? 3. Is turbulence really dangerous? 4. How much money and time does a pilots license really cost? 5. Do I seriously start my plane with my hands? Aviation crash statistics: https://www.panish.law/aviation_accident_stat...

At first, the vast majority of general aviation aircraft were tailwheels.  This all changed in the 1950s when tricycle gear (nosewheel) aircraft became the standard for general aviation.  Now virtually all trainers have a tricycle gear. My brother Matthew, a CFI specializing in tailwheel training, joins us this week to discuss why this shift occurred and why there is still a benefit to learning to...

Trijets, airplanes with 3 jet engines, went from the majority of jet airliners in the 1980s to basically nonexistent today.  What caused their initial popularity and their drastic decline?  Join us on this week's episode of The Wing Wag as we answer these questions!

The Space Shuttle Orbiter frequently landed far from its launch site.  The orbiter could not fly on its own, so NASA developed the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to bring it back to the launch site at Kennedy Space Center. The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is a heavily modified Boeing 747 that had mounts on its back to support the orbiter.  Little did NASA know, they had just developed the world’s most expen...

Imagine that you're an airline pilot flying a standard red-eye route.  You've done this route dozens of times before with very little variation, and this time looks to be no different.  All of a sudden the primary flight display shows a flashing red alert and an automated voice saying "PULL UP, PULL UP, PULL UP" fills the cockpit. From experience you know that there are no obstacles on this route,...

Once you get your pilots' license, it's easy to view flying as a chore, something that you must do every month to stay current.  The real joy of flying comes from the adventures that having a pilots' license opens up to you. This week, I am joined by my Kiara to discuss some of the adventures that we have done together in the airplane, and the ones we want to do in the future!

Join us this week for a chilling Halloween tale!  We will be reading "The Horror of the Heights" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, an early aviation horror story about the creatures that lurk beyond the clouds. Originally published in 1913, just 10 years after the Wright brothers' first flight, this story brings together aviation and science fiction terror as one adventurous pilot attempts to fly higher...

Aviation was born with the balloon when, in 1783, the first manned hot air balloon rose off the French soil.  But ever since the Wright brothers made their first flight out of Kitty Hawk in 1903, the balloon has been vastly overshadowed by the airplane. With the advent of space tourism, the balloon could rise again to the forefront of aviation!  Join Matthew and I as we talk about the company Spac...

Probably not, but maybe.  Definitely don't do it without first checking to see if your plane has an auto gas STC.  This episode is all about aviation gas (avgas).  Why does it still contain lead when leaded auto gas was phased out 50 years ago?  Why does avgas have 2 octane ratings instead of just 1?  What makes ethanol so dangerous for airplanes?  Join Hunter and I as we answer all of your avgas...

Meet the Cessna 170, the tailwheel older brother to the ubiquitous Cessna 172.  In this episode, Matthew joins us to discuss why the 170 is such versatile tailwheel aircraft, how we found one, and what we learned from the buying process.

This week, I'm flying solo through the hurricane!  As pilots, we are always thinking about weather when we are flying or planning a flight.  When you become an airplane owner, you have to worry about weather not only in the air, but also when the plane is on the ground.  This worry is made even worse when you have an airplane that you keep outside in Florida during hurricane season!  Join me as we...

At Oshkosh 2025, the FAA announced a new ruling called MOSAIC, which stands for Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification.  This ruling greatly expands the privileges of sport pilots and what is considered a light-sport aircraft.  Matthew Olinde of Olinde Aerospace joins us to discuss how this exciting new ruling will affect pilots, airplane owners, and flight schools.

Welcome to "The Wing Wag"!  In this episode, I will be introducing the podcast and explaining what a wing wag is.