Student Pilot Cast

SPC Video #009-AOPA AFTA Demo

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 16:25:44 +0000

From the folks at the Student Pilot Cast, here is a demo of AOPA’s Flight Training Advantage, or AFTA. This is video episode 9 of the Student Pilot Cast. This episode is also published in higher resolution on our YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg5YQ6CoeUM

In audio episode 65 I had a chat with Dan Justman from AOPA at Oshkosh 2022 about AFTA and some of the details of the product. Here is the SPC audio episode 65 with more information about AFTA from the interview with Dan Justman: https://studentpilotcast.com/spc65

AOPA is trying to tackle what is likely part of the reason so many people quit pilot training before achieving their certificate by organizing the flight training process and making it more transparent and predictable, even in a part 61 setting. With their AOPA Flight Training Advantage program, or AFTA, they are hoping to make flight training more enjoyable for both the student and the CFI, and make the process a little bit easier, more predictable, and more streamlined…thus saving time, money, and hopefully helping a few additional people earn their certificate. I hope you enjoy this one.

More information about AFTA can be found here: AOPA Flight Training Advantage – AOPA

SPC #66 – Legacy

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 05:44:09 +0000

Today we talk about legacy, and legends of aviation. I recently found some old audio in the SPC archives from OSH 2011, and it brought me back, got me thinking about the legacy of some of the people we sometimes get to cross paths with. Some are important to the world and some are important more to us and a few others. In any case, I wanted to let you guys hear this audio, too. I hope you like it.

Some notes from the show.

Jo Hunter’s Video of her Breezy Flight: #OSH11 Breezy Flight
“There I was” AOPA podcast of Gabrielle’s Mid-Air (Choose Episode 20): https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/podcasts/podcasts/there-i-was
In the Pattern Podcast: In The Pattern Podcast
A Pilot’s Journey podcast: Pilot’s Journey Podcast (pilotsjourneypodcast.com)

SPC Video #008-A Lap Around AirVenture 2022

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 12:00:00 +0000

The famous Bell 47 helicopter ride at Oshkosh brought to you in its full, 4-minute glory by the folks at the Student Pilot Cast. Here’s a quick bonus feature from OSH22. This is video episode 8 of the Student Pilot Cast. This episode is also published in 4K on our YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/3L31zewMx7U

SPC #65 – AFTA What?

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 22:58:29 +0000

Welcome back, SPC listeners. I’m super happy to bring you a chat with Dan Justman from the airplane Owners and Pilots Association, or AOPA, about their program designed to help part 61 students and instructors with their training.

More information about AFTA can be found here: AOPA Flight Training Advantage – AOPA

There is a demo of the product that will be released shortly as a video episode, but also on our YouTube channel. Both links will be added below and on the website when published.

SPC Video #007-Nick Smith from Part Time Pilot

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:30:00 +0000

For this episode I got a chance to talk to Nick Smith from Part Time Pilot, an online private pilot ground school that packs a lot of personalized value into a rather inexpensive service. Learn about how he’s taking a more personal approach to online training and also learn how to get a discounted price on Part Time Pilot which will last a lifetime.

For the tricks on discounts check this out from Nick:

If just getting started and wondering how to do it we have the step by step 5 day challenge to get started as a student pilot: https://bit.ly/3dJH5sX
If already started and getting into your ground training or flight planning we have a free step-by-step cross-country planning guide: https://bit.ly/3wgosmG
Once you opt-in to either of those you will immediately get an email with your free content. For the free cross-country guide your 1st couple emails will have the links in the email to get the $50 off. For the 5-day challenge the link will be in the Day 5 email.

This is the video version of the audio podcast episode 64 which can be found here: https://studentpilotcast.com/spc64

A higher resolution version of this video can be found on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/6GCDOrB7cwY

Find out more about the service:

On the web: https://parttimepilot.com/.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/part.time.pilot/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parttimepilot
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/parttimepilot

SPC #64 – Why Part Time?

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:20:00 +0000

For the tricks on discounts check this out from Nick:

If just getting started and wondering how to do it we have the step by step 5 day challenge to get started as a student pilot: https://bit.ly/3dJH5sX
If already started and getting into your ground training or flight planning we have a free step-by-step cross-country planning guide: https://bit.ly/3wgosmG
Once you opt-in to either of those you will immediately get an email with your free content. For the free cross-country guide your 1st couple emails will have the links in the email to get the $50 off. For the 5-day challenge the link will be in the Day 5 email.

Find out more about the service:

On the web: https://parttimepilot.com/.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/part.time.pilot/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parttimepilot
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/parttimepilot

SPC Video #006F-OSH22 Bonus – A Demo of Infinite Flight

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 15:50:00 +0000

In this episode we get a quick demo of Infinite Flight from Jay during our chat at Airventure 2022.

The video can also be found in higher resolution on our brand-new YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/qK2fmjvJdxo

Infinite Flight can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for your tablets and phones.

Also, more information on Infinite Flight here:

Web: https://infiniteflight.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/infiniteflight
Instagram: https://instagram.com/infiniteflight
Facebook: https://facebook.com/infiniteflight
YouTube: https://youtube.com/infiniteflight

You can find out more about the Student Pilot Cast here:

Web: https://studentpilotcast.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/billwil
Audio RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.org/rss
Video RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.com/video-rss

SPC Video #006E-OSH22 with Samaritan Aviation and the 700 Mile-Long Runway

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 15:50:00 +0000

This is the video version of the Student Pilot Cast Audio Episode 63 which can be found here: https://studentpilotcast.com/spc63/. A high-resolution version can be found on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/-GhDPNoQcj4

In this episode I get to talk to Mark Palm, the CEO and Co-Founder of Samaritan Aviation, a humanitarian organization who help people out in Papua New Guinea. Mark gives us a bit of the history or the org, the operations, and a quick tour of the aircraft they are using.

Samaritan Aviation can be found on the web here: https://samaritanaviation.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanaviation

Instagram: https://instagram.com/samaritanaviation/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SamaritanAviation_

You can find out more about the Student Pilot Cast here:

Web: https://studentpilotcast.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/billwil

Audio RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.org/rss

Video RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.com/video-rss

SPC #63 – OSH22 – The 700 Mile-Long Runway (Samaritan Aviation)

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 15:45:00 +0000

This is the audio version of the Student Pilot Cast audio Episode 63. The video version of this can be found in the video feed of this podcast, or in highest resolution on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/-GhDPNoQcj4

Samaritan Aviation can be found on the web here: https://samaritanaviation.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanaviation

Instagram: https://instagram.com/samaritanaviation/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SamaritanAviation_

You can find out more about the Student Pilot Cast here:

Web: https://studentpilotcast.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/billwil

Audio RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.org/rss

Video RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.com/video-rss

SPC Video #006D-OSH22 with Grayson Ardies, the Director of the OK Aeronautics Commission

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 05:16:52 +0000

The state of Oklahoma has gotten serious about aviation, STEM education, and the whole aeronautics industry. I talk here briefly with Grayson Ardies, Director of the Oklahoma Aeronautical Commision, about what the state is doing to further aviation education and aeronautics in general in the state. This is the video version of the audio podcast episode 62 which can be found here: https://studentpilotcast.com/spc62/

This video can also be found on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/FhNjxBVpZU4

The State of Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission website is here: https://oac.ok.gov/

SPC #62 – OSH22 – OK OAC

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 05:06:39 +0000

The state of Oklahoma has gotten serious about aviation, STEM education, and the whole aeronautics industry. I talk here briefly with Grayson Ardies, Director of the Oklahoma Aeronautical Commision, about what the state is doing to further aviation education and aeronautics in general in the state. This is the audio version of podcast episode 62, but there is a video version as well in the video feed as episode 6B.

The video can also (and at higher quality) be found on our YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/FhNjxBVpZU4

The State of Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission website is here: https://oac.ok.gov/

SPC Video #006C-OSH22 with the High School Teacher in Oklahoma-Chris Eckler

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 09:41:52 +0000

The state of Oklahoma has gotten serious about aviation, STEM education, and the whole aeronautics industry. I caught up with a High School teacher in Oklahoma, Chris Eckler, to talk about what he’s doing in his school district with regard to Aviation Education and how he fell in love with Aviation in the process. He caught the bug and trained to be a pilot himself just ahead of his students.

This is the video version of the audio podcast episode 61 which can be found here: https://studentpilotcast.com/spc61/

This video episode can be found on our new YouTube channel in higher resolution here: https://youtu.be/wJN44tWHDto

The State of Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission website is here: https://oac.ok.gov/

You can find out more about the Student Pilot Cast here:

Web: https://studentpilotcast.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/billwil
Audio RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.org/rss
Video RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.com/video-rss

SPC #61 – OSH22 – State of Oklahoma and the Aviation Teacher

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 09:22:26 +0000

More information on the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission can be found here: https://oac.ok.gov/

There is also a video edition of this episode that can be found in the video RSS feed as well as on our new YouTube Channel! Here is a link to the video for this episode: https://youtu.be/wJN44tWHDto

SPC Video #006B-OSH22 with Opener on the BlackFly

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 05:29:27 +0000

In this episode I have an impromptu conversation with Celia Oakley of Opener. We had been hearing about their electric STOL aircraft but hadn’t planned on doing a feature on it until my crew took a spin in their 3D simulator and we found the evolution and the atypical flight characteristics of the BlackFly interesting…so we started asking some questions, and with the permission of Celia, got a bit of the conversation here.

This is the video episode, but you can find the audio version which is almost the same but in audio only, in the audio podcast feed (our main feed). This video can also be found in higher resolution on our brand-new YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/cijxyS4E1HE

More information on Opener and the BlackFly aircraft can be found here: https://opener.aero.

You can find out more about the Student Pilot Cast here:

Web: https://studentpilotcast.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/billwil
Audio RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.org/rss
Video RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.com/video-rss

SPC #60 – OSH22 – Opener BlackFly

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 05:21:21 +0000

This is also a video episode should you find that interesting. The video can be found in the video podcast feed or on our brand-new YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/cijxyS4E1HE

More information on Opener and the BlackFly aircraft can be found here: https://opener.aero.

You can find out more about the Student Pilot Cast here:

Web: https://studentpilotcast.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/billwil
Audio RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.org/rss
Video RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.com/video-rss

SPC Video #006A-OSH22 with Infinite Flight

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 02:46:45 +0000

In this episode I catch up with Laura and Jay of Infinite Flight to talk about their flight simulator. We cover what it is, how it started, is it a tool or a game, and what’s coming next. This is a fun discussion about something I hadn’t really been keeping up on the last decade or so; the flight sim world, and what I love about Infinite Flight is how easy it is to get started and use it wherever you might be. It’s a far cry from the traditional desktop sims which require big, expensive computers and big, expensive accessories. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The video can also be found on our brand new YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/cijxyS4E1HE

The Audio version of this episode is here: SPC #59 – OSH22 – Infinite Flight – The Student Pilot Cast

Infinite Flight can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for your tablets and phones.

Also, more information on Infinite Flight here:

Web: https://infiniteflight.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/infiniteflight
Instagram: https://instagram.com/infiniteflight
Facebook: https://facebook.com/infiniteflight
YouTube: https://youtube.com/infiniteflight

You can find out more about the Student Pilot Cast here:

Web: https://studentpilotcast.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/billwil
Audio RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.org/rss
Video RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.com/video-rss

SPC #59 – OSH22 – Infinite Flight

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 01:13:06 +0000

This is also a video episode. The video can be found in the video podcast feed or on our brand new YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/cijxyS4E1HE

Infinite Flight can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for your tablets and phones.

Also, more information on Infinite Flight here:

Web: https://infiniteflight.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/infiniteflight
Instagram: https://instagram.com/infiniteflight
Facebook: https://facebook.com/infiniteflight
YouTube: https://youtube.com/infiniteflight

You can find out more about the Student Pilot Cast here:

Web: https://studentpilotcast.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/billwil
Audio RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.org/rss
Video RSS Feed: https://studentpilotcast.com/video-rss

SPC #58 – Fly High to Showlow

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 06:06:00 +0000

We finally make it to Showlow the morning after our diversion to Payson. I categorized this flight as a grateful nod to aviation and I dive into how I was feeling at this point in my flying career. I hope you enjoy this flight.

SPC #57 – First Family Mission

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 06:22:00 +0000

This one is awesome for me. I got to take my wife on our first mission together to the high country of Arizona for a weekend away with friends. Being the PIC on these flights was teaching me a lot, and on this day I had some weather decisions to make. Follow along as we have this flying adventure together.

SPC #56 – Oshkosh Out and In, Part 2 (updated audio)

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 06:50:00 +0000

CORRECTION and UPDATE: I had published the episode 55 audio as episode 56 in error. On July 6th, 2022, I realized the mistake, and have updated this episode release with the correct file. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Episode Description: Back to a cockpit audio episode this week, but you may be asking what it is since I finished my primary training episodes. Well, this is an Oshkosh arrival, the part two to the departure we did last week in episode 55. More explanation when we get into the episode…but I hope you enjoy.

SPC #55 – Oshkosh Out and In, Part 1

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 06:39:00 +0000

Back to a cockpit audio episode this week, but you may be asking what it is since I finished my primary training episodes. Well, this is an Oshkosh departure and next week we’ll do an arrival…and yes, in that order. More explanation when we get into the episode…but I hope you enjoy.

SPC #54 – Zero Time to Airline

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 05:52:39 +0000

This episode is an interview with Stu Stevenson, Co-Owner of Thrust Flight, an ab initio flight school in the Dallas area with additional locations on the horizon. Stu is also one of the co-hosts and the creator of A Pilot’s Journey Podcast, and is a CFI, ATP, and generally great guy.

In this discussion with Stu we will cover all sorts of cool topics from Stu’s own training to how he and his business partner are running their flight and mechanic school today. We’ll talk about their Zero Time to Airline program, the pilot shortage, and a lot of other great hangar flying.

Links:

Thrust Flight (https://www.thrustflight.com/)

A Pilot’s Journey Podcast (https://pilotsjourneypodcast.com/blog/)

Stu’s LinkedIn Page ((99+) Stuart Stevenson | LinkedIn)

Stu’s Twitter (Stuart Stevenson (@PilotStu) / Twitter)

SPC #53 – Checking my Ride

Wed, 25 May 2022 05:57:00 +0000

Welcome back SPC listeners. Big day today…time for my check ride. It’s finally here…and after all these years, we’ll finally figure out if I made it or not. Hope you enjoy Episode 53, “Checking my Ride.”

Yup, the time had finally come to see if I had learned what I needed to to be able to move on to the next phase of my flying. This was a big one for me.

SPC #52 – Am I Ready Yet?

Wed, 11 May 2022 06:48:00 +0000

Back to my training, we’ll be doing the second half of my makeup flight. This is the continuation of the flight from Episode 50. Enjoy episode 52, “Am I Ready Yet?” I was only a few days from me rescheduled check ride, and I was getting even more nervous and excited. Glad you can join me for this one.

SPC #51 – A Sit Down with a New Pilot – Tim Omta

Tue, 03 May 2022 23:18:28 +0000

This week week’s episode is something a little different. We’ll get back to part two of my Instrument make-up flight next week, but I wanted to throw in the audio from a sit-down I had with an old friend and colleague, Tim Omta, when we recently re-connected after several years because of aviation. He had let me know that he had just learned to fly last year but I didn’t know a lot of details, and I purposely held off asking for them until we had a chance to sit down and talk with the audio being recorded. Tim has a bit of a different back-story for his aviation interest, and in my opinion has some pretty interesting reasons for seeing his training through. It was a very enjoyable conversation for me, and I hope you have a good time as well. Enjoy.

Tim completed his first solo flight one year to the day
before our discussion.

SPC #50 – Not Today, Baby!

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 03:08:30 +0000

This is episode 50, where you may have been expecting an episode about my check ride, but alas, there was a bit of a snag, so you can get all of the information in this week’s episode. This episode will include part one of some makeup flying and we even go and land at Pinal Airpark to look at some mothballed airplanes. Believe it or not, it was a fun, relaxing flight, but I’ll be back to stressing about the check ride soon enough. Hope you enjoy episode 50.

SPC #49 – Wait, it’s Tomorrow?

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 02:37:30 +0000

In this episode we’ll cover a quick flight to get the additional .3 hours I needed to be ready for my check ride. The previous day I had 3 flights (see episodes 46, 47, and 48 for those). Today I would do this one flight, and be studying like crazy for my oral and check ride the next morning. I also was going to try to get to bed early so I would be ready the next day. But today, I needed some hood time…thus this episode.

SPC #48 – How About a Third

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 06:31:00 +0000

For this episode we’ll be doing a dual flight with Lary, getting some of that hood time I needed, and practicing a takeoff under the hood. We’d be flying in N81658. Keep in mind this is now my 3rd training flight of the day and the fourth in the past two days. To recap, I had a solo flight in the morning (see episode 46) where I practiced the stuff I had gone over the day before with my instructor, Lary (see episode 45 for that), and then I had done my fourth and final stage check in the early afternoon (that one is episode 47). Now, in the late afternoon, I was doing another flight with Lary. I was getting very tired as you can imagine. It was late enough that it was no longer getting hotter at least, but it was still well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Hope you enjoy the episode.

SPC #47 – The Check of Stage IV

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 05:31:00 +0000

In this episode I’ll be taking you along for my fourth and final stage check with one of the chief pilots. This stage check, if successfully completed, would mark the end of my primary training and I would then be ready for my check ride with an examiner. Of course, as I’ve already mentioned, I would have a couple more flights after this just to get my hood time in and also to do some last-minute prep and practice.

Enjoy Episode 47.

SPC #46 – The Last Solo

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 04:29:00 +0000

Welcome back SPC listeners…this flight was the day after my dual flight with Lary from the last episode, episode 45, and I would be some solo practice on the same things, short and soft takeoffs and landings. I’d be staying in the pattern for this solo. Hope you enjoy Episode 46 – The Last Solo.

SPC #45 – In the Pattern (or Chill, Dude)

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 06:48:00 +0000

In this episode, just three days after my last solo covered in episode 44, I was back in the cockpit with my instructor, Lary, and along for the ride on this one was my oldest Son who was around 10 at the time. We would stay in the pattern for practicing short and soft field landings and takeoffs, as well as an engine out drill in the pattern. It was a great flight, and I was getting close to my check ride, and I was getting excited and nervous. It was getting close.

This was a morning flight, thank goodness. I’d be flying in N9126M. Enjoy the episode.

SPC #44 – Alpha Delpha, or Second to Almost Done

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 06:39:00 +0000

Today I’d be flying in 2148Y on a solo flight to practice ground reference maneuvers as well as practicing some short and soft field landings. In fact, according to my part 141 training curriculum, this would just be my second to last solo flight before my check ride. We will see what actually happens, but I knew that my primary training was coming to an end. In fact, this was passed the middle of July and I was trying to pass my oral and my check ride before I would go to Oshkosh for Airventure 2008; my first trip there. And I would be going as one of the handful of aviation podcasters at the time. I would be leaving on a commercial flight Monday, July 28th in the evening, and this solo flight was 10 days prior to that…so I would need to finish up my training pretty quick, make sure I was ready, and pass my checkride to make it by the time I left. So these flights were important to me because I needed the practice to get where I wanted to be to make my check ride date, which was scheduled for 6 days away, on the 24th. After this flight my curriculum had me taking 5 more flights over those six days, so it would be a whirlwind. In fact, I would be taking the next Tuesday off of work to do a dual flight, a solo flight, and a stage check all in one day to make sure I would make it, but we’ll get to that in future episodes.

SPC #43 – A Family Affair

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 06:05:00 +0000

Dropping episode 43 today, where I take you a long on a dual flight with Lary, my instructor, but I have two small visitors today as well. This episode is a bit nostalgic for me as I had my two youngest kids with me; ages 8 and 6. Of course, they’re adults now as this was way back in 2008 when I was doing my primary training. I’m such a washout with this episodes.

I hope you enjoy this one…at least a little better than my poor boys did near the end. It was a very hot afternoon flight and we were doing ground reference maneuvers down low. Well, you can imagine, I’m sure. Don’t worry, they still love flying. And so do I, it turns out. Enjoy episode 43.

SPC #42 – The Little Things

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 04:57:39 +0000

Wow…what is this? Another episode of the Student Pilot Cast?!?! After all this time? Well, yes…let’s at least get through my primary training before another hiatus, shall we? Actually, I’ve got some plans even after that, so let’s see how it goes.

In this episode I’ll take you along on a solo flight where I practiced Short and Soft Field Landings, Minimum Controllable Airspeed, Power off and power on Stalls (with turns), and a few more things.

I started to notice some of the little things; things in the back of my head that stood out because they weren’t right even if I wasn’t paying that much attention to them. I started to notice that my situational awareness was getting more keen and I was just getting more used to what I expected to happen; I was anticipating more and more, and feeling much more comfortable. And I was still exhilarated by solo flights being the sole pilot responsible for the flight. This was a fun one, some come along with me as I get closer and closer to becoming a pilot.

SPC #41 – The Anonymous CFI

Sun, 27 Mar 2016 18:45:24 +0000

Hello, everyone. This is episode 40 of the Student Pilot Cast, The Anonymous CFI. This is a bit more brief than most episodes because I never got permission from the CFI I flew with this day to publish the content, so I’m sorry to say that any cockpit audio with the CFIs voice or instruction is not included in the episode…and of course I don’t say who it is. It’s the anonymous CFI episode, of course. Not to worry, though…this is the only time I flew with this particular instructor, so should be the only time this happens. In the future, for any future training I do, I will try to get permission. Apologies.

That said, in this episode I get to do some practice maneuvers, including shorts and softs, steep turns, hood work, minimum controllable airspeed, and both power on and off stalls. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot. I’ve said before that I liked flying with different instructors because it kept me on my toes, as well as always taught me something since everyone has a different style.

I hope you enjoy this one. As always, don’t hesitate to contact me and let me know what you’re doing in aviation.

SPC #40 – Long Solo Cross Country, Part II (The Two Hander) [Updated]

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 15:23:30 +0000

Look! Less than a week and another episode! This is my return flight on my long solo cross country flight from Prescott (KPRC) to Chandler (KCHD) via Wickenburg (E25). I transition a bit of the southern portion of the PHX Class B airspace as well.

This was a great flight. I made a few mistakes that were good learning experiences, but most of all I was happy to be back in the cockpit alone to enjoy some real flying. I got to fly in both busy airspace as well as pretty remote, uncrowded airspace.

For the first leg of this flight, see Episode #39 of the podcast.

Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to let me know what you’re doing in aviation, what you’re learning, and of course give me feedback on the podcast. You can send me email, use the contact link on the website (https://studentpilotcast.com/contact/), or find me on Twitter at @billwil. Thanks for listening, everyone. I hope to hear from you, and I hope you’re enjoying the podcast.

This is the corrected link to the media file (the original publication had the wrong media file linked).

Close up of the route (TAC)

Overall route on this leg.

SPC #39 – Long Solo Cross Country, Part I (Say Request…Denied)

Mon, 07 Mar 2016 14:44:47 +0000

I’m back releasing podcast after my much too long hiatus. Sorry for the delay, everyone.

This is the first part of my long solo cross country flight which followed my stage III check. I fly from Chandler (KCHD) west and north through the PHX class B airspace, and then on to the busy Prescott (KPRC) airport, which is home of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Remember, you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/billwil. I hope you enjoy the episode. Please send feedback.

SPC #038 – Thank You Sir, May I Have Another

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:47:20 +0000

Welcome back, SPC listeners. I’m glad to be back with you for another experience on my road to becoming a private pilot. Today you’ll be coming along as I complete my 3rd stage check out of four. As you know from my previous few episodes, I’d been preparing for this. As I also have mentioned before, I had spent the previous 4 days training for this stage check, including a makeup solo the morning of this check which you can hear all about in episode 37. So finally here we are, ready to get passed off to one of the chief pilots to make sure I’m ready to enter the fourth and final stage of my training.

SPC #037-Windy Solo Makeup Flight

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:39:04 +0000

This is episode 37 of the Student Pilot Cast. Join me as I take a solo makup flight in some windy conditions the morning of my Stage III Check. In this flight I stay in the pattern and practice performance landings and takeoffs. As the flight went on, the wind kept getting worse and worse to the point that I ended up landing in a crosswind that was close to the max demonstrated crosswind component of the aircraft. Fun stuff.

Don’t forget to check out Air Freddy’s Learning to Fly Guide. Air Freddy is a very experienced CFI who has writtend a great guide to getting started in the flight training game. I’ve read the book and wished that I would have known about it before I started…so I’m passing it along to you if you’re interested. By using the link I’m providing here the Student Pilot Cast will get the referral credit, so please do use this link.

Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoy this episode.

SPC #036-Podapalooza 2010 from Oshkosh

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 08:57:45 +0000

It’s that time again…now that we’re home from Oshkosh, it’s time to share this year’s edition of Podapalooza. This was recorded live on EAA Radio on Friday, July 30th, 2010. Enjoy.

SPC #035-Stage III Check Prep, Hijacked!

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 09:33:47 +0000

Welcome to episode 35, finally, of the Student Pilot Cast, “Stage III Check Prep, Hijacked”. I’m Bill Williams, and I’m learning to fly in front of the world. Come join me as I prepare for my Stage III Check with a different instructor. This has been updated to point to the proper media file.

SPC #034-Solo, Shorts, Softs, and FOD

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:47:26 +0000

Hello again SPC listeners. Today’s episode takes us on a solo training flight on a very busy day to practice performance landings and takeoffs (shorts and softs). We have everything from FOD to go-arounds in this episode, so enjoy.

I was nearing the end of stage III in my training, so I was almost in the home stretch. I also explain in this episode the cramming of flights I had to do over just a few days to finish stage III. This flight was the first of them.

As mentioned, If you are thinking about learning to fly, check out Air Freddy’s Learning to Fly Guide, an e-book that will answer many of your questions beforehand, and do it in an entertaining way.

Lastly, don’t forget to go check out the newly released (out of beta) myTransponder. This aviation oriented social networking site is great. To commemorate the recent full release and the fact that it is now open to anyone to join, I’ve created a group on myTransponder called, “Fans of the Student Pilot Cast.” Please head over to the site and sign up if you haven’t already, and by all means, join my new group!

Thanks again for listening, and enjoy the episode. Then, get out and fly!

SPC #033-Into the Night, Part II

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:43:00 +0000

This is part II of my night dual cross country flight. This part takes us from Marana Airport in the far northern part of Tucson back to Chandler.

[KAVQ-KCHD]

I mentioned the Remos GX LSA flight from Oshkosh in this episode. Here is the link to the Airspeed episode that covered this. My flight video from this will be coming in the future.

Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter for the latest news from Student Pilot Cast land at http://twitter.com/billwil.

If you are thinking about learning to fly, check out Air Freddy’s Learning to Fly Guide, an e-book that will answer many of your questions beforehand, and do it in an entertaining way.

I hope you all enjoy the episode. Please send comments and feedback.

SPC #032-Podapalooza 2009, Part II

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:58:42 +0000

This is part II of Podapalooza 2009, the part of the show that was not broadcast live on EAA Radio. This took place at Oshkosh, July 31st, 2009.

If you are thinking about learning to fly, check out Air Freddy’s Learning to Fly Guide, an e-book that will answer many of your questions beforehand, and do it in an entertaining way.

Enjoy the episode.

SPC #031-Podapalooza 2009, Part I

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:13:32 +0000

Hello, everyone! Here is the first part of the audio from Podapalooza 2009 from Airventure in Oshkosh, July 31st, 2009. This part contains the audio from the show that was broadcast live on EAA Radio. After the radio station had to cut away, we continued Podapalooza and I will bring you that audio in the next episode. By then, I’m hoping to have my Remos flight video completed, and I will release that shortly thereafter. Here are a couple of photos from this years show.

Getting ready to start	The Pavillion filling up as we get started
Stu talks about his first impressions of Oshkosh	Stephen Force cracks wise, I’m sure
Jack getting a comment from Rod	Threw in a pic of the Terrafugia for good measure

Don’t forget, if you are thinking about learning to fly, check out Air Freddy’s Learning to Fly Guide, an e-book that will answer many of your questions beforehand, and do it in an entertaining way. Freddy has included many stories from his over 9000 hours of dual given time that help you learn what to expect and how to make decisions as you start your training, perfect for the beginning pilot. Air Freddy sponsors this podcast through these e-book sales, so you’ll be supporting The Student Pilot Cast as well with a purchase, and I appreciate that.

Let me know what you think of Podapalooza 2009! I hope you enjoy it. Now, get out there an fly!

SPC #030-Nexair Saratogo NX

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:55:00 +0000

We continue my coverage of EAA Airventure with episode 30. Today I present an interview with David Fetherston of Nexair Avionics about their new airplane, the Saratoga NX. The NX is a rebuild from spinner to tail of Piper’s Saratoga, but with all new avionics, speed mods, etc. It’s a very interesting value in a travelling six-seater mini-van.

Along with the interview, I want to share several pictures with you of their first product of this program, a 1982 fixed gear Saratoga. Enjoy.

The Saratoga NX	The Rear and Baggage Door
Panel from the Rear Seats	The New Interior
Weight-Saving LED Light	The Panel from the Pilots Door
Avidyne’s R9 PFD	The FMS Display and Keyboard
The Whole Panel	The New Switches

I hope you enjoy the interview, and I want to once again thank the folks at Nexair. I’m impressed with what they’ve done. I’d love to hear from you on what you think.

SPC Video #005-Recording Cockpit Audio

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:01:00 +0000

Okay everyone. I’m finally releasing a quick video covering how I record cockpit audio. This is my most frequently asked question. The video does not tell the whole story, so I’m doing that here on the website as well in this post. I may make it a permanent feature on the site as well.

So take a look at the video, but here are some more details. The first thing to understand is that what you record to doesn’t really matter. I use a digital audio recorder, but recording to a video camera, an mp3 player, or even an old fashioned tape recorder is the same thing. The trick is getting the audio from the plane to a level that can be recorded by one of these devices correctly.

The Levels. Whatever your method of recording, you will likely be using the Microphone (Mic) input jack of some sort of recorder. The levels that a Microphone puts out are much lower than the levels that are needed to drive headset speakers, which is why just plugging a headphone output directly into the Mic input on a recorder will likely not work well. The audio will be overdriven and garbled. So, the first issue is to reduce the levels coming out of the plane’s audio system to a mic level that can be recorded. There are several ways to do this, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

The Jacks: The other issue is much more straightforward; you have to use adapters and cables that allow the different jacks for headsets and recording devices to be connected. This is a simple physical plug problem which can be addressed with various adapters.

The Solutions: There are probably many more ways to do this, and I welcome comments from readers/listeners for more ideas, but I’ll likely cover most of the common ways to accomplish the same thing; record audio in the cockpit. Here are various solutions in no particular order. I will list pros and cons for each solution.

Probably the simplest and least expensive solution from an equipment perspective is to use a simple attenuating cable that can be found at many audio and electronic parts stores, including Radio Shack, like this one. This type of cable is special because it has electronics built in that will “attenuate” the higher speaker audio signal coming out of the plane down to a lower signal suitable for recording from a Mic input on your recording device. The one I’ve linked here attenuates 90 dB if I remember correctly, which is about right for this application. Notice also that the cable is a mono 1/8 inch male to mono 1/8 inch male plug. That means you’ll have to buy adapters to match the output and inputs that you’ll need. In most situations, that will be a 1/4 inch male (stero or mono depending on your plane’s audio panel…mono being safest) to 1/8 inch mono female adapter. The 1/4 male plug would plug into an unused headset port in the plane. Pros: Cheap, simple, parts likely locally obtained. Cons: Requires an unused headset port in the plane (i.e. in a four seat airplane, you can’t have 4 people with headsets plugged in), doesn’t record ambient noise.
Another solution would be to build on the attenuating cable solution into a pass-through attenuating cable. Using the solution above you can add additional adapters and cables to allow the contraption to pass through the audio while attenuating and splitting the audio to a recording device. This would necessitate some additional splitters and adapters that can likely be found at local or online parts retailers such as Radio Shack and PartsExpress so that you would split off the audio from the airplane’s audio panel into two paths, attenuate the one to the recorder, and pass through the one to the headset. This would allow a jack that is in use by a passenger to be used to record as well. I have not used this setup myself. Pros: Parts likely locally obtained, can use an in-use jack and works with any headset. Cons: Solution getting complicated with many wires, adapters, etc., doesn’t record ambient noise, and is starting to get expensive with all of the adapters.
The purpose-built patch cable solution is probably the most simple and the hardest to screw up. It is not necessarily the cheapest of the solutions, but isn’t too expensive. This is the solution that I have used for the vast majority of my recordings. I have chosen this because it is simple, reduces clutter in the cockpit (least amount of wires), and reduces the likelihood of missing audio because of batteries, wires coming unplugged, etc. This solution simply involves purchasing a purpose built cable for recording in cockpits and plugging it in between the audio panel plug and your headset. This solution works with virtually any standard airplane and any headset, and is the solution outlined first in the accompanying video. It is essentially a pass through attenuating cable that is packaged into a small and simple cable. Various versions of this type of cable can be purchased through aviation audio specific resellers and manufacturers, including Marv Golden, Barnstormer Audio, Aircraft Spruce, and probably others. I personally use the one from Barnstormer, but they all do the same thing, and will likely cost somewhere between $30 and $40. Pros: Simple and foolproof, can use an in-use jack and works with any headset. Cons: More expensive, doesn’t record ambient noise.
A lavalier microphone (lav mic) solution can be used as well. This is a more organic solution for recording the audio in the cockpit because it doesn’t interface with the airplanes audio system directly. I touch on this near the end of the accompanying video, and I have used this method personally with success a few times. You simply use a lav mic that can be obtained from many places, including this one from Radio Shack, and you simply plug it into your recording device and put the small microphone into an ear cup of your headset. Electret type microphones will give better results, but require batteries. You’ll need to play with the levels a bit to get it right, but this method does work, and will record some ambient noise as well…something many people desire. It is more like the sound of actually being there, but does require having extra wires dangling from your headset and of course does not work with in ear headsets such as the Clarity Aloft. Pros: More organic sound recording, doesn’t use an audio jack in the airplane, relatively inexpensive (especially if you already have a lav mic or another need for one). Cons: Works only with “over the ear” headsets (most of them), increases clutter and wires in the cockpit, could require additional batterries in the mic, could be uncomfortable with some headsets.
The poor-mans lav mic solution is simply a variation of the lavalier microphone solution outlined above. Everything is exactly the same, but instead of using a real lav mic, some people have had success using a set of cheap earbud style headphones (like those that come with an iPod for example) as a microphone. Simply stick the earpieces in your headsets earcups and the other end into the mic jack of your recording device, play with the levels, and cross your fingers. I have actually tried this for giggles, and it does work, but the levels and sound quality are nowhere near that of a good electret microphone, or one of the other solutions listed here. With the right combination of earbuds and recording device (with various levels of input), there is nothing wrong with this, but you will have to experiment a little. Once you find a combination and settings that work, it shouldn’t be a problem and should produce results similar to the lav mic solution above, but do your testing. Pros and Cons are the same as above besides the extra testing mentioned here.

Okay…there’s the rundown. For what I personally do, as I mentioned, most of the time a use the Barnstormer purpose-built cable for audio. As I record video, though, I’m trying different things, including splitting the audio coming from the cable to my audio recording device AND the video camera, or using the splitter cable for the audio only device, and using the lav mic solution for the video camera. This gives me the best of both worlds as far as audio goes (more organic audio with the video and more pristine audio with my audio recorder). This is an especially useful scenario if I have a passenger who is willing to put the lav mic in their earcup, that way it keeps the extra cable away from me and reduces the chance of it interfering with my PIC duties. The Barnstormer cable and other solutions like it are absolutely bullet-proof…I’ve never had a failure or forgotten anything, etc. There are no batteries to change, no extra cables into my earcups to deal with, etc. I just leave the splitter cable attached to my headset and carry it in my headset bag as if it were part of the headset. Works out well.

Hopefully this post and video answers this question for everyone. I’ve tried to be as comprehensive as I could, but I’ve missed anything or made any mistakes, please let me know through the comments (so others can see as well). Happy flying (and recording). Can’t wait to hear everyone’s cockpit audio.

SPC #029-It’s About the People

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:57:00 +0000

Airventure 2009 is over, but I’ve got a bit of good material from Oshkosh that I’ll be publishing. This is the first of it. In this episode, I confirm why everyone loves Oshkosh so much with a quick discussion with John and Christine Halbrook around the campsite one evening.

Obviously, this is a small break from the normal episodes of my training, but I think you’ll find these quick podcasts interesting and worthwhile…at least I hope you do. Please let me know what you think. As usual, I’d love to hear from you.

I have a few more things to share from Oshkosh, as well as a short video about recording cockpit audio that is ready to go, and will be published in the next couple of days. After that, we’ll resume normal programming and finish up my training. Enjoy.

SPC #028-Into the Night, Part I

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:25:54 +0000

Hello SPC listeners! Today we will follow my outbound leg of my dual night cross country. I had to take a couple of weeks off because of extensive travel, including some family vacations. I’m back now, though, but headed to Oshkosh this week. This means lots of content coming up hopefully. For most of it, follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/billwil, and I’ll keep you updated.

In this episode, we did a dual night cross country from KCHD (Chandler) to KAVQ (Marana) which is in north Tucson.

KCHD-KAVQ (around Eloy)

Thanks again for listening, everyone. I hope to see you at OSH!

SPC #027-Out of the Nest, Part II

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:02:00 +0000

This episode chronicles my return flight to Chandler from Tucson international, and is the second part of my first solo cross-country flight during my training. There’s some interesting things that happen, and another bonehead move on my part with the radio. Please enjoy this flight as I learn to fly in front of the world.

The route home was only slightly different than when I went to Tucson. I needed to do a touch and go at Ryan Field down in Tucson, so that changed the route slightly. Here is the return.

NavMonster, KTUS-KRYN-TOTEC-KCHD

Remember, If you are thinking of learning to fly, find out everything you need to know to get started and what to expect during your training with Air Freddy’s Learning to Fly Guide. You help support this podcast by using my link here, so if you consider purchasing this e-book, please click above.

SPC #026-Out of the Nest, Part I

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:26:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a very special one as we’ll cover my first solo cross country. It was a simple flight from Chandler to Tucson International, but a giant step for me in my training. Join me as a learn to fly in front of the world in podcast episode 26 of the Student Pilot Cast, Out of the Nest, Part I.

I’ve included a couple of pictures. First is the route I took on this leg from Chandler (KCHD) to Tucson (KTUS).

[Cross Country Route, Courtesy of Navmonster.com]

The next photo is of Pinal Airpark and all of the mothballed airplanes.

[Pinal Airpark From Above-Showing some of the big iron]

As usual, I hope you enjoy this episode. Please send me feedback through email or via the contact link above. Also, feel free to leave comments below. My training was getting hot and heavy now…I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Tailwinds.

SPC #025-Across the Hills, Part II

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:19:00 +0000

This episode is the conclusion of my long dual cross-country training flight, or the last two legs. We went from Prescott (KPRC) to Sedona (KSEZ) and shut it down to go have a late breakfast at the excellent restaurant. Then it was on home to Chandler (KCHD).

I hope you enjoy the episode. As usual, take a few minutes and let me know what you think. Also, remember to check out Air Freddy’s Learning to Fly Guide eBook to help support the Student Pilot Cast. As I mentioned before, Air Freddy has over 9000 hours of dual given, so he’s been around the block a few times. If you’re thinking about becoming a pilot, his guide may certainly help you prepare, so check it out. If you use the link above to purchase, the Student Pilot Cast will get credit, and it is much appreciated.

During this flight my instructor, Lary, grabbed my camera and took some shots. I’ll include a few of them here.

The first two are approaching Sedona.

These next three are approaching the Phoenix valley from the northeast over Mesa, including a shot of Red Mountain.

This last one is our long straight-in approach to Chandler’s (KCHD) 22R.

SPC #024-Across the Hills, part I

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Hello, everyone. I’m pleased to release audio episode 24 of the Student Pilot Cast, Across the Hills. Follow me on the first leg of my long dual cross country from KCHD to KPRC right through the middle of Phoenix. We’ve got a busy airspace in Phoenix and a really busy airspace in Prescott in this episode. I hope you enjoy it, and as always, let me know what you think.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter HERE to see what I’m up to now. Thanks again, everyone. Have a great flying day!

SPC-Video #004-Flight Over Hana

Mon, 25 May 2009 14:37:00 +0000

I’m back with video! I’ve been sitting on this footage for almost two years now, so I’m very excited to get this one published. In this episode I take you on a flight with me over Hana, Hawaii on Maui with Armin from Hang Gliding Maui. Armin is a CFI, and took me for me first microlight ride, and it couldn’t have been in a better setting.

This flight was one of the experiences that finally got me doing something about my dream of learning to fly. Within 6 months of this, I was preparing to start my own training. I hope you enjoy it. As always, I would love to get feedback from you on this.

NOTE: I have encoded this video at a higher quality than I usually do because the content deserves it, and it is a shorter video, so the file size wouldn’t be too massive. It could, however, prove problematic on some hardware players. I have tested on iPhone, both classic and new Zune’s, and Xbox 360, and all work great. I couldn’t get my hands on a regular iPod to test, but I think it should work. It may not work on older iPods though (pre G5). In any case, please let me know if you run into any problems so that I can continue to improve my process.

SPC #023-Crossing the Country, Part 2, Coming Home

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 02:34:00 +0000

In episode 23 we cover the return flight from Tucson International Airport (KTUS) to Chandler (KCHD) as part of my first dual cross country. Leaving a class C airport was a bit different than working in my usual class B airport. Busier airspace, bigger airplanes, departure controllers, approach controllers, and clearance delivery. All together, it kept me busy, but I learned a lot on this flight and enjoyed it very much.

I mentioned in this episode our new sponser, Air Feddy’s Learning to Fly Guide. Air Freddy has around 9000 hours of dual given and has written an e-book that really helps lay out the process of learning to fly; what to expect, what equipment is needed, how to figure the costs accurately, etc. He also tells a few personal stories as part of the book which helps keep it all interesting and personal. Fred’s experience can be very helpful to prospective and current student pilots. If you want to know more about it, or purchase the e-book, please use the link above.

Thanks again, SPC listeners. I hope you enjoy this episode. As usual, please provide any feedback that you may have.

SPC #022-Crossing the Country, Part 1

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Hello again, everyone. I’m back with episode 22 about my first dual cross country flight during my primary training. It was fantastic as I hope you’ll be able to tell from this episode. I went from KCHD to KTUS, or Tucson International.

I also mentioned Scenario Based Training in this episode as well. Linked here is an ASA book on the subject.

Finally, Picacho Peak is used as landmark in this episode. I wanted to include a picture I took of it during one of my flights…it is quite spectacular (and this picture does not do it justice).

I hope you all enjoy the episode. Please leave feedback for me.

SPC #021-Good Freakin’ Flight

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:07:00 +0000

I’m back SPC listeners! I’ve had no time to produce new episodes for a while, but I forced myself tonight…and put off some other stuff. So what we have is another training episode, Episode 21, “Good Freakin’ Flight”. This is a solo flight that I took after returning from my Dive trip, and this was the next flight in my training after the night flight that was covered in episodes 19 and 20.

I hope you enjoy this episode, and I’ll try to be more consistant with the releases going forward. Please give me feedback as always. Also, I’m working on a couple of videos, including the video from the flight covered in this episode as well as a tutorial on how to record in cockpit audio, as this is my most frequently asked question from listeners. This is in addition to a start that I’ve got on the next audio episode as well.

As usual, for up to date information on flights, feel free to follow me on twitter. Thanks again, everyone. Get out there and fly!

SPC #020-Tour de Phoenix-Part 2

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:50:00 +0000

I’m back, after an exclusive one month tour of Europe, Scandinavia, and…no, that’s not true. In fact, I’ve just been really busy, and haven’t had a chance to finish this episode up and send it out on the feed. Bad me, I know. So, we skipped September in the podcast…I’ll try to make it up to you all.

Here is episode 20, the second and final part of my first night flight around the Phoenix area. As I said in the audio, I really enjoyed this flight a lot. Now that I have my license, I need to do some more night flying.

Enjoy the episode, and by all means, let me know what you think of the podcast.

SPC #019-Tour de Phoenix-Part 1

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:01:00 +0000

Hello patient Student Pilot Cast listeners. I’m back again with a training flight, which happens to be my first night flight…as well as a few other firsts. We basically to take a tour of the Phoenix Valley at night. Very cool.

I broke this into two parts because it was a long flight with quite a bit going on. I hope you enjoy. Don’t forget to give me feedback.

SPC #018-Podapalooza 2008-Part 2

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:06:00 +0000

Here is the last part of Podapalooza 2008 from Oshkosh. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for listening, and please don’t forget to let me know you’re out there. Leave me some feedback using the contact link near the top of the page.

SPC #017-Podapalooza 2008-Part 1

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:12:00 +0000

Hello everyone. I’m happy to release part 1 of the 2008 edition of Podapalooza, which was recorded in Oshkosh at EAA Airventure. Podapalooza is the gathering of aviation podcasters in Oshkosh each year. As well as being released on this and many other feeds, this year it was broadcast live on EAA Radio as well as on the Internet.

Participating in this year’s event was, in the order they were sitting, Uncontrolled Airspace, The Student Pilot Cast, The Finer Points, Airspeed, and the Pilotcast (along with CFI cast). Remoted in via skype was Will and Dave of the Pilot’s Flight Pod Log. Notably missing this year were new pilot, Greg, from the Student Pilot Journal and student pilot Jerry from VA Student Pilot. I’m probably forgetting others as well, so forgive me.

I also want to note that Airventure Today (the daily Airventure newspaper) did an article on the Podapalooza, so check that out if want to.

I really enjoyed participating this year, and felt honored to be on the stage with so many talented people. It’s a great community of people in aviation.

SPC #016-Oshkosh Update

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:20:00 +0000

Hello everyone. I’m reposting this as I just discovered that it was lost somehow. My episode 16 from Oshkosh 2008 where I announced that I had achieved my private pilot.

SPC #015-On Par with the VOR

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:10:00 +0000

Shooting ’em out rapid-fire, now, folks. Here’s another episode of the Student Pilot Cast, number 15, about a flight in which we focused on VORs and Simulated Instrument Conditions (The Hood). I had passed my Phase II Check, and I was starting on Phase III. I hope you enjoy.

SPC #014-Stage II, That’s Who!

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:35:00 +0000

Episode 14 is here! Today we’ll follow a dual lesson that I had to prep for the Stage II Stage Check. Now that I had been introduced to shorts and softs, and had some time to practice, it was time to finish stage II. Before I could do this stage check, though, I had to prep with my instructor. That’s what this lesson and episode is about. We practiced steep turns, minimum controllable airspeed, power on and power off stalls, emergency procedures, and a couple more short and soft landings.

Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoy episode 14.

SPC-Video #003-Reference This…

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:50:00 +0000

It’s time for another video episode, episode 3, Reference This. In this episode, I take a solo practice flight to the practice area to go over Ground Reference Maneuvers.

I’m including the smaller version again in this feed (320×240) because of the sheer size of the 640×480 versions (400 MB). I’ve heard from a couple of you commenting that you would rather have the larger version…and I still may consider that, but these files just seem too large for a simple podcast. The embedded video from Vimeo in this post is pretty high quality, so if you desire a more detailed version, maybe this will suffice. For those of us who watch video podcasts on a handheld device, the smaller version will suffice. Again…if I hear from more of you wanting the larger versions of these, I will consider changing this, or adding a High Quality feed for the larger videos.

Thanks for taking the time to watch. As usual, I’d love to know what you think, so shoot off an email or use the contact page on the website.

SPC #013-Ground Reference Revisited

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:34:00 +0000

This is an episode about a solo flight I took to practice ground reference maneuvers. I also take the opportunity to share portions of an email I received from David Allen, a future pilot who’s email summarized in an eloquent way what several people have said to me since I started this. I asked David for permission to share his email, and he graciously allowed me to. Thanks, David, for the kind words, the motivation to keep producing more episodes, and allowing me to share it. Like I say in the episode itself, contact and notes from people like David are the only compensation that podcasters like me get for the hours put into production and planning. Letters from David and others like him make it well worth it.

So, if you would like to contact me, feel free to do so at the email address mentioned in the episode, or simply click on the contact link on this website and let me know what you think. Up next I’ll be finishing up Stage II, and it will be on to the cross country work in stage III. I hope you hang with me…there’s a lot more to come.

SPC #012-Who Said Anything About Short and Soft?

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:25:00 +0000

Okay, we’re back to the lessons. As you can see from the title, at this point in my training I have started learning the performance takeoffs and landings sometimes referred to as “Shorts” and “Softs”. Within 4 day’s time I had three dual lessons on these performance landings and takeoffs. I also take a moment in this episode to comment on a strategic mistake that I made in this part of my training. Let this be a lesson for you all!

Enjoy the episode. Please leave feedback or comments.

SPC #011-Who Would Produce a Podcast, Anyway?

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:44:00 +0000

We have a very special episode of the audio cast today. Yesterday, Jerry O’Sullivan from the Virginia Student Pilot podcast completed his first solo flight! Well, we had a chance to talk today while it was fresh in his mind, and that’s the cast we have today.

The second big news of the day is that Jerry has finally released episode 5 (he was stuck on episode 4 for a while) of his cast. He’s got a big backlog of stories, too, so we’re looking for more episodes from him over the coming weeks. So I’m sure he will relate his first solo flight through his feed when he gets there in his podcast, you get to listen to some of that reflection today, along with other topics as well.

I really enjoyed speaking with Jerry, and I’m sure you all will enjoy this as well. Thanks, Jerry, for spending this time with all of us. If you aren’t subscribed to the Virginia Student Pilot podcast, check it out. You’ll love it. You can do so through iTunes…but if you don’t use iTunes, here is the proper feed to use: RSS for VA Student Pilot feed.

Enjoy.

SPC-Video #002-On My Own

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:06:00 +0000

Hey…look at this. Finally a video episode! It’s been a long time coming, I know. I hope you enjoy it.

There are some problems with the video which I explain a bit about in this episode, but I decided to use some of the video anyway as I think it will still be interesting. Also, I rendered this mp4 video at 320×240 pixels to save space. This should work well on most portable video players…but won’t look quite as good viewing on a computer of TV screen. I do have a standard definition version (640×480), but it is a whopping 227 MB as opposed to 94 MB, so I went with the smaller one. Please let me know if you would prefer the larger, clearer versions of this and future video podcasts or the smaller ones that I’m releasing. Based partially on this feedback, I will make future decisions on the rendering of future videos (and may even change this one).

In this video I show some of the flight that I talked about in the audio episode 10, “Sometime You Just Feel Like a Pilot”. All of the commentary and insight about the flight is in the audio cast; this video is simply a compilation of parts of that flight for your viewing pleasure. The main discussions still happen in the audiocast…so simply put, the video is not a replacement for the audio…they are for different purposes.

Thanks again for listening and watching. Please let me know what you think of the video. The quality will be better next time…but feel free to comment on the content, length, flow, etc., so I can try to make my next one even better.

SPC #010-Sometimes You Just Feel Like a Pilot

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:11:00 +0000

Hello, everyone. I’ve just returned from my little vacation Scuba Diving with my buddies in the Channel Islands, and I’m releasing episode 10. This episode documents a very memorable flight for me; a flight that helped me remember why I’m doing this. This flight may end up being even more important to me than my first solo. Listen to this episode to understand why.

Also, The Student Pilot Cast got mentioned in AOPA’s Flight Training Magazine! Jill from AOPA contacted me a while back and asked me some questions about my podcast and some of my motivations for creating and producing it. In the July issue on page 14 they outline some of this in the feature, “Training Notes and News”. Very humbling to be mentioned in a publication that I’ve been reading for a long time, and which I respect a lot.

Also, because of that exposure, I’ve gotten a significant number of new listeners, so I want to welcome these newcomers to my exhibitionism around learning to fly. More and more I’m doing this for all the world to hear and see…mistakes and all.

In this episode, I document my first ever flight away from the airport by myself where I am PIC from start to finish.

SPC #009-What’s it Like to be a New Pilot?

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:42:00 +0000

Episode 9 is completely different. We’ll get back to the regular podcasts momentarily, but for this episode, we have the pleasure of hearing from Pilot PJ, a relatively new pilot who shares his wisdom with us. PJ and I talk about everything from multiple “discovery flights” to finally taking passengers for rides. Some of the stuff in between includes landings, instructors, the Internet, and an aviation museum that PJ volunteers for in Texas.

Enjoy the episode, and a big “Thank you” goes out to PJ for helping out with this one. Excuse the audio quality…I’m still learning how to properly record interviews.

SPC #008-Movin’ on Up

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:27:00 +0000

Here is Episode 8 of the Student Pilot Cast, “Movin’ on Up”. Join me as I document a dual flight I had where we worked on partial panel instrument flying, ground reference maneuvers, and crosswind landing. I’ve got a lot of good stuff coming up, and I’m going to start releasing more episodes to relieve the burden of documenting many flights in one episode…it starts to get daunting when I’ve got 6 or 7 flights backlogged. In addition, I’m hoping this makes it easier to listen and follow it as well. It should give me more opportunities to do other topics rather than just doing flights every time. But because I’m flying on average three times a week, it’s easy to fall behind. We’ll see how it goes.

In any case, enjoy episode 8 of the audio cast. Let me know what you think by contacting me through the contact link above, leaving a comment on this episode, or emailing me at the email address mentioned in the audio cast.

SPC #007-Alone Again

Mon, 26 May 2008 02:46:00 +0000

Another episode. This week I get to finish up recounting the story of my first solo, and then the very next day, my second solo. There was a lot of good experience to be had, and I try to sum it up in this episode.

Enjoy, and let me know if you have any suggestions for the audio cast. I’m hoping to get some video up soon, but I’m experimenting with the capture of video. Well see how it all works out.

SPC #006-Look, Ma. No Instructor!

Mon, 19 May 2008 04:20:00 +0000

In this episode we catch up in my training through my phase 1 phase check, a change of my CFI, and of course, my first solo. This is a big episode, and includes an event that I will always remember. I’m including a couple of pictures from the big event that I asked my instructor to take.

This is just seconds before my first ever touchdown as PIC.

This one is on rollout for my full stop/taxi back. See, I’m alone.

This is after my three landings back at the ramp. That’s a happy pilot.

I hope you enjoy the episode. Thanks for listening, and please give me any feedback by clicking on the “contact” link on the top/right of the homepage.

SPC #005-Coyote Ugly

Fri, 09 May 2008 04:23:00 +0000

Another episode in the cast is released! In Episode 5 I start to include much more in cockpit audio, by popular demand. This makes the cast a bit longer than usual, so I hope you don’t mind. We cover several lessons, up to but not including my Phase 1 Stage Check.

There’s a couple of interesting tidbits, and some good information on some changes in my training…or at least my trainer. As for the title, you’ll have to listen to find out.

I mentioned an accident that happened here locally in this episode, and promised to post a link to the NTSB preliminary report. The fatal crash referenced is here. I mentioned a previous accident from which the student pilot and CFI walked away. That link is here.

Thanks for listening. Please leave feedback or click “contact” in the upper right corner of this page to send me an email.

SPC #004-Grooving with 6.6 Hours

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:55:00 +0000

In episode 4 we talk about the continuation of training after my vacation, some things my wife and I saw in Seattle. We also cover recording in cockpit, landings, and where I’m at with training. I’ve got 6.6 hours now.

I apologize for the long delay of over two weeks, but I was on vacation, and then work had me slammed. My wife and I went to Seattle, and I wanted to include a couple of pics from that…some of this is discussed in this episode.

First, one of my favorites. Look at the little guy in front of the brand new 777 before a test flight out of Paine Field. The scary thing is…compared to what I’m flying, that little plane is big…and in this photo is a good 300 feet or so closer to the camera, so its really even smaller than it looks relative to the jumbo.

Here is the same 777 on its takeoff roll, and lifting off.

Here is a giant freighter being loaded…that was quite a site.

And a nice shot of the Seattle skyline from the water.

Thanks for listening. Please leave feedback or click “contact” in the upper right corner of this page to send me an email.

SPC #003-The First Week

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:30:00 +0000

In episode 3 we talk about my first week of training. Two flights and some ground work. I’ve got 2.2 hours, and two more flights this week before I have to go out of town. I also talk abou a B-17 that came to our local airport.

Thanks for listening. Please leave feedback or click “contact” in the upper right corner of this page to send me an email.

SPC #002-Where to Spend your Kids’ College Fund

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:18:00 +0000

…or, How to Choose a Flight School or CFI

Okay, on to the second episode. Its been over ten days since my last episode because I had a snag starting my training. Because the school I chose was so busy, I had some scheduling issues, but we’ve worked those out, and I have my first lesson tomorrow. So before I formally start my training, I wanted to do an episode on how I chose my flight school, and what criteria I used. This is that episode.

I mentioned in episode 002 several of the sources of information that I used to develop my criteria for selecting a school, and some of those are listed here. First, two podcasts were very influential…and those were the Finer Points, by Jason Miller, and the CFICast, produced by the PilotCast guys (which unfortunately doesn’t seem to work well with at least the latest version of Internet Explorer, but the link directly to the feed is here). Also, the AOPA forums were helpful as well.

Once again, music in this episode is from Uncle Seth.

Enjoy…and please leave feedback as comments on this episode, or click “contact” above to send me an email.

SPC-Video #001-Trent on the Controls

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:12:00 +0000

Here is Trent on his first single engine plane ride…and low and behold, he’s at the controls. Trent may be a regular on the site going forward. We’ll see. Give him some encouragement, folks!

SPC #001-The First Flight

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:58:00 +0000

Here it is…the first real episode…you know, with planes involved. Listen to a bit of our first flight, some funny stuff from my friend, Trent, and more.

As promised in the audio, here are the links to another show from the student’s perspective, the Student Pilot Flight PodLog by Will Hawkins. And here is his latest efforts, since becoming a pilot, the Pilot’s Flight PodLog.

Again, music in this episode is from Uncle Seth.

Enjoy…and please leave feedback as comments on this post, or click “contact” above to send me an email.

SPC #000-Kickin’ it Off

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:23:00 +0000

This is the first episode in the endeavors of a regular guy getting his private pilot certificate. I’m starting flight training next week, and I’ve decided to chronicle this thing for the enjoyment of anyone who cares…and me. Take a listen to the introduction, Episode Zero.

Music for this episode is provided by Uncle Seth.