AOPA Western Pacific Regional Manager Jared Yoshiki recounts the story of purchasing his first airplane - a Cherokee 180. While ferrying it from Indiana to his home airport in California, things went awry.

Unexpected Fuel Consumption

Mar 11th, 2024 34m 45s

CFI Bill Tomkovic takes a Cessna 172 flight for the purpose of breaking in a new engine. In an effort to complete the break-in faster, Bill opts to fly longer than he originally intended. Unfortunately, the airplane’s fuel consumption is higher

Engine Failure in the Pattern

Feb 20th, 2024 31m 3s

Student pilot Bradley Riedle was performing touch and goes with his instructor when they experienced an engine failure in their Cherokee 140. Bradley discusses the aftermath of the event, including a hard landing that resulted in aircraft damag

Stabilator Malfunction

Jan 16th, 2024 59m 20s

Retired airline captain and designated pilot examiner John Blum tells the story of giving a multiengine checkride in a Piper Seneca, when a loud bang from the tail section of the aircraft derailed the flight.

Trouble at Mile Hi - Part 2

Dec 12th, 2023 33m 58s

In part 2 of this 2-part episode, we hear the continuation of a story from a backcountry pilot who was involved in an aircraft accident at Mile Hi airstrip in Idaho. The pilot explains the aftermath of the accident in dealing with the NTSB, the

Trouble at Mile Hi - Part 1

Oct 31st, 2023 46m 24s

In part 1 of this 2-part episode, we hear from a backcountry pilot who flew his Carbon Cub into Mile Hi airstrip in Idaho, and upon touchdown realized he was not decelerating as planned.

A Tribute to Richard McSpadden

Oct 13th, 2023 4m 39s

A message to our listeners regarding the tragic loss of our host, Richard McSpadden, and an update on the future of the "There I was..." podcast.

Chris and Michael Easton

Sep 13th, 2023 29m 20s

Father and son duo Chris and Michael Easton experience a bird strike while flying a Cirrus SR22 from Bedford, MA to New Garden Airport in PA.

Carl Hancock

Aug 15th, 2023 39m 16s

Cherokee 140 pilot Carl Hancock recalls a go-around near disaster when trying to climb in high density altitude with full flaps.

Lee Trotter

Jul 18th, 2023 43m 49s

Utah GA pilot Lee Trotter tells a story from early in his flying experience, when he got mixed up in a thunderstorm.

Bill Fredericks

Jun 13th, 2023 36m 57s

While flying in instrument conditions at night, Mooney pilot Bill Fredericks wrestles with a faulty autopilot.

Eric Hinson

May 15th, 2023 42m 55s

Eric Hinson, CEO of SIMCOM and former Navy pilot, experienced an engine failure immediately after takeoff in his Bonanza A36, while departing Orlando Sanford International Airport.

Chris Yates and Taylor Hash

Apr 12th, 2023 47m

When Taylor Hash, a 21-year-old student pilot flying solo, lost her nosewheel on takeoff in a Diamond DA20, an experienced pilot, Chris Yates, witnessed the event and got on the radio to coach Taylor through a safe landing.

Ben Zwebner

Mar 13th, 2023 27m 3s

737 First Officer Ben Zwebner tells the story of a tense flight early in his aviation career, while he was working as a flight instructor out of Montgomery County Airpark in Maryland. While flying a photographer over Washington, D.C. in the Fli

Kerry McCauley - Part 2

Feb 12th, 2023 20m 45s

This episode features part two of our interview with ferry pilot Kerry McCauley. In this story, Kerry flies across Africa near the equator at night, facing thunderstorms, no navaids, and dead-reckoning his way across political boundaries.

John Berman

Jan 12th, 2023 38m 36s

On a cold January evening, pilot John Berman was flying his Velocity XL aircraft from Liberal, KS to Santa Fe, NM when he encountered severe icing.

Bruce Landsberg

Jan 4th, 2023 45m 22s

NTSB Vice Chairman (and former senior leader of the AOPA Air Safety Institute) Bruce Landsberg comments on the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crash findings by Ethiopian authorities who downplayed training and other human factors.

Kerry McCauley

Dec 5th, 2022 27m 46s

Ferry pilot Kerry McCauley recounts a night flight in a Cessna 210 over the Sahara Desert, en route from Morocco to Ivory Coast, when he lost his alternator.

Ken Urban

Nov 7th, 2022 25m 39s

After a November afternoon flight with his father in the Boston area, GA pilot Ken Urban has an unwelcome encounter with a deer on short final.

Derick Jones

Oct 17th, 2022 38m 42s

New Hampshire-based pilot Derick Jones was flying his Cessna 172 to Lawrence Municipal Airport in Massachusetts, in IMC conditions, when he experienced a complete electrical failure.

Devin Miller

Sep 12th, 2022 59m 22s

GA pilot Devin Miller, first featured on the podcast in 2019, joins us again to talk about a more recent incident – an engine failure while flying a PA-34 Seneca III.

Cody Goodan

Aug 15th, 2022 38m 16s

Regional airline pilot Cody Goodan tells the story of an incident he experienced shortly after earning his private pilot’s license as a senior in high school. During a series of touch-and-go’s in a Cessna 172 carrying 3 friends, the combination

Michael Koury

Jul 11th, 2022 47m 36s

Michael Koury tells the story of flying his Cherokee 160, VFR from Sun Valley Airport in Arizona to St. George Regional Airport in Utah. With only 15 miles remaining in his trip, Michael suddenly found himself in blizzard conditions and zero vi

Paul Loewenstein and Larry Suter

Jun 16th, 2022 33m 27s

On a November afternoon, pilots Paul Loewenstein and Larry Suter, both members of the Northern California Soaring Association at Byron Airport, took off just a short time apart from each other in separate gliders. While both heading toward near

Trevor Peterson

May 11th, 2022 38m 13s

During a training flight from Camarillo to John Wayne Airport in southern California, CFI Trevor Peterson and his student found themselves dealing with a rough running engine and loss of oil pressure in their 172.