132. The Surprise Investigation

Imagine landing your aircraft after a seemingly routine flight, only to find the FAA waiting for you on the ramp. In this special episode of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with commercial pilot Elliot Mintzer to discuss a harrowing experience from early in his PC-12 career. What started as a standard Part 91 contract flight from the Mid-Atlantic to Texas quickly unraveled into a multi-year legal battle that threatened to end Elliot's aviation career before it truly took off.

In Episode 131 of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with Leslie Cobble, a seasoned flight instructor and owner of flight schools in Arkansas and Hawaii. What was supposed to be a routine engine break-in flight over the beautiful shores of Maui quickly turned into a terrifying fight for control.

In Episode 130 of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with airline pilot and aviation attorney Chris Pezalla to recount a marathon time-building flight that quickly turned into a damp, late-night lesson in aeronautical decision-making. Twenty years ago, a 19-year-old Chris and a friend rented a Cessna 152 to fly from Daytona Beach down to Key West. What started as a straightforward opportunity to build cross-country flight time evolved into a grueling ordeal on the journey home.

In episode 129 of I Learned About Flying from That, host Carl Valeri sits down with pilot Christy De La Torre and flight instructor Mac Bradley to unpack a routine instructional flight that quickly escalated into a real-world emergency. During a cross-country check ride preparation flight from Wiley Post to Wichita Falls, Texas, Christy and Mac were practicing pattern work when a critical mechanical failure occurred. After a touch-and-go landing, Christy attempted to pull the throttle back, only to discover the throttle cable had completely severed—leaving their aircraft's engine stuck operating at full power.

In Episode 128 of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri welcomes Bill English, a veteran pilot, flight instructor, and former NTSB accident investigator with over 40 years of aviation experience. Bill recounts a harrowing situation while flying a Cessna 172 that had just undergone a major engine overhaul. Setting out on a cross-country training flight with two CFI trainees, the crew noticed what appeared to be water condensation on the windshield shortly after takeoff. The "rain" quickly worsened, turning into a brown film that completely obscured the front windshield. They soon realized a plug in the engine's hollow crankshaft had blown out, spraying hot oil all over the aircraft's fuselage. Tune in to hear the full breakdown of the emergency, plus vital lessons learned.

In this episode of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with pilot David Segel to discuss a seemingly routine night flight that quickly turned into a harrowing lesson in survival. While attempting to regain his night currency at Alpine Airpark in Wyoming, David took off expecting a bright, full-moon lit sky to safely illuminate the surrounding 10,000-foot peaks. Instead, moments after leaving the runway, he was met with pitch-black darkness caused by an unexpected lunar eclipse. As severe spatial disorientation set in and his autopilot began blaring "Terrain! Pull Up!" warnings, David had to fight his own senses and rely on a critical piece of technology—the Garmin autopilot's "blue button"—to navigate his way out of danger. Owner: www.avemco.com/8705-ownerNon-Owner: www.avemco.com/8705-nonowner

In this episode of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with veteran pilot Richard Sheffield to recount a harrowing incident from his early flying days in Texas. What started as a routine solo flight in an Aeronca Champ turned into a desperate struggle for control on a gravel ramp. Richard shares the terrifying moment his engine surged during a solo hand-prop start, sending the aircraft into a clockwise pivot toward a parked Beechcraft Bonanza. Whether you're a taildragger enthusiast or a student pilot, Richard’s story is a powerful reminder that safety often comes down to the simplest tools and the humblest preparations.

What would you do if you lost your engine in the dark, less than 500 feet off the ground? In Episode 125, Carl Valeri speaks with Shreya Verma, a commercial pilot and CFI with over 2,000 hours of flight time. Originally from Nepal, Shreya shares her journey into aviation and the most intense 40 seconds of her career. While conducting night takeoffs and landings with a student in DeLand, Florida, Shreya experienced a total engine failure at 450 feet. Against the odds, she successfully completed a 180-to-200-degree turn to land safely back on the runway. Tune in to hear her step-by-step breakdown of the emergency and the crucial lessons every pilot should apply to their own training.

In Episode 124 of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri is joined by Dan George, founder and Chief Instructor at FlightInsight. Dan shares a startling story from his early days as a CFII flying in actual Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). While shooting the RNAV approach into Maryland’s challenging Freeway Airport (W00) with a student, a perfect storm of factors—an offset approach course, older GPS equipment, patchy rain, and a short runway—led to a terrifying visual illusion right at the Minimum Descent Altitude.

In episode 123 of "I Learned About Flying From That," host Carl Valeri sits down with pilot James McDiarmid to discuss a dream cross-country flight that quickly turned into a terrifying emergency. Cruising at 23,000 feet in his Mooney Acclaim en route from the UK to Italy, James was enjoying a smooth ride—until the engine unexpectedly quit cold over Brussels. Faced with freezing temperatures and a complete loss of power, James was forced to declare a Mayday and initiate a harrowing dead-stick glide toward an unfamiliar runway, with his wife by his side and the odds stacked against them. Will they make it to the ground safely? And what invisible, easily overlooked threat caused a perfectly well-maintained engine to suddenly fail at flight level 230? Tune in to hear the gripping conclusion to James’s mid-air crisis and discover the critical lesson every high-altitude piston pilot needs to hear.