"There I was..." An Aviation Podcast

A lot of what you learn in getting your private ticket is sort of a, “this wouldn’t happen to me”, scenario. Engine and instrument failure, fuel issues, getting caught in unanticipated weather, bad checklist management, etc. It’s good not only to hear the solutions people came up with, but to hear about situations that happened to pilots just like me - only with a heck of a lot more experience. It’s nice to hear that the solutions that saved people’s lives are often the very basic ones that you learn in flight training. Helps keep them top of mind.

David O’Leary asks all the right questions to give us listeners the best takeaways from the experiences of David’s interviewees. I’m especially thinking about his interview with flight test engineer Joey Brown, whose airframe knowledge and CRM usage were inspiring enough, but which was also brought out by David’s pertinent questions. Richard McSpadden had the same skill, and David carries that skill through to continue presenting the best information for listeners. Thanks to the ASI for hosting this excellent podcast.

Great episode - simple usable advice and decision process discussion around wildlife a common problem nationwide. One question - how delicious was that deer !

I enjoyed “There I was…” before I even became a pilot, and as a student pilot, I find something in almost every episode to discuss with my CFI. Whether you’re a student or an ATP, there’s no substitute for hearing from peers who have flown into demanding situations and come out wiser on the other side. This is one of AOPA’s finest efforts!

I’m a long time airplane geek who hasn’t yet pursued a pilots license, but this is just a fantastic platform to learn from and be exhilarated by learning experiences in aviation. These stories, while they do pertain to aviation I feel teach us a lot about life and wisdom in general, perhaps that’s why in my book it’s so fantastic. Keep up the good work!