When I first started researching Evelyn Sharp's life, all sources led back to Diane Bartels, author of the book: Sharpie; The Life Story of Evelyn Sharp, Nebraska's Aviatrix.

Overview

In December of 1981, Dave “Bio” Baranek, former f-14 RIO and Topgun Instructor, had his most memorable flight of his entire career. Of the 3,000 hours of flying in his career, his first deployment gave him his first and only ejection. This week on Deviation Approved, Bio talks with host Mehrdad about his time in the navy, being a Topgun Instructor, and the filming of Hollywood's iconic movie: Topgun. 

Bio and his skipper were not supposed to be flying that day but due to unseen circumstances, they found themselves up in the air over the Indian Ocean. After completing the landing checklist, Bio and his skipper were prepared for another routine landing. When they went to catch the cable, Bio suddenly found himself sitting in the upright position and knew immediately something was wrong. Before his skipper could even finish the word, Bio had ejected themselves from the plane. His next memory was then coming to consciousness and realizing he was in the middle of the ocean surrounded by his parachute. Bio says that his training saved him that day and encourages every pilot to take their safety training seriously.  

After a few years as a RIO, Bio found himself training to become a Topgun Instructor, something he never imagined for himself. Bio thought since he had already completed Topgun school, he would be able to write his murder board with ease. He soon realized that teaching both pilots and RIOs is vastly different and in order to be successful, he had to humble himself. Bio says that the Topgun school taught him that “anyone who is committed and is willing to put in the time can do this.” 

Bio shares a few stories with Mehrdad about the filming of the Topgun movie. While it is great for entertainment, Bio says that the real RIOs and pilots hated the initial scripts. They had to put in a lot of time and effort to help the producers write the movie in a way that would depict their job more accurately. Even with their help, Bio says that it still is nothing in comparison to the real job. 

Tune in to this week’s episode of Deviation Approved for a detailed conversation about all things Topgun. Bio will share with listeners points of views as  a student, teacher, and actor at the Topgun school. 

Quotes 

“Take your training seriously because people hope that in a crisis they will perform, and they will rise to the level needed. But the reality is you will perform at the level of your training. So make sure your training is good”  (23:21-23:45)

“ I dont hide the mistakes and the faults. Because I've seen books and people say ‘he's a natural pilot’ and whatever. And yes ,there are people who through their training experiences start off strong and they continue to do well, but for a lot of people it takes work. And you stumble, you get corrected, you make mistakes. And depending on the nature of the mistake, you can learn from it and recover from it and come back.”   (47:53- 48:29)

“Basically anyone who is committed and is willing to put in the time can do this. And that is what Topgun teaches you. And that's what they create. I mean you have to have some talent,   you have to have some ability, but they will work with you and make you a Topgun Instructor. (1:08:21- 1:08:48) 

“Cause I had the feeling at Topgun, yeah you're working, you’re in Topgun but all your work walks out the door. I wanted to go back to a squadron where you work for your squadron.. You know your squadron reputation, readiness etc. So I returned to an F-14 squadron.” (102:47- 103:05). 

Links

www.topgunbio.com

https://www.instagram.com/topgunbio/

https://www.deviationapproved.com

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing

Abingdon Mullin, ferry pilot and business owner, has a lot of great stories to share on this episode of Deviation Approved. Mullin tells her first attempted pacific solo trip to Hawaii, going into a loose formation, and getting everything ‘wing tip tail to wing tip ready’ for her first over water flight. About an hour in, her pilot in the adjacent plane asks her altitude, to discover he was having an issue and decided to turn around. Upon inspection he found a pitot static leak. As regular maintenance was happening Mullin discovered the nose of her plane was covered in oil and had a serious leak. Thankful that her co-pilot had found the issue mid trip, her plane was saved. Had they not turned around her plane would not have made the trip.

Bribed by free food at 14, Mullin’s career center held free lunches when career specialists would come in and present their careers each Wednesday. Two pilots from Burbank Flight School happened to be there one Wednesday, and piqued her interest. She learned two things that day; you don’t need to join the military to be a pilot, and you don’t have to work for airlines to be able to fly as a career. There are of course many other flight avenues for one to take as a career. When Mullin went to get her pilot’s license, she asked prospective schools three questions:

Can you teach me how to fly quickly? Do you have any jobs available? Will you pay for my flight training?

To commemorate her successful private pilot rating, Mullin decided to get herself an aviation watch. She noticed that nothing was made for women, and she decided to make the first pilot’s watch for women, called The Abingdon Co. Her watches are not only feminine, but extremely unique. You can perform unit conversions, multiplication, division, calculate unit knots, and even convert currency! Unfamiliar with the watch industry, Asking herself where the best watches are made was the first step. From there she looked for watch suppliers, manufacturers, and packaging in the top countries. Mullin now sells her pieces to over 5000 women in the aviation and scuba diving industries.

Having been on Shark Tank in 2010 after four years of trying, Mullin was on season 6 of the show. Although she did not get a deal that day, she is extremely grateful for the opportunity and still owns 100% of her business to this day.

As Mullin grew her company, she also began the Abingdon Co Foundation, on the 10 year anniversary of her company. Her goal was to bring more women into the arts and STEM industries, called STEAM for short. Her mission is to increase, and motivate the female pursuit of non traditional industries through scholarships and sending women to leading industry conferences.

Learn more about Abingdon Mullin’s story and some of her favorite flying experiences this week on Deviation Approved!

Quotes:

“I would encourage anybody, if they have the capacity or the means to, to go as quickly as you can and just get [your pilot license] done. Because every time you take a day off from flying, you lose one little nugget of information either a muscle memory or a skill.” (13:46-14:14)

“I love having an analog watch that is really there for one purpose when I am doing these activities. Whether it be how I am going to buy my dinner in France in euros or keep my tank time on track under the water, or just have a third time zone.” (43:36-44:05)

Links:

https://www.theabingdonco.com/

https://abingdonfoundation.org/

https://www.youtube.com/user/AbingdonCo

https://www.deviationapproved.com

“Most pilots should try to learn as much as they can from other pilots,” says Kerry McCauley. “Learn how they get into and out of trouble. That’s how you can let their experience teach you.” A former international ferry pilot and author of Ferry Pilot: Nine Lives Over the North Atlantic, Kerry has answered the question, “What could possibly go wrong?” time and time again. As the title of his book suggests, Kerry has managed to survive countless mishaps and close calls throughout the years, which makes him the perfect resource for anyone and everyone who is interested in pursuing a career in aviation.

Kerry explains that, ever since he was young, he has been an adventure seeker. Whether it be skydiving, scuba diving, skiing, or any other exhilarating activity, he has always been drawn towards experiences that test his personal limits. Although he originally started racking up flying hours to become a commercial pilot, Kerry admits that this job didn’t fulfill his indefatigable search for adventure. After 30 years of delivering small used aircraft to locations around the world, Kerry has now “settled down” and owns and operates a skydiving school along with his wife and kids.

Tune into this week’s episode of Deviation Approved for a conversation about aviation adventures, successes, and catastrophes. Get a sneak peek into Kerry’s riveting flying career, which he writes about in detail in his recently published book. As Kerry explains, it is absolutely crucial for pilots to learn as much as possible from other pilots to inform their own experiences. And there is truly no better way to start the learning process than by listening to Kerry’s enthralling tales!

Quotes

Links

https://kerrymccauley.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kerrymccauleyauthor

https://www.instagram.com/ferrypilot.book/

Amazon Affiliate Link Supporting the Podcast:

On February 20, 2008, Colonel Cinco Hamilton had a life-changing experience. While dog fighting with another pilot over the Gulf of Mexico, Cinco realized that something was off. But by that point it was too late. The planes were 3,000 feet away from each other, and there was nothing he could do to avoid a midair collision. He ejected himself from the plane and fell into the ocean, mistakenly detaching his emergency seat kit along the way. After floating in the water for over two hours with nothing but a life preserver, Cinco was miraculously rescued by a small fishing boat. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his wingman, who died on impact.

Col. Hamilton explains that it took many years to recover from the trauma of this collision. However, he has also found uncountable ways to bring honor to this tragedy. Cinco has dedicated a significant portion of his career as a pilot to developing and testing technologies that will prevent accidents like his own from happening again in the future. He was the first pilot to ever fly an automatic air collision avoidance system, and he is currently working to implement similar automated features on F-35s. Tucker is not just any test pilot; he is a test pilot with lived experience that actively informs the technological advancements his team works to develop.

Tune in to this week’s episode of Deviation Approved to learn more about Col. Cinco Hamilton’s fascinating piloting journey. From getting struck in the face by lighting while escorting Air Force 1 to flying an MC-12 to working on an Artificial Intelligence Accelerator at MIT, Cinco’s story is one you won’t want to miss.

Quotes:

Links

https://www.instagram.com/cincohamilton/

www.aia.mit.edu

https://www.coatmyplane.com/deviationapproved

https://www.coatmyplane.com/

“I have yet to have that perfect flight. I’m striving for it, but I’ve never had an absolutely perfect flight,” says Combat Learjet, a retired pilot for the Air Force and Air National Guard. Despite having almost 30 combined years of flying experience in addition to running an aviation Instagram account (@combat_learjet) with almost 1 million followers, Combat Learjet still speaks to the importance of never becoming complacent and always working to learn more about his craft.

Combat Learjet first learned to fly in a Cessna 152 in Albuquerque, which he describes as an incredible locale for initial flights. In college, he began flying more frequently and realized he wanted to pursue this activity as more than just a hobby. He began his pilot training in 1991 in Vance, Oklahoma, and has been flying ever since. After retiring from the Air Force and Air National Guard, Combat Learjet became a commercial pilot. From a T-38 to a KC-135 to a Learjet to commercial planes, Combat Learjet has flown an incredibly wide range of aircraft. However, despite his many years of diverse flying experience, Combat Learjet still admits that the transition from military to civilian flying was a difficult one, which required some relearning and repetition of new aviation habits.

Since retiring from the Air National Guard, Combat Learjet has also started an Instagram page, which quickly shifted from a fun and lighthearted hobby to a part-time job. Combat Learjet explains that as his following has continued to exponentially grow, he has become increasingly mindful about the impact his posts may be having on his viewers. He has begun to stray away from overly political or divisive content, instead tending to favor solid aviation content that will entertain his viewership. However, he maintains the page’s lighthearted spirit as much as he can; for example, his “Flat Earth Friday” posts gently call out the many flat earthers who follow the account.

With his many years of experience and impressive social media following, Combat Learjet is an aviation inspiration and resource for flight enthusiasts across the country. Tune into this week’s episode of Deviation Approved for a conversation about military aircraft, remaining calm under pressure, and leadership in aviation.

Quotes: 

Links

https://instagram.com/combat_learjet

https://combatlearjet.com/

“I would like to land at all the Class Bravo  airports in the lower forty-eight,” says Martin Pauly, Bonanza pilot and Youtuber who focuses on instructional videos for pilots and aviation enthusiasts. Martin started his flying career on a glider in Germany in 1985, when he was only 14 years old. He talks with host Mehrdad Zarifkar about some of his most popular videos, and what brought him to his internet-famous Bonanza N70TB.

Martin’s uncle was a glider pilot, and it was a conversation with him that made him want to take up flying for real. When he was a young adult, he moved from Europe to America to fly planes, and fell in love with the supportive community he found in the Midwest and beyond. Mehrdad was introduced to Martin through his instructional Youtube videos, where he records flights in his Bonanza aircraft and teaches pilots and enthusiasts how the plane works.

Though his first video wasn’t even his idea, Martin has become an instrumental resource for pilots young and old. Tune in this week for a conversation about community, near-crashes, and of course the ins and outs of flying a Bonanza in this episode of Deviation Approved.

Quotes

Links

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/martinpauly

www.martin.aero

https://www.instagram.com/n70tb

When we say Top Gun, you probably think Tom Cruise. But in this episode of Deviation Approved, we’re talking with a real Top Gun, Gary Black, who has spent decades flying planes as both a civilian and naval pilot. Gary talks with host Mehrdad Zarifkar about his life as a Top Gun, buying planes with his wife of forty years, what he learned attending the funerals of his friends and colleagues who died in aviation accidents, and much more.

Top Gun, also known as the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, is a well-known and prestigious training program for Naval Aviators. But Gary Black didn’t always want to be a pilot. He was heading for vet school… until he got in the cockpit of a fighter jet. Gary’s love of aviation led him through many unique facets of the industry, including time spent as a civilian test pilot at Cirrus Aircraft, where he validated the parachute system in the Cirrus SR20.

Aviation fans from all walks of life will find something to love in this interview with a long-time Top Gun pilot and all-around good guy Gary Black.

Quotes

Welcome to the Deviation Approved Podcast, where we explore stories and lessons from our guests in Aviation, Business, and Detailing. This podcast is hosted by Mehrdad Zarifkar, Founder of Aviana Aircraft. Follow along the show at www.aviana.net/deviationapproved