From landing woes to pre-checkride jitters, Episode 98 of the Midlife Pilot Podcast dives into those dreaded training plateaus that make every pilot wonder if they've forgotten how to fly. The crew shares their personal stories of getting stuck (Brian's memorable "ugly landing" phase included), while offering hope and humor for pushing through the frustration. Featuring sage advice like "embrace the plateau" and "sometimes you just need a nap," plus a healthy dose of pilot camaraderie. The gang also gets pumped about their upcoming 100th episode shindig in West Virginia - complete with bourbon and pizza rolls, because nothing says milestone celebration quite like comfort food and good friends!

Mentioned on the show:

* Kid Rock's middle finger jet: https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/11000114

* Reba McEntire's helipad: https://archive.is/3Tm7c

* Smiley face forest: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2020/12/who-planted-a-giant-smiley-face-of-trees.html

* Double bubble gum: https://www.tootsie.com/candy/dubble-bubble/dubble-bubble-twist-gum

* Defragging hard drives: https://eclecticlight.co/2024/10/05/a-brief-history-of-defragging/

* Facebook: Student Pilots over 50: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4762601340449954/

* EP52 - Checkride Binders: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/midlifepilotpodcast/episodes/EP52---Checkride-binders--Fritos-on-fire--and-Nashville-Meetup-announcement-e2ct34k

* "Sleep and the Time Course of Motor School Learning": https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC202318

* "Organizational Capacity and Progress Plateaus in the Flight Training Environment": https://commons.erau.edu/jaaer/vol19/iss2/5/