Fly Maui

There is typically a rollercoaster of emotions that a student pilot feels in the hours of training leading to the first solo. Like our son, Jonathan, you may have be fearful of being in a small aircraft. As you work through those fears, then it’s the exciting first hours when the aviation “bug bites.” On this episode, John chats with our son, Jonathan, who is about 15 hours into his private pilot training. Hear some of the challenges and rewards he’s encountered so far as a student pilot.

Mele Kalikimaka from Maui! On this special episode, our sons Jonathan and Jared Caubble, and Jonathan’s new fiancé, Caitlyn, join us to talk story about a special day. On Dec. 20, Jonathan proposed to Caitlyn after five and a half years of dating. The proposal took place on the summit of Haleakala volcano, with a beautiful, clear view of the crater as the backdrop. The day started renting a Cessna 172 and flying around Maui County, including landing at Kalaupapa, once a colony for patients of leprosy.

Experienced pilots will tell you it’s not a matter of if, but when, that you eventually experience an engine failure in flight. Whether it’s caused by fuel starvation or a fluke mechanical failure, it’s an experience that’s surely to get the blood and adrenaline pumping. Today we have a special interview with the survivor of an engine failure that resulted in a crash. His story really impacts us in a deep way, because it’s John’s brother and our nephew who were in the plane that day.

The flight review is a requirement for any pilot who intends to act as pilot in command of an aircraft. The flight review is referred to by many as the biannual flight review, or BFR for short, but this is a term the FAA is encouraging pilots not to use. A flight review must be conducted every 24 calendar months. But did you know there are certain exemptions? Today we’ll break down the requirements for the flight review and share a little about our recent experience here on Maui.

The private pilot check ride is the pinnacle moment for a student pilot. After so much of your time (months for many, and years for some) has been devoted to ground study and training, the time has finally come to demonstrate your new skills. Today on Episode 8, we’re going to share about our experiences with the private pilot practical test.

Aviation podcasts have been on the scene for a while. That’s probably surprising if you’re just getting into downloading and listening to podcasts. There are some great aviation related shows that highlight aviation news, pilot stories and even flight training. Some of these podcasts have been an inspiration to us in developing The Aloha 360 podcast, and now recently, the Fly Maui podcast.

Pilot fears can be very real. Those fears, along with other factors, can be a hindrance to finishing out a private pilot certificate. Some of those hindrances still play a role long after you become a pilot. We all know time and money (or the lack thereof) are major causes of someone becoming a rusty pilot, or never attempting flight training at all. What are some of the other considerations? What do these look like for us as we get back into the air in Hawaii?

Only 0.2% of the U.S. population are certificated pilots… and out of those pilots, only about 6% are female. Today on the podcast we have the honor of introducing you to three women who live on Maui and are members of The Ninety-Nines, Inc., Int’l Organization of Women Pilots. We’ve asked them to share a little about their flying experiences, what being a part of the 99s means to them, and of course, their favorite things to do on Maui.

Tim Perry’s fascination with flying helicopters began in his childhood while his father was in the military. Out on his own in his teens, Tim began his fixed wing then rotorcraft training, which led him to some interesting jobs in exotic locations, from Puerto Rico, to Alaska, then eventually flying missions for Search & Rescue and the National Park Service in Hawaii. Now, as a pilot for Blue Hawaiian Helicopters on Maui, Tim joins us today to share his stories and passion for aviation.

Today on Episode 3 we’re going to tell our first solo stories as student pilots and relive some of the memories of that exciting day. We hope this brings a little nostalgia to you seasoned pilots or anticipation for those of you who haven’t soloed yet, or thinking about flight training.