Runaway Autopilot! (Misadventures of a Corporate Pilot)

Happily I've experienced only a handful of scares over decades of piloting. But this one was a biggie!

So climb aboard my Flying Carpet, buckle up your seatbelt, and prepare for takeoff on today's episode, "Runaway Autopilot!"

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Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast

Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet."
-- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest

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"This might as well be Oz,"  I thought, upon clearing the clouds approaching Paducah, Kentucky. I wouldn’t have been surprised to experience supersaturated sunshine, and perhaps a golden brick runway. 

Tales of faraway lands work magic on youthful minds, and although I’d never been here before, the stories of a special person from my youth had cast a spell on this Ohio River town as real as any bright-hued fairy tale.

Photo: Period postcard of the Irvin Cobb Hotel, Paducah Kentucky

Kentucky Belle Episode Webpage

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Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast

Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet."
-- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest

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Flight instructing offers some of the most rewarding flying there is. We experience the joy of fulfilling our students’ dreams of flight, become better pilots ourselves in the process, and develop lifelong friendships with many of those we teach. 

But among hours and hours of routine teaching and flying, there are occasional hard lessons, too, most often unanticipated. And those hard lessons are generally even more eye-opening and profound for us instructors than for our students. 

Above all, we learn that while maintaining a relaxed cockpit learning environment, we must never become complacent. 

Okay, everyone, hop aboard my Flying Carpet, buckle into the pilot’s seat, and prepare for takeoff on Flight Number 36, “Bowling Alley Hot Dogs.”

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Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast

Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet."
-- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest

Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars

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There's been lots of news lately about possible extraterrestrial visits from other planets, other galaxies. And whether the government has been covering it up. In particular, many reports have revealed sightings from airplane cockpits.

So when a friend messaged the other day asking whether I’d ever experienced UFOs or extraterrestrials in the course of flight, I was reminded of an incident Jean and I experienced years ago in the Flying Carpet. You might call it “Flying Carpet Meets Flying Saucer.”

So climb into the Flying Carpet. Buckle up your seat belts. And prepare for takeoff on Flying Carpet Podcast Flight #35. “Flying Saucer!”

Greg

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Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast

Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet."
-- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest

Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars

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How many pilots have seriously considered the safety implications of unexpectedly losing GPS navigation in flight? 

Well it happened to us, in clouds over remote and rugged terrain, and as you'll hear, the risks are thought-provoking at best, and potentially deadly without forethought, positional awareness, and preparation...

This episode could save your life!

Greg

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Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast

Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet."
-- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest

Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars

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Grab your logbook, 'cause it's time for one of my wackiest flying adventures ever!
So climb into my Flying Carpet, buckle up your seatbelts and prepare to take off on today’s episode, “Waterbeds by the 1/2 Hour!”

Greg

"I just finished listening to [this episode] - while driving and LAUGHED Out Loud! OMG, I don’t know [which part] was funnier…😂 It’s a great reminder to all of us that there is so much more adventure as GA pilots beyond the requirements. And you can quote me on that." -- Dorothy Schick, longtime Flight Instructor and Flight School Owner

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Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast

Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet."
-- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest

Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars

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Greg Brown on Instagram

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Cowboy Flying Lesson!
Perils of an Off-Airport Takeoff

You may remember meeting my buddy Baldy in previous Flying Carpet Podcasts, Flight #2, "Cowboy Pilot," and Flight #29, "Cowpuncher's Reunion." Well here's what happened when he suffered an inflight emergency, and then what followed. The precautionary landing went well enough, but not so the takeoff. 

This episode you don't want to miss!!

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Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast

Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet."
-- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest

Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars

Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group

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Greg Brown on Instagram

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One thing I love about flying is that there are so many dimensions to it. It might be as simple as going from point a to point B... For a meeting... Or a "hundred-dollar hamburger." 

But sometimes piloting takes you mystically and magically to faraway places—spiritually or across time. And that's what this story is about.

So climb into my Flying Carpet, buckle up your seatbelts and prepare to takeoff on today's adventure, "Time Travel."

Greg

* Currently texting is a one-way feature. Please message via website or Facebook if you'd like an answer.

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Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast

Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet."
-- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest

Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars

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As I record this, we’re just two weeks away from the 2024 total solar eclipse that will come up through Mexico and cross much of the Midwest and eastern United States. 

I suspect that many of you plan on flying to see this eclipse, but if you’re not, you probably should be.

Plenty of people have experienced a partial solar eclipse, and a few have experienced an annular solar eclipse.

But if you’ve never experienced a total solar eclipse, it’s so much more exciting and so much more memorable, that it’s something you don’t want to miss.

In this episode, I’ll share the stories two previous solar eclipses I’ve experienced, which I believe you’ll find interesting and inspiring whether you’re preparing to attend the 2024 Total Eclipse, or have already experienced one.

So climb into my Flying Carpet, buckle up your seatbelts and prepare for takeoff on today’s adventure, “Eclipse!”

Greg

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Contact Greg with your comments and suggestions!

GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com (Find all of Greg's links here.)

Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast

Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet."
-- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest

Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars

Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group

Greg Brown's Student Pilot Pep Talk Facebook Group

Greg Brown on Instagram

https://www.facebook.com/GregBrownFlyingCarpet/
https://www.instagram.com/gregbrownflyingcarpet/

One thing I’ve learned over many years of piloting is that rarely can we plan a flight, take off, and then not need to worry about anything until we reach our destination.

More often than not, circumstances arise before takeoff and en route that require planning, strategy, and tactics to get us safely where we’re going . A big part of this, too, is being prepared to land at any point… To turn around. To land at an inconvenient airport that might even be unattended. But if we’re not willing and able to make smart decisions “on the fly,” we cannot safely fly around in potentially marginal weather.

This episode’s flight was great piloting adventure because we did not know over the entire three-hour flight whether we would make our destination.

But when I discussed this flight with pilot friends afterwards, including some very experienced ones, I discovered that in the course of it I’d unwittingly done something innovative—an integration of new technology with what we’ve always done. Whether pilots or not, I think you’ll find it interesting.

Okay, everyone, grab your logbooks, hop aboard my Flying Carpet, snug up your seatbelts, and prepare for takeoff on today’s adventure, “iPads & Icing!”

**Follow the flight route at my website.**

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Contact Greg with your comments and suggestions!

GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com (Find all of Greg's links here.)

Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast

Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet."
-- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest

Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars

Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group

Greg Brown's Student Pilot Pep Talk Facebook Group

Greg Brown on Instagram

https://www.facebook.com/GregBrownFlyingCarpet/
https://www.instagram.com/gregbrownflyingcarpet/