EP164 - The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Midlife Pilot - Part 3: Safety, Community & Your Aviation Legacy

The Ultimate Guide trilogy concludes with safety mindset, community support, and creating your aviation legacy. While Ben dodges Delta jets over Atlanta ("I pulled my throttle - first time I've ever had to slow down for a jet"), Brian demonstrates textbook emergency procedures after his engine starts shaking violently on takeoff: "I didn't pull all the power, I just started veering away from the runway... I was already landing the plane while I was troubleshooting."

Guide Part 3 Focus:

• Risk management evolution from new pilot to 1000+ hours
• Personal minimums: your safety guardrails that evolve with experience
• Community as lifeline - from check ride failures to celebrating milestones
• Aviation legacy: mentoring the next generation of midlife pilots

Real-World Lessons:

• "You don't rise to the level of the emergency, you sink to the level of your training" - Brian's calm emergency handling proves the point
• Z Powell's wisdom: "It hurt to cancel, but it was correct" - weather minimums aren't suggestions
• Risk management parallels your professional life - apply existing decision-making skills

Community Moments:

• Cory reports his first discovery flight: "Amazing and humbling at the same time"
• Boo Radley sharing family flying photos from Australia
• Check ride support system that Ben wished he'd had during his discontinuance

CFI Sam Terrell's MOSAIC Correction: Student pilots can now solo under sport pilot privileges without a medical - major change that many schools haven't caught up to yet.

Thaden Invasion Final Details: March 13-15, 2026 at VBT Bentonville! 30 spots, dedicated lounge space, live podcast Saturday.

Review Corner: "Great content, just play it on 1.5 speed to get through all the uhs and ums" - Thanks for the backhanded compliment, Working170!

Download your FREE 23-page Ultimate Guide at https://midlifepilotpodcast.com/

"Welcome to aviation - you're gonna love it here."

Mentioned on the show:

* Peach State Aerodrome: https://www.peachstateaero.com/

* CFI Sam, Northwest Aeronaut: https://www.youtube.com/@NorthwestAeronaut

* Sam's On Centerline podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3DSELWSqYqbvpbxD842lED

* EP139, MOSAIC for All Pilots: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6MnT5yGcWnN8vF90WwN8gt?si=z2xZpJQeQjeprdAHLSrA4g

* XKCD 386: http://xkcd.com/386

EP163 - The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Midlife Pilot - Part 2: From Dream to Checkride

Part 2 of our Ultimate Guide tackles the training ecosystem from CFI selection to checkride reality. While Brian demonstrates "evasive maneuvers" on instrument approaches, the crew covers milestone moments and why your bank account will never forgive you.

Key Training Insights:

• Find a CFI you can "poorly do things" with - you're the boss, they work for you
• First solo memory outlasts everything: "I remember mine like it was October 3rd, 1976"
• "My checkride was the first test where I went in not knowing if I'd pass" - universal midlife truth
• Financial reality: Training is just the beginning - you must maintain the pilot you've created

Milestone Moments:

• First solo: the spiritual thrill no other rating will match
• Solo cross-country: when flying actually clicks
• Checkride: "Welcome, you have a license to learn"

Alpha Juliet Bravo's Reality Check: Medical deferment story proves why getting your strategy right BEFORE training isn't optional.

Coming Up: Part 3 covers life as a midlife pilot and creating your aviation legacy.

Download your FREE 23-page Ultimate Guide at https://midlifepilotpodcast.com/

Mentioned on the show:* "Tailwheel Ben Lehman", Drift Aviation: https://www.driftaviation.com/* I Like Killing Flies - Soup Nazi documentary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Like_Killing_Flies* Erica Gilbert- Aerosafe: https://www.gilbertaviation.com/aerosafe* Cap'nTodd's new Cessna 150: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jjLE4HmovgFind everything including how to support us on Patreon, merch, and more at www.midlifepilotpodcast.com

The crew has just released their comprehensive Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Midlife Pilot - a 23-page PDF packed with community wisdom from hundreds of pilots who started flying at 40, 50, 60, and beyond. Download it FREE at midlifepilotpodcast.com!

This is the first episode in a three-part series walking through this game-changing resource that answers the question every aspiring midlife pilot asks: "How do I actually get started?" No more scattered advice - this is your roadmap from dream to checkride.

What's in the Guide:

• The mindset shifts required for learning to fly in midlife

• Community-sourced insights from real midlife pilots

• Legacy-focused motivation beyond just "learning to fly"

• Actionable first steps that won't derail your journey

This Week's Key Insights:

• "The willingness to suck is a challenge" - embrace being terrible at something new

• Brian's liberating "nobody cares philosophy" - your bad landings aren't as noticed as you think

• Why community isn't optional - it's the difference between success and washing out

• The critical importance of getting your medical strategy right BEFORE you start training

Reality Check Moments:

• Why your 23-year-old instructor might seem confused by your existence

• The humbling experience of task saturation (what's 8x8 again?)

• How existential dread during training is normal and survivable

• Why being bad at flying initially doesn't predict your ultimate success

Pro Tips from the Community:

• Contact AOPA FIRST before making any medical decisions

• Understand sport vs. private pilot privileges before committing

• Find your tribe - isolation kills aviation dreams

• This journey is about legacy, not just transportation

Coming Up: Parts 2 and 3 will cover training realities, milestone moments, and advanced midlife pilot strategies.

The Ultimate Guide represents two years of community wisdom distilled into one comprehensive resource. Whether you're thinking about starting or helping someone else begin their journey, this PDF eliminates the guesswork and provides a clear path forward.

Download your FREE 23-page guide at https://midlifepilotpodcast.com/#guide

"Midlife is a state of mind, not an age" - and this guide helps you navigate both.

Mentioned on the show:

* Thaden Invasion: https://midlifepilotpodcast.com/thadeninvasion

* PDF of the midlife starter kit is on the website, https://midlifepilotpodcast.com/

* Million Air- BHM (cookies, wet bar): https://www.millionair.com/locations/bhm/

* Rev2, student with task saturation video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnQLuGPLHN4

* SISKIND - Nobody Cares. My Creative Manifest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da4I2Y9v1Sk&t=1s

* AOPA's medical resources (call them!): https://www.aopa.org/go-fly/medical-resources

* Killing Zone, third edition, now available: https://asa2fly.com/the-killing-zone/

* Opposing Bases OB418: Ice Chunks and Slam Dunks

Join the gang as they toast to 2025's greatest hits: Ben earning the coveted "you are a badass MF" landing review from his wife, Brian discovering his Cherokee is indeed "the Toyota Camry of the skies" when loaded with three dudes and camera gear, and Ted conquering his first real Rockies crossings. Plus, the moment we've all been waiting for - The Thaden Invasion is officially happening March 13-15, 2026 in Bentonville, Arkansas!

Expect the usual "personal responsibility themed gathering" where "we're all grownups, figure it out," brewery meetups are "a foregone conclusion," and someone will inevitably need a rescue mission. Brian's setting ambitious 2026 goals involving actual instrument training, Ben wants to fly "somebody else's airplane while not incurring the expenses" (relatable), and the crew reflects on why this community has become their "daily sustenance."

Warning: Contains gratitude, aviation wisdom, and Ted admitting he "really needed to smoke" during the Tango 82 live show moment.

Mentioned on the show:

* Stranger Things (TV): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_Things

* George Carlin, Stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rhVQCzF3r0

* Freedom Aviation Network: https://www.freedomaviationnetwork.org/

* M54 - Lebanon Airport: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon_Municipal_Airport_(Tennessee)

* Southwest Georgia Regional Airport (Albany, Georgia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_Georgia_Regional_Airport

* Benalla, Victoria, Australia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benalla

* Kangaroo Island, Australia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_Island

* Moontown Airport, Huntsville Ala: https://www.moontownairport.com/

* RYY - Cobb County - Steakhouse: https://www.elevationatlanta.com/

* Checkmate Aviation has a youtube channel now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GL6_2RZdZU

Join us on Patreon and support the show, give feedback, and more at www.midlifepilotpodcast.com

Ben leads the crew through a heartfelt discussion on the power of aviation community, proving that even "internet pilot buddies who are somehow both extremely wise and definitely unsupervised" can create something meaningful together. While Brian emerges from his five-week "gateway drug situation" of nonstop testing (having "forgotten how to function as a normal human being"), the episode explores how pilot communities support each other through the challenges of midlife aviation.

From anonymous confessionals about night landing requirements to the wisdom of "Fly what you want, log what you need," this episode showcases why the Midlife Pilot community has become "one of the great joys" for pilots navigating their aviation journeys. Ted chimes in from Portlandia while Ben reminds us that aviation community - whether in Discord, at fly-ins, or through podcast connections - provides the essential support network that keeps us all flying safely.

Plus: Why we probably need "at least one service bulletin requiring post-podcast cranial inspections," and Ben's words of wisdom about truth vs. lies in our connected world.

Mentioned on the show:

* AGI: advanced ground instructor

* IGI: instrument ground instructor

* FOI: fundamentals on instruction

* Thaden Invasion: https://midlifepilotpodcast.com/thadeninvasion

* Seth Lake on VBT-Thaden airspace: https://arflightsafety.com/VBT.html

To send feedback, support the show, get merch, and more, visit www.midlifepilotpodcast.com

Like George Costanza pulling a golf ball from a whale's blowhole, Ben emerges from a harrowing 3.5-hour IMC flight through icing conditions with quite the tale to tell. Our intrepid Atlanta pilot finds himself wondering "did I get away with one? This sparks a deep dive into normalization of deviance, expanding personal minimums, and whether Ben just wrote "the first line of his NTSB report."

Brian continues his quest to become qualified to "give bad information for small amounts of money" as an instrument ground instructor, while Ted battles the "Mississippi River pointed at the Northwest" and installs stripped hex screws.

The crew tackles thoughtful listener feedback about pre-flight anxiety and the existential dread of pursuing aviation as what outsiders might call "the Midlife Crisis Podcast." Plus, planning continues for "The Thaden Invasion" fly-in at KVBT - a very GA-friendly airport that's excited to host the podast and community... for now.

Mentioned on the show:

* Wikipedia - List of social generations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation#List_of_social_generations

* Beresford Research - Generations defined by name, birth year, and ages in 2025: https://www.beresfordresearch.com/age-range-by-generation/#:~:text=Generations%20defined%20by%20name%2C%20birth%20year%2C%20and%20ages%20in%202025

* Side view of The Hollywodo Squares: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059995/mediaviewer/rm648494848/?ref_=tt_ov_i

* The Finer Points on the Oscar pattern for IFR flying: https://www.learnthefinerpoints.com/articles/the-oscar-pattern

* Checkmate Aviation IFR, Oscar pattern on back: https://www.checkmateaviation.com/products/checkmate-ifr

* Oscar pattern graphic: https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/13hnvzo/oscar_pattern_graphic/

* Flight Insight, the VOR Flower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm7XxyzZFh0

* EP36 - CFI Jeff Ramsey, Frequency Change Aviation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgaNuf5gCCo

* Seinfeld, "The Sea Was Angry That Day My Friends": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a3TZC69tSg

* Psych Safety - The Challenger Disaster: Normalisation of Deviance: https://psychsafety.com/normalisation-of-deviance/

* Blancolirio on the N2345R Montana fatal icing encounter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkSM531bYzs

* Ben's video, "Pushing the Envelope" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9cvl1LJV1Y

* Big Bird was nearly on the Challenger: https://www.history.com/articles/big-bird-challenger-disaster-nasa-sesame-street

* Performance Pilot by Ross Bentley and Phil Wilkes : https://bookshop.org/p/books/performance-pilot-skills-techniques-and-strategies-to-maximize-your-flying-performance-phil-wilkes/1d2cd7f443b0d5ca

* The Calm Cockpit podcast: https://calmcockpit.com/

* Tammy Barlette's Crosscheck mental performance training course: https://www.crosscheckmentalperformance.com/

* Crosscheck training course and group: https://www.skool.com/crosscheck/about?ref=f15fa026369c49dfaf275891f87f1f26

Join us on Patreon, get event info, merch, and more:

www.midlifepilotpodcast.com

1DullGeek casually announces he's signed a contract for a Czech-built TL Sparker and will spend a month in Prague building it – because apparently "24 cubic feet of cargo space" (more than his compact SUV!) justifies international aircraft construction. The only minor detail? He has absolutely nowhere to hangar this composite beauty that "costs more than his house." Cue the deep dive into "Hangar Hell" – where waiting lists stretch to 2038, car detailing businesses occupy hangars, and Mark realizes he's been "a wholesale menace in every capacity to an airport." Meanwhile, Brian's gone full on into written tests, knocking out instrument ground instructor and fundamentals of instruction in two weeks because "the sponginess of my brain is kind of working at the moment." Plus: heated seats, cup holders, and the eternal question of whether N633K (a.k.a. "N-GEEK") will ever see the inside of an actual hangar.

Upcoming Event:

• The Thaden Invasion Fly-In - March 13-15, 2026, Bentonville, Arkansas (VBT)
• RSVP at midlifepilotpodcast.com - "If half the RSVPs show up, we're gonna have a real good time. If more than half show up, it'll be a disaster."

Support the Show:

• Patreon Community
• Merch Store
• Website: midlifepilotpodcast.com

Mentioned on the show:

* Mark's new plane, TL Sparker: https://tlsportaircraft.com/sparker/

* Risen Aircraft: https://www.flyrisen.com/

* Roy "Deacon" Qualls, Pilot's Edge: Think, Train, and Fly Like a Pro: https://amazon.com/dp/B0FY26ZJJM

* CGI, Cape Girardeau Regional Airport: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Girardeau_Regional_Airport

* Garmin GNC355: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/689774/

The spotted cow tradition lives on as the crew discusses building instrument flows (Wendy's "source-morse-course" wisdom), why updating flows is harder than you think (law of primacy), and the great EFB pricing debate (Sky Demon €120 vs ForeFlight $370+ in Europe). Plus: celebrating no-go decisions as bigger accomplishments than completing flights, Ted's minimalist wedding where the Uber driver waited outside, and why being in aviation has made Ted realize there's a countable number of summers left in his life—a perspective his 18-year-old brain never understood.

In this episode:

• "Source-Morse-Course" - Wendy's instrument flow (identify source, check morse code, set course)
• "I need more flow, not more to-do lists" - Brian's IFR struggles
• Law of primacy: How hard is it to update flows once you've learned them?
• Ben's multi flow stuck in his head: "Mixtures forward, props forward, throttles forward, identify, feather, verify"
• Building the helmet fire muscle through repeated exposure
• Sky Demon €120 vs ForeFlight $370+ in Germany (3 more hours of flying time difference)
• Richard Yankee88: Flew to New Orleans, drove to Texas instead of flying - "That's a bigger accomplishment"
• Doug F: "I loved my private checkride. Someone wanted to ask me aviation questions!"
• "Maybe I'm overthinking this" - The most midlife phrase in Discord

Great moments:

• Ted's minimalist wedding: "The Uber driver was waiting. That's how long my ceremony took" (5 people total)
• "We have a 50% success rate for anything we talk about" / "We're like a broken clock—right twice a day"
• Notice of Disapproval pads: New merch idea
• Garmin sponsorship dreams: "Everybody has a price" / "Refurb 430s for everybody!"
• Alternative sponsors: "Icy Hot? That's more realistic"

Thaden Invasion: March 13-15, 2026 at VBT, Bentonville, Arkansas - RSVP at midlifepilotpodcast.com (parking limited!)

Mentioned on the Show:

• EP114 with Checkmate Barry
• CheckMate IFR Checklist
• Garmin Pilot
• New Glarus Spotted Cow Beer
• blancolirio on the N2345R PA-23 Montana icing crash
• ASN entry on the crash

Support the Show:

• Patreon.com/MidlifePilotPodcast - Discord access & checkride debriefs
• MidlifePilotPodcast.com - Merch & Thaden Invasion RSVP
• youtube.com/@midlifepilotpodcast - Live Mondays 8PM ET

10% of Patreon proceeds support Freedom Aviation Network's anti-human trafficking efforts

Closing wisdom: "A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures."

Checkride prep reality check with CFII Erica Gilbert! Brian passes his instrument written ("a solid grilled cheese sandwich with slightly better ingredients than Kraft singles"), Ben confesses his multi-engine notice of disapproval after chasing the CDI below the glide slope—then passed two days later—and Erica reveals her 100% initial pass rate secrets: mock orals should be 3-4 hours of pain, Day One starts with defining PIC, and exact FAA phraseology matters on every rating. Plus: 1DullGeek's Thanksgiving rant about flying with friends (the fuel leak meow incident at Clarksburg), why "what are the next two things?" might save your check ride, and the hard truth about midlife pilots—you've forgotten how to study and haven't done anything you suck at in a long time. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Audio note: Technical difficulties with our guest's audio—it's listenable but not perfect!

Erica Gilbert's check ride prep secrets:

• Day one: Lay out ACS, FAR/AIM—"Shocking how many students had never seen the ACS"
• "Anyone going through training needs to be their own best advocate"
• Find an instructor who uses a syllabus and transitions canceled flights into ground lessons
• Stage checks with senior CFIs at solo, solo cross-country, and pre-check ride
• Mock oral should be 3-4 hours (your actual oral will be 1.5 hours if you know your stuff)
• "You'd rather spend the money with an instructor than an evaluator"
• Practice active recall with exact FAA phraseology out loud
• PIC authority starts lesson one: "Make the plane do what you want it to do"
• In midlife: "You've forgotten how to study and haven't done anything you suck at in a long time"
• The marathon mindset: "Will we stop for lunch? Take a breather if your adrenaline can handle it"

Mentioned on the Show:

• * Erica Gilbert, Aerosafe: https://www.gilbertaviation.com/aerosafe
• * Erica Gilbert, IFR course: https://www.gilbertaviation.com/ifr
• * Midlife Pilot Podcast- Thaden Invasion 2026: https://midlifepilotpodcast.com/thadeninvasion
• * Keith O'Brien, Fly Girls (includes Louis Thaden): https://bookshop.org/p/books/fly-girls-how-five-daring-women-defied-all-odds-and-made-aviation-history-keith-o-brien/8152b66cad2a720c?ean=9781328592798
• * Seth Lake's VBT overview: https://arflightsafety.com/VBT.html
• * Avoiding brianrot (New York Times): https://www.soundsclassic.com/receivers.html
• * Sandel displays: https://www.pacificcoastavionics.com/collections/sandel
• * Old Marantz stereos: https://www.soundsclassic.com/receivers.html
• * Rear projection TVs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rear-projection_television
• * Private Pilot ACS (PDF): https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs/private_airplane_acs_6.pdf

Support the Show:

• Patreon.com/MidlifePilotPodcast - Discord access, exclusive content, and check ride debriefs!

• MidlifePilotPodcast.com - Merch, Thaden Invasion RSVP, feedback

Happy Thanksgiving from the Midlife Pilot Podcast crew. We're thankful for every single one of you who listens, supports, and shares this journey with us.

🎯 THE THADEN INVASION: March 13-15, 2026 | VBT | Bentonville, Arkansas

Pattern predicament! Discord member Dom shares audio and flysto.net data from a close call at an untowered airport—100 feet of separation, spotty ADS-B, garbled radio calls, and the eternal question: turn right to avoid or stay predictable in the pattern? The non-CFI crew looks at 14 CFR 91.113, Wild West untowered airports, and why sometimes you just need to GTFO. Plus: Thaden Invasion updates, icing on the vegetables origin story, and why "show your belly" might not be the best advice.

Mentioned on the Show:

• Episode 44 with Bryan of Just Plane Silly - Icing on the vegetables origin

• Flysto.net - Track log visualization and analysis (FREE!)

• Flying the Overhead Break - AOPA technique

• 14 CFR 91.113 - Right-of-way rules

• BWG - Bowling Green-Warren County Airport, Kentucky - Brian's pattern work airport

• M54 - Lebanon Municipal Airport, Tennessee - "Wild West" untowered field

• GCC - Gillette-Campbell County Airport, Wyoming - Steve Schofield's home base

Support the Show:

• Patreon.com/MidlifePilotPodcast - Discord access & exclusive content

• Special thanks to our 5 longest supporters!: 1DullGeek, Biff B, Chris C, Josh M, and Aero Grizzly!

• MidlifePilotPodcast.com - Merch, feedback, Thaden Invasion RSVP

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts!

• youtube.com/@midlifepilotpodcast - Live Mondays 8PM ET

10% of Patreon proceeds support Freedom Aviation Network's anti-human trafficking efforts

Closing wisdom: "Common sense is like deodorant. The people who need it most never use it."

Send us your pattern predicaments, close calls, or confessions to [email protected] - we'll keep you anonymous if you want!

🎯 THE THADEN INVASION: March 13-15, 2026 | VBT | Bentonville, Arkansas