In this episode, Ben, Brian, and Ted dive into the challenges of finding and maintaining hangar space, or not having one. From ratchet straps (BAD) and tornado warnings (ALSO BAD) to the joys of electricity and the sorrows of cold starts, the guys discuss how far they'd travel for a good hangar and why sometimes your plane becomes 'an outdoor pet.' Plus, updates on Ben's annual maintenance adventures and a reminder about the upcoming Big Texas Send meetup at T82.

Mentioned on the show:

* Big Texas Send: https://midlifepilotpodcast.com/rsvpt82

* VPC - Cartersville Ga: https://www.airnav.com/airport/VPC

* Tyler S's personal minimums tool: https://personal-minimums.web.app/

* Example of Tyler's minimums: https://personal-minimums.web.app/profile/8DgOuxvxgxdfiZRpW2W8BMGUJO32

* SISKIND - Life is what happens to you... (the plane that flipped): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EejbxBWsfo

* Gust front: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outflow_boundary

* Wind gradient: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_gradient

* Ted's ShockStrap tiedowns: https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/shock13-20708.php

* Switcheon remote power switch: https://switcheon.com/product/switcheon_remote_power_switch/

* Zen and the art of Knolling: https://makezine.com/article/workshop/zen-and-the-art-of-knolling/

Join us for special guest Erica Gilbert, a CFII and TBM pilot who brings her expertise on cross-country planning and adult learning to the show. While Ben mourns his grounded "Beast" waiting on engine work, and Mark celebrates his impressive 693-nautical-mile nonstop flight in his upgraded Cherokee 235, Erica shares her refreshing approach to flight planning: "I plan my stops around food." The discussion reveals how midlife pilots bring unique strengths to aviation training—they're more motivated, committed, and arrive prepared despite memory challenges that come with age.

Erica breaks down her framework for learning complex aircraft systems into four simple parts (function, components, limitations/failures, and operation), offers weather briefing insights, and introduces her new IFR course designed to bridge the gap between online learning and practical application. The episode delivers aviation wisdom for pilots of all levels while tackling the question of how to maintain confidence as a newly certificated pilot.

Mentioned on the show:

* Diamond DA40NG: https://www.diamondaircraft.com/en/private-owners/aircraft/da40/overview/

* Erica's youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AeroSafe/videos

* One of Erica's weather vids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BFXShZFVGs

* LEX Lexington Ky: https://www.airnav.com/airport/LEX

* LOZ London Ky: https://www.airnav.com/airport/LOZ

* Capitol Drive airport, Wisc: https://www.airnav.com/airport/02C

* UES Waukesha County Airport, Wisc: https://www.airnav.com/airport/WAU

* ERAU paper- Student Engagement in Aviation Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): https://commons.erau.edu/publication/2285/

* Beech Baron 55: https://www.aviationconsumer.com/used-aircraft-guide/beech-baron-55-2/

* Erica's IFR ground school begins Apr 15: https://www.gilbertaviation.com/ifr

* Mark practicing PPL maneuvers after having his PPL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsb6YPyWCQk

Join Ben, Brian, and Ted for hangar talk about the joys (and pains) of annual inspections in this episode of the Midlife Pilot Podcast. The guys commiserate over their planes being simultaneously grounded, with Ben's Beast down to five cylinders and showing remarkable "patience" (or is it numbness?). Brian dishes on his new book of aviation essays "Make Small Corrections," while Ted smugly reminds everyone his oil-free belly never needs scrubbing. The fellas debate what aircraft they'd come back as in the next life, swap formation flying stories, and remind everyone about the upcoming Texas meetup. Pull up a chair in the hangar and settle in for another episode that'll make you feel right at home in the best pilot community around.

Mentioned on the show:

* Ernest Goes To Jail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Goes_to_Jail

* The Green Mile: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Green_Mile_(film)

* Nashville prison: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_State_Prison

* Paul Craig episode 120: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/midlifepilotpodcast/episodes/EP120---Descending-from-Mount-Stupid-with-Paul-Craig-e30b2sb

* Cessna 195: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_195

* Stinson v77: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinson_Reliant

* Lockheed AC130: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_AC-130

* Continental IO520: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_IO-520

* Georgia Tech Wreck Racing: https://wreckracing.gatech.edu/

* RMG Rome airport: https://www.airnav.com/airport/RMG

* Sam's Burger and Deli: https://www.samsburgerdeli.com/

* XNX Music City Executive: https://www.airnav.com/airport/XNX

* "Cessna 140 Ben": https://flywithben.com/

* Centerline Aviation: https://centerlineair.com/

* Cessna 337 Skymaster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_Skymaster

* TomAir's Cessna 337: https://www.youtube.com/@tomairtv

* The Green Machine: https://www.retroist.com/p/the-green-machine

* Brian's book, "Make Small Corrections": https://amazon.com/dp/B0DZWQKGJX

* Original Kindle with a keyboard: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Amazon_Kindle_(original_version)

For this very special episode we welcome Paul Craig, author of "The Killing Zone," "Be a Better Pilot," and numerous other aviation books including his memoir "Flight Times: Stories from the Second Best Instructor." In this episode, we explore how aviation has evolved since Paul's last book edition, from the rise of electronic flight bags to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving being statistically the most dangerous flying day. As Paul notes about his writing approach, "I just sit down at the computer and have a conversation with the keyboard. It's just you and me talking on a Saturday afternoon at the hangar."

Paul shares stories from his memoir, including the time his instructor Bill Kirshner yelled "CLEAR PROP!" after 23 spins while still inside the aircraft, and when his student's first solo flight had Air Force One on approach behind him.

Mentioned on the show:

* Ted's new video, "I don't feel heard": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3D4bXBSMiw

* Invisible Hulk piano intro, 1978: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9MysTXM_P4

* CHA - Chattanooga Airport: https://www.airnav.com/airport/CHA

* EP40 - introducing Ben and Ted: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/midlifepilotpodcast/episodes/EP40---The-Podcast-Handoff---a-very-special-crossover-episode-e29965s

* Cornelia Fort Airfield: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelia_Fort_Airpark

* Cornelia Fort herself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelia_Fort

* Patsy Clilne was headed to Cornelia Fort: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_Camden_PA-24_crash

* Paul Craig, "Be A Better Pilot": https://amazon.com/dp/0830620478/

* Paul Craig, "Killing Zone, Second Edition": https://amazon.com/dp/0071798404/

Join Ben, Ted, and special guest Mark (aka 1DullGeek) as they talk Flysto, the flight-tracking app that brutally reveals they're better and worse pilots than they thought. Geek out over landing scores, wind data, and traffic playback that "takes the emotional component out of the debrief" – perfect for analyzing that crosswind landing you swore was perfect (spoiler: it wasn't).

Come for the flight data analysis, stay for Ben's parting wisdom: "Light travels faster than sound, which is why some people appear bright until they speak."

(Special thanks to Mark for filling in for Brian last minute)Mentioned on the show:

* Mark aka 1dullgeek: https://www.youtube.com/@1dullgeek/videos

* AID - Anderson Indiana: https://www.airnav.com/airport/AID

* 02C - Capitol Drive Airport, Wisc: https://www.airnav.com/airport/02C

* Seth Lake DPE: https://www.youtube.com/c/SethLakeDPE

* Seth Lake's ACE guide: https://vslaviation.myshopify.com/products/vsl-ace-guide

* Video showing the ACE guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZM-s2EBK7w

* Aviation NewsTalk 365 with Patrick L. of Flysto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7CiwzM7kWE

* Flysto- AOPA, Dave Hirschman: https://aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2024/september/pilot/first-look-more-than-a-tattletale

* Flysto on EuroGA: https://www.euroga.org/forums/flying/14846-geeking-out-on-post-flight-data-with-flysto-net?page=1

* Bruce Williams showing the flysto overlay on a instrument approach to EAT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7CiwzM7kWE

* Flysto's "supported avionics": https://www.flysto.net/avionics

* VUJ - Stanly County, NC: https://www.airnav.com/airport/VUJ

"Freedom to go broke." The guys dive deep into the bittersweet reality of aircraft ownership—from the freedom it provides to the unique challenges it presents. Brian compares airplane ownership to marriage, Ted discusses his aversion to suction cups, and Ben reveals he's "fully funded on my pro rata share" of an eventual engine overhaul. They discuss the importance of finding a trusted mechanic, the joy of spontaneous lunch flights, and why "squawk and walk" is something renters do, not owners. As Brian puts it, "I'm a visitor in this socioeconomic space," but the rewards are worth the challenges.

Mentioned on the show:

* Ghost Dog: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Dog:_The_Way_of_the_Samurai

* Jim Jarmusch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jarmusch

* Open Source GA- "squawk and walk": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4smAzSqNG4o#t=2m40s

* Coleal interpretation- AOPA: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2023/august/pilot/savvy-maintenance-legal-interpretations

"If you're tired of doing your yoga classes every morning, just buy a low wing." In this episode, the crew kicks off a playful aviation civil war, pitting high-wing and low-wing aircraft against each other. Ben, Brian, and Ted debate the merits of each design, from the hanging sensation of high wings to the "sportiness" of low wings. Plus, updates on the Big Texas Send meetup, memories of a fallen aviation friend, and Ted's philosophical reflection on how "there's a countable number of summers" to fly.

Mentioned on the show:

* TAC Aero- Fredericksburg: https://www.tacaero.com/

* UOS- Franklin County/Suwanee TN: https://www.airnav.com/airport/UOS

* University of the South: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewanee:_The_University_of_the_South

* M02- Dickson Municipal: https://www.airnav.com/airport/M02

* Aviation101- High wing vs low wing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WlVCz8E84w

* Ted's new video, "busy ground: dueling aircraft": https://youtube.com/watch?v=sN3BBw3RZDw

Ben shares his unconventional left base entry at Daniel Field, admitting "Rusty is not the right word. Lazy, I think is the right word." This sparks a spirited debate as Brian responds " I'm coming in hot in the other direction here!" Meanwhile, Ted confesses "I just forget how to land" and explains why being "the only VFR pilot out" is "usually not a good sign."

The crew discusses proper pattern procedures versus local customs, with Ben defending his approach because "it didn't feel right to me" while Brian insists on "flying the prescribed entries for patterns, period, end of story." Plus, Ted explains his infamous "icing on the vegetables" analogy!

Mentioned on the show:

* Rod Machado - Why Maneuvering Speed Changes With Weight:https://youtu.be/BAy4w3SYCTo?si=74vAku1_jSPM9Ib9

* Rod Machado- How Is Maneuvering Speed Determined? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_KdHEzIJkk

* Brian's new video- Dead Pilots = More Views: Aviation YouTube's Race to the Bottom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed-hjosBQhQ

* Ted's new video- day at the museum: flying into and out of boeing field: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt9PPalGIyI

* Ted's new video- mercurial conditions, mistakes, odd comms: pattern work at UAO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ueu9yVHA7QY

* SureFly Magneto: https://www.surefly.net/

* EP44- Happy Hour! Guest Brian Turner (episode with "icing on the vegetables"): https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/midlifepilotpodcast/episodes/EP44---Happy-Hour--Guest-Bryan-Turner-aka-Just-Plane-Silly-e2ae412

* EP116- The art of tailwheel flying with CFI Ben Lehman (aka "140 Ben"): https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/midlifepilotpodcast/episodes/EP70---The-art-of-tailwheel-flying-with-CFI-Ben-Lehman-e2i7k72/a-ab5fk1c

* DNL- Augusta, Georgia: https://www.airnav.com/airport/DNL

* BIG TEXAS SEND shirt: https://midlifepilotpodcast.com/merch/p/official-big-texas-send-2025-fly-in-shirt

* Jason Miller - The Finer Points - NO TEARDROP IN NON TOWERED PATTERN ENTRIES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi9jdxzLur4

* AC 90-66C - Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations PDF: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_90-66C.pdf

* Visual Approach procedures in ForeFlight: https://support.foreflight.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057742073-How-is-the-Procedure-Advisor-used#h_01J9W8HH0RR7QZX8B7WVGXPBFQ

From dodging Atlanta traffic to landing sweet courtesy car upgrades (hello, BHM Millionair FBO's Mercedes), Ben breaks down how flying personal aircraft can transform business travel. While Ted needs "a grandmother in every town" thanks to sport pilot restrictions, and Brian ponders partnership puzzles, Ben proves that sometimes the best business tool is a Cessna. "I would pay $200 to be in a time machine any day of the week," he notes, though maybe skip the time machine demos with clients - one passenger's "dashboard painting" experience suggests some business meetings are better kept on terra firma. Join the crew for a hilarious yet practical look at mixing business with GA, where the real luxury isn't the courtesy car, it's skipping I-285 traffic.

Mentioned on the show:

* EP24 - Everything About Flying Clubs with Drew Myers from AOPA: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/midlifepilotpodcast/episodes/EP24---Everything-About-Flying-Clubs-with-Drew-Myers-from-AOPA-e1ou9h1/a-a8laq3o

* Brian's new video, "Flying Sideways: When Aviation Truth Meets Internet Expertise | A Visit to the Swift Museum": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73LnW1e0UbQ

* Lake Lanier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Lanier

* Ft. Moore (previously Fort Benning): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Moore

* BHM Million Air: https://www.millionair.com/locations/bhm/

* Wendover Productions: The Economics of Private Jets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYPrH4xANpU

* The Economics of Everyday Things- Private Jets: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/private-jets/

Support the show on Patreon: www.midlifepilotpocast.com

In this episode, a perfectionist's quest for the perfect checklist leads to an unexpected business acquisition. Barry explains how his journey from "maybe I should get my pilot certificate" turned into owning Checkmate Aviation after his DIY checklist started peeling apart.

Between Ben's tales of impressing passengers with instrument approaches and Brian's near-purchase of a globe-trotting Swift, the crew dives into the art of flows versus checklists, and joke about creating a "midlife version" with extra-large text.

Barry M, who owns Checkmate Aviation, talked about checklists and flows: https://checkmateaviation.com/

Mentioned on the show:

* Erica Gilbert - Aerosafe: https://www.youtube.com/@AeroSafe/videos

* TMA - Tifton GA: https://www.airnav.com/airport/TMA

* MMI - Athens TN: https://www.airnav.com/airport/MMI

* Swift museum: https://swiftmuseumfoundation.org/

* ICARUS view-limiting device: https://www.icarusdevices.com/

* Arthur Schopenhauer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Schopenhauer

* Checkmate Aviation: https://checkmateaviation.com/

* TTD - Troutdale Oregon: https://www.airnav.com/airport/TTD

* Checklist Manifesto: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Checklist_Manifesto