Behind the Prop

Bobby Doss, Wally Mulhearn

Behind the Prop is the Podcast for anyone involved in aviation from general aviation to professional pilots. Our hosts Bobby Doss is the owner of a flight school in Houston, Texas, and Wally Mulhearn is a pilot for a major airline and is also a designated pilot examiner (DPE) based in Houston, Texas. Weekly they tell stories, share lessons and tips from behind the prop. Together they have over 24,400 hours of flight time (Wally has over 24,000 of those) and collectively they provide very unique perspectives on general aviation, airplanes, and all things aviation.

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204 episodes
Updated July 20

Episodes204

Newest first

Nov 15, 2021 · 22 min
E061 - Pattern Success/10 Tips
This week's episode idea comes from a 2018 article in the AOPA's Flight Training Magazine. We're digging into 10 great traffic pattern best practices!
Nov 8, 2021 · 32 min
E060 - 10 Things Instructors Do Wrong
There's a lot that flight instructors do right... but this week we discuss an article by the AOPA from a few years ago that mentioned 10 things flight instructors do wrong. So whether you happen to be a brand new student looking for a great instructor, or you yourself are a flight instructor, this week's episode of Behind the Prop will give you some insight on what to avoid!
Nov 1, 2021 · 24 min
E059 - Safety Trends, What Should We Worry About?
This week we're talking about some of the latest safety trends in general aviation. We all want to be the safest pilots we can... so what should we worry about? During what phases of flight do most accidents occur and what can we do to prevent them?? For example, 47.7% of all accidents happen during the landing phase. 16.4% happen during takeoff. We dig into more data, and talk about more ways we can prevent accidents in this week's all new episode of Behind The Prop!
Oct 25, 2021 · 33 min
E058 - Ready for Takeoff
This week we're talking about a phase of flight that often gets overlooked... the takeoff. As student pilots we all learned stalls, ground reference maneuvers, steep turns, and probably struggled with landings! But how much time did we actually spend focusing on takeoffs? It's an extremely important portion of the flight, and many accidents happen on takeoff. What can we do to be safer, create good habits, and reduce the risk as we lift off the runway? Let's talk about it on this week's all
Oct 18, 2021 · 46 min
E057 - Student Pilot Community Questions
This week we gathered a stack of questions from the Student Pilot Community Facebook page. Topics range from electronic vs. paper logbooks, flight bags, fear of stalls, bifocal sunglasses for flying and more! We're tackling a wide variety of topics this week... and if you're a student pilot, chances are you've wondered some of these things as well. Enjoy this all new episode for yourself, and feel free to share it with a student pilot you know!
Oct 11, 2021 · 32 min
E056 - Two Ears, One Mouth
It's true in life and it's true in aviation. We were given two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we talk! This is a good tip not only for checkrides but also just flying in general. So much can be gained from actively listening to what's going on around you. That's the topic on this week's all new episode of Behind The Prop!
Oct 4, 2021 · 52 min
E055 - Selecting a Flight School
This week we discuss one of the most important decisions in your flight training journey. Selecting a flight school! It starts with laying out your goals. Are you just flying for fun or do you want to be a professional pilot? Part 61 or part 141? Price is obviously a factor, as is the quality of the airplanes and CFI's the school has to offer. We talk about all of these and a few more bonus tips for picking your flight school. It's all in this week's brand new episode of Behind The Prop.
Sep 27, 2021 · 26 min
E054 - Passenger Safety Briefing
It's crucial as pilot in command, that you brief your passengers on certain aspects of the airplane. This week we are discussing the ever important passenger safety briefing. Commonly you'll see the SAFETY acronym used. S - Seats/seatbelts A - Air vents F - Fire extinguisher E - Exits T - Traffic/talking Y - Your questions For more info check out FAR 91.519!
Sep 20, 2021 · 29 min
E053 - POH's
The Pilot's Operating Handbook or "POH" for every aircraft comes with a wealth of knowledge. But as a new student pilot all of that information can be really overwhelming! You'll need to know how to navigate it for your checkride, but more importantly you definitely need to know how to use it to be a safe real world pilot. This week on Behind The Prop we answer some common questions and discuss how to break down the POH to get to what you need to conduct a successful flight.
Sep 13, 2021 · 34 min
E052 - Every Switch & Every Gauge
Professional pilots are not allowed to fly until they can explain in detail the function of every single switch in the cockpit. As general aviation pilots, we should follow the same rules. Before we take flight in a new (to us) airplane, we should understand how every flight control, button, switch, knob, gauge, and warning light in the cockpit works! On this week's episode of the podcast we discuss a few commonly misunderstood items in the cockpit... including the audio panel, circuit breake
Sep 6, 2021 · 34 min
E051 - Weather (and Motion Sickness)
This week we're talking about a couple things that can ruin your flight quickly. Motion sickness and adverse weather. Many of us have experience with the former, and all of us have had experience with the latter! No matter where you fly an airplane on planet Earth, you're going to have to deal with weather. We've got some excellent pro tips on dealing with both motion sickness and weather. As always we hope you enjoy this brand new episode of Behind The Prop. Please share with a fellow avi
Aug 30, 2021 · 38 min
E050 - Mission Based Time Building
All pilots who want to pursue this passion professionally will hit a stage or two where their sole mission is to build time. For example you'll need several cross country P.I.C. hours before you're eligible to get your instrument rating. The commercial certificate requires 250 hours of total time (or 200 if you're part 141). So why not build time doing something fun that challenges your flying skills while making you a better pilot! We've got some great tips and ideas to help you do just tha
Aug 22, 2021 · 38 min
E049 - Robert Sumwalt, Chairman NTSB (Retired)
Enjoy this week's episode a day early! We are joined by former chairman of the NTSB, Robert Sumwalt. Robert takes us along as he recalls his unique career path in aviation, and also shares some really fascinating stories like his personal relationship with Sully (and some behind the scenes insight into the Miracle on the Hudson investigation). Robert also discusses some accident data that shows where we all need to improve as GA pilots. Don't forget to subscribe and share this week's episode
Aug 16, 2021 · 34 min
E048 - Traffic Pattern Etiquette
This week we're once again joined by Pat Brown as we talk about traffic pattern etiquette, specifically at non-towered airports. Most midair collisions between GA airplanes happen close to small airports. There are no air traffic controllers aiding in separation, and the pattern can often be full of pilots of all different experience levels and abilities, in all different types of aircraft. It's not dangerous per se, but it is a phase of flight that deserves heightened awareness and vigilance
Aug 9, 2021 · 32 min
E047 - Night Flying
This week it's all about night flying! Night flying is a lot of fun and the views can be amazing, but it also comes with it's own set of unique challenges. Visibility, ground refence, cockpit resources and lighting... literally everything about flying changes when the sun goes down. So if it's been a minute since you've been in the plane at night, don't miss this week's episode of Behind The Prop!
Aug 2, 2021 · 37 min
E046 - Check Ride Day!
We're returning to one of our most common listener requested topics: check rides! As a commercial pilot, Bobby has been through a few... and as a designated pilot examiner, Wally has seen hundreds. This week the guys run through a few tips for the big day, as well as a couple common pitfalls to avoid. From flight planning and the pre flight inspection, to the actual flight test and beyond. If you've got a checkride coming up you can't afford to miss this week's episode of Behind the Prop!
Jul 26, 2021 · 44 min
E045 - Tammie Jo Shults
We are honored to have the incredible Tammie Jo Shults on the show this week! Tammie Jo is not only a former Naval aviator, but she was also the captain of Southwest flight #1380 the day her Boeing 737 suffered a catastrophic engine failure and explosive decompression. She stops by the show this week to share the adversity she faced early in her career, how she overcame it, and how she stayed so unbelievably calm the day she faced the ultimate test in the left seat of the 737.
Jul 19, 2021 · 39 min
E044 - Ask ATC (part 2)
We've wrangled three real life air traffic controllers and brought them in to grill them with questions! Our thanks to Clay (from Houston Approach) and Nick & Gio (from Houston Center) for stopping by to drop some knowledge from the controllers' perspective of aviation. We covered everything from how to become an air traffic controller, to their common pilot pet peeves, to the scariest emergencies they've ever worked.
Jul 12, 2021 · 35 min
E043 - Ask ATC (part 1)
This week we've wrangled three real life air traffic controllers and brought them in to grill them with questions! Our thanks to Clay (from Houston Approach) and Nick & Gio (from Houston Center) for stopping by to drop some knowledge from the controllers' perspective of aviation. We covered everything from how to become an air traffic controller, to their common pilot pet peeves, to the scariest emergencies they've ever worked.
Jul 5, 2021 · 43 min
E042 - Charlie Venema - CheckedAndSet.net
This week we welcome Charlie Venema, who is currently a major airline captain, as well as the owner of CheckedAndSet.net. Charlie is an expert at helping dreamers take the next step in their aviation career. He drops by the show this week to share some pro tips that could help you land on the flight deck of a major airline!

Behind the Prop

E061 - Pattern Success/10 Tips

E060 - 10 Things Instructors Do Wrong

E059 - Safety Trends, What Should We Worry About?

E058 - Ready for Takeoff

E057 - Student Pilot Community Questions

E056 - Two Ears, One Mouth

E055 - Selecting a Flight School

E054 - Passenger Safety Briefing

E053 - POH's

E052 - Every Switch & Every Gauge

E051 - Weather (and Motion Sickness)

E050 - Mission Based Time Building

E049 - Robert Sumwalt, Chairman NTSB (Retired)

E048 - Traffic Pattern Etiquette

E047 - Night Flying

E046 - Check Ride Day!

E045 - Tammie Jo Shults

E044 - Ask ATC (part 2)

E043 - Ask ATC (part 1)

E042 - Charlie Venema - CheckedAndSet.net