Skip to content
Artwork for I Learned About Flying From That
LeisureAviation

I Learned About Flying From That

Flying Magazine

Tune in for the rest of the story—with exclusive interviews with pilots who have shared their emergencies, crises, and mistakes over 950-plus installments of Flying's iconic series, "I Learned About Flying From That." Host Carl Valeri relates the tale as told by the author, then catches up with that pilot to ask the questions we know have been on your mind.


Play
  • 26 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 28 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • Dec 10, 2025 · 29 min

    Jim Desmond

    Former Army helicopter pilot and fixed-wing aviator Jim Desmond returns to I Learned About Flying From That to share a harrowing story from March 1973. While attempting a flight from Fort Riley, Kansas, to Colorado Springs, Jim fell victim to a severe case of "get-there-itis."

  • Nov 26, 2025 · 23 min

    118. Dave Spreanza

    Spatial disorientation accounts for less than 10% of fixed wing GA accidents; but among those, the fatality rate is 90% - a horrible statistic that hasn’t declined in the past two decades even with significant advancements in avionics. Host Rob Reider chats with Dave Speranza, who at the time was a non-instrument-rated pilot who inadvertently found himself in IMC. He’ll share how it affected him and how he handled the situation. Sponsored by Avemco

  • Nov 12, 2025 · 31 min

    117. Kevin Reick

    A “time-saver” offered by ATC might not have been a good idea for the pilot and his wife en route to the Bahamas, putting them farther over water than they’d like and into weather they didn’t expect. Instrument-rated private pilot Kevin Reick shares that story with host, Rob Reider, and another from his instrument instruction when the cockpit got as dark as the night sky they were flying in. Sponsored by Avemco

  • Oct 29, 2025 · 39 min

    116. J.J. Madison

    If you’ve ever “busted an altitude, inadvertently gone into a restricted area or other controlled airspace or something else that could get you in trouble with the FAA, they’ve offered an “out.” It’s the FAA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System and it could save you some heartburn. It’s more commonly known as the NASA report - if you’re not familiar with it, this episode of ILAFFT will be an eye-opener. Sponsored by Avemco

  • Oct 15, 2025 · 32 min

    115. When to Trust Your Feelings

    As pilots, we’re taught to trust our instruments - trusting our feelings can lead to problems. But in an airplane you know very well, if there’s a strange sound or vibration, trusting your feelings might be the right thing to do. One pilot, experiencing this situation, convinced an A&P mechanic to double check a recently completed repair. What he found was a botched job that could have resulted in a catastrophic situation. Sponsored by Avemco Insurance

  • Oct 1, 2025 · 24 min

    114. ATC: service provider or life-saver

    VFR Traffic Advisories, also known as “flight following,” is a service that is provided by ATC, workload permitting. But it can also be a life saver. In today’s episode, we’ll hear how controllers assisted a pilot who needed help when his engine started running very roughly and he began to lose altitude over terrain that was not at all conducive for a forced landing. The pilot was grateful for the help controllers provided. Sponsored by Avemco Insurance

Showing 21–26 of 26 episodes