"There I was..." An Aviation Podcast

AOPA Air Safety Institute

There I was…, presented by the AOPA Air Safety Institute, invites you into the cockpit with pilots across the aviation community. We fly with them as they encounter unpredictable scenarios and we learn from the knowledge and skills they utilize to fly safely out of them. This podcast honors the tradition and heritage in aviation to leverage “hangar flying” as an avenue to pass along knowledge and experience.

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98 episodes
Updated July 14

Episodes98

Newest first

July 14 · 32 min
Episode 97: Avionics Failure in Heavy Rain
Father-and-son pilots Michael and Ethan Russo recount an IFR flight that turned critical when their aircraft suffered a complete avionics failure at 8,000 feet in heavy rain.
June 16 · 39 min
Episode 96: Whiteout in a Helicopter
Coast Guard helicopter pilot Rick Kenin recalls a Christmas Eve rescue flight that nearly became an emergency of its own.
May 12 · 43 min
Episode 95: Lake Amphibian
During a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park with his wife and two friends, Brandon Reissiger faces a challenging and nerve-wracking water takeoff in his Lake Amphibian.
April 21 · 34 min
Episode 94: Engine-Out at Night
Kansas City-based flight instructor Lennon Carlson recounts a night engine-out scare in a borrowed Cessna Cardinal RG while flying home after a Fourth of July weekend.
March 17 · 45 min
Episode 93: Windscreen Blowout
Arkansas pilot Greg Robbins is flying to lunch with his wife when the front windscreen and side doors of his Aeroprakt A22LS suddenly blow out. To see the video of the incident, click here - ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu23j1DsPOU⁠
February 18 · 41 min
Episode 92: Icing in a Sling
Newly minted instrument pilot Chris Yalanis launches on a long IFR trip in his Sling TSi. ATC issues a clearance that doesn’t match his plan, and a routine climb turns tense when he begins to pick up ice.
January 8 · 28 min
Episode 91: Unexpected Spin
Brad Cohen test flies his homebuilt Zenith Zodiac 601 XL. About 20 hours into testing, while working on departure and accelerated stalls, Brad enters an unexpected spin.
Dec 16, 2025 · 45 min
Episode 90: Exhaust Valve
Flight test engineer Joey Brown recounts a New Year’s Eve flight in his Cessna 150 with his wife, when their trip is interrupted by violent engine vibration and power loss.
Nov 18, 2025 · 46 min
Episode 89: Gear-Up Landing
Tony Williams and Ben Taylor prepare to ferry a Cessna 401 that’s been resurrected after almost 25 years in storage. Despite meticulous planning, high-speed taxi tests, and pattern work, a loud bang on downwind reveals a left-gear failure. With support from ATC, the pilots plan a deliberate gear-up landing on a foamed runway.
Oct 14, 2025 · 32 min
Episode 88: Bouncing on Empty
During a mountain flying trip in a Cessna 172, Doug Tilghman and two companions become dangerously close to fuel exhaustion.
Sep 16, 2025 · 35 min
Episode 87: Safety Pilot
Bob Thomason recounts a tense IMC approach as safety pilot for a friend facing a cancer diagnosis. When his friend panics and fights the autopilot, Bob must intervene to stabilize the aircraft.
Aug 12, 2025 · 41 min
Episode 86: Engine Failure Over New Mexico
Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant Justin Lillie shares the story of an engine failure in his Mooney during an IFR cross-country flight with his family.
Jul 15, 2025 · 42 min
Episode 85: Three Greens
Mark Sellers shares the story of a nighttime overwater flight in his Bellanca Viking where a landing gear issue arose during approach.
Jun 17, 2025 · 37 min
Episode 84: Missing Prop
Mel Rushton recounts a harrowing nighttime IFR flight when the propeller of his Piper Comanche separated mid-flight over Florida.
May 13, 2025 · 56 min
Episode 83: Stuck Controls
While departing Tampa Executive Airport in his Thorp S-18, Mujahid Abdulrahim finds himself dealing with severely limited motion in his control stick.
Apr 15, 2025 · 34 min
Episode 82: Icing in a Baron
Scott Wright shares the story of a flight he made as a corporate pilot in a B58 Baron with five passengers, during which he had an encounter with icing.
Mar 18, 2025 · 37 min
Episode 81: Hard Landing
Erick Mahle tells the story of a night flight in his flying club’s Bonanza with his family on board that included a memorable landing and some lessons learned.
Feb 18, 2025 · 26 min
Episode 80: A Clever Workaround
While flying in his 1966 Cessna 150F over Arizona, Chris Smith and his father must resort to some creative thinking to breathe life into a sputtering engine.
Jan 14, 2025 · 32 min
Episode 79: Lost Comms
As a newly minted private pilot, Sara Gagné takes her mother on a sunset flight around the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Not expecting any adverse issues during her very first flight with a passenger, Sara finds herself unable to establish radio communication. NOTE: We realized we omitted a key detail in this episode. When the guest discusses the remedy of shining a phone flashlight against the radio panel to make the display brighter, she is most likely referring to the panel having a faulty light s
Dec 17, 2024 · 51 min
Episode 78: "What's That Sound?"
Peter Danzig hears a disturbing banging sound while flying his Bonanza A36 near Paso Robles, CA, and decides to make a precautionary landing at a small private airport. After landing, he must contend with less than ideal conditions in which to depart again.

"There I was..." An Aviation Podcast

Episode 97: Avionics Failure in Heavy Rain

Episode 96: Whiteout in a Helicopter

Episode 95: Lake Amphibian

Episode 94: Engine-Out at Night

Episode 93: Windscreen Blowout

Episode 92: Icing in a Sling

Episode 91: Unexpected Spin

Episode 90: Exhaust Valve

Episode 89: Gear-Up Landing

Episode 88: Bouncing on Empty

Episode 87: Safety Pilot

Episode 86: Engine Failure Over New Mexico

Episode 85: Three Greens

Episode 84: Missing Prop

Episode 83: Stuck Controls

Episode 82: Icing in a Baron

Episode 81: Hard Landing

Episode 80: A Clever Workaround

Episode 79: Lost Comms

Episode 78: "What's That Sound?"