Hangar Talk - An Aviation News Podcast

Flying around the world is a great accomplishment. Doing it at 18 years old is simply incredible. Hear the experience of earthrounder Mason Andrews and stick around for the week's headlines.

December 17 is the 115th anniversary of the world's first powered heavier-than-air flight. What better way to celebrate than with a trip to the Wright Brothers National Memorial, where we met with Ranger Amiee Ginnever. Plus stick around for the week's headlines.

Take a deep dive into 80 years of aviation history and advocacy with AOPA Editor at Large Tom Horne, as he uncovers research that led to “Freedom to Fly,” a hardcover book documenting general aviation. Plus, get up to speed on the rest of the week's aviation headlines.

Traveling to Europe for generation aviation flying rates highly on many aviators' wish lists. Hear about the trip of a lifetime from Virginia student and AOPA French Air Rally travel winner Amy Rose and stick around for the rest of the week's aviation headlines.

Find out from Operation Airdrop volunteer pilot and Cessna T210 owner Sean Malone how you can put your pilot skills to use after a hurricane or other natural disaster. Plus stick around for the rest of the week's aviation headlines.

Find out from Rachelle Spector how one organization is boosting the pilot population, especially among young women. Plus learn what’s new at NBAA and stick around for the rest of the week's aviation headlines.

He's a guy who's been there and done that in aviation. Hear about Pat Brown's exciting career doing everything from writing for Rod Machado to towing gliders. Pat is currently AOPA's regional ambassador to Texas as part of the You Can Fly program. Plus, stick around for the week's headlines.

Cirrus Aircraft regional sales director Gary Black, a former test pilot for the manufacturer, talks about general aviation’s best-selling aircraft. Plus, stick around for the latest headlines.

With the pilot shortage now fully upon us hear what major flight training institutions such as Embry Riddle Aeronautical University are doing to make more and better pilots as we talk to university head Dr. P. Barry Butler. Plus stick around for the week's headlines. 

Are you going through Oshkosh withdrawal? So are Ian and David. Relive the big show this week as we cover all the headlines, plus bring in AOPA's Alyssa Cobb to talk all about your sweepstakes Super Cub.

Foreflight and the iPad have revolutionized how we fly. This week hear from Foreflight co-founders Tyson Weihs and Jason Miller about how they got started, what has surprised them about their impressive run, and what's next. Plus stick around for the headlines. 

Warbird pilot Larry Kelley describes what it's like flying the B-25 Panchito, plus catch up on the latest aviation news in this week's podcast.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University archivist Kevin Montgomery helped uncover the mystery of President John F. Kennedy's Florida floatplane training. Plus catch up on the latest aviation news.

This week we talk to Samaritan Aviation's Mark Palm, a pilot and mechanic operating in Papua New Guinea. Palm shares tales of his amazing flights, what it's like to live there with his family, and how to get started in missionary flying. Plus stick around for the headlines.

Have you had an engine failure? Mark Levy has, and it was all caught on dramatic video. Watch the video first, and then listen to Mark digest what happened with Richard McSpadden, the director of AOPA's Air Safety Institute. Plus stick around for this week's headlines.

Airline hiring is on a big boom, and will only get stronger in the coming years. This week, Boeing's William Ampofo talks about Boeing's pilot forecast and what it's going to take to fill all those cockpits in the coming years. Plus stick around for the week's headlines.

Ramona "SkyChick" Cox is an aviation adventurer who has taken her Cessna 206 to scores of remote airfields. She shares practical and safety tips you can use for a successful off-airport journey, plus catch up on the latest aviation news in this week's Hangar Talk podcast.

You love to fly, which probably means you also need to travel. Join us this week for tips on great places to fly as we chat with Crista V. Worthy. Crista has been traveling around North America by GA for years, and she shares her favorite spots. Plus stick around for the headlines.

Join us this week as we talk to Shaesta Waiz, an earthrounder and STEM advocate who sees aviation as a pathway for all young people. Hear her inspiring story, and stick around for the headlines.

Quest Kodiak factory demo pilot Mark Brown talks about what many say is the best job in aviation and catch up on the latest aviation news in this week's Hangar Talk podcast.

Instrument-rated private pilot, mother, and AOPA Pilot Managing Editor Sarah Deener, and husband, Matt, share tips for flying with children; also, catch up on the latest aviation news in this week's Hangar Talk podcast.

Pilot and aviation mechanic Kyle Fosso, with flying partner Samantha Sky Hagan, will soon embark on a 50-state journey across the U.S. in a 1954 Cessna 170B that Fosso restored. Along the way the couple hopes to inspire kids to dream big and imagine what aviation can do for their futures. Plus stick around for the week's headlines.

Piper is synonymous with general aviation. The Cub is one of the world's most recognizable aircraft that helped to train a generation of pilots. This week we talk to Piper CEO to Simon Caldecott about what's new at the company, what the future holds, and if we'll ever see another Cub come from Vero Beach.

Outgoing FAA Administrator Michael Huerta guided the agency through the safest period in commercial aviation history, pushed air traffic modernization, saw the explosion of drones, and supported medical certification and aircraft certification reform. This week AOPA President Mark Baker sits down with Huerta to hear about his time at the FAA and what he learned about general aviation during his time at the FAA. Plus stick around for the week's headlines. 

No one in aviation knows gadgets better than Sporty's Pilot Shop's John Zimmerman. John is an active pilot and tests all of Sporty's new products. Hear his favorites, gift recommendations, and even a few busts the company has had over the years. Plus stick around for the week's headlines.

Join us this week as we talk to 2017 Miss Vermont Erin Connor and her push to see more women in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Connor flew herself to the Miss America pageant earlier this year, and used aviation as a platform to talk about increasing the number of women in technology careers. Plus stick around for the week's headlines.

This week we talk to Jamie Patterson-Simes, owner of SkyTrek Alaska Flight Training, AOPA's flight school of the year. Hear about her incredible journey and dedication to bringing up the next generation of aviators. Plus stick around for the headlines.

The clocks are changing and the days are getting shorter. It's time to think about brushing up on your night flying skills. This week we chat with AOPA's Best Flight Instructor of 2017, Zoan Harcelrode, about her best night flying tips. Plus stick around for the week's headlines.

Pilots are supposed to avoid thunderstorms by 20 miles or more, right? For some brave pilots, not only do they not avoid thunderstorms, they seek them out. This week we talk to NOAA Hurricane Hunter pilot Kevin Doremus about the year's busy season, and what it takes to fly into the eye of the storm. 

Medical doctor, licensed pilot, astronaut, and mountain climber. Dr. Scott Parazynski has led a life of adventure far beyond what most of us could dream of. This week we catch up with Parazynski to learn about what it's like to be in space, serve as Senator John Glenn's physician, and what he's working on today. Plus stick around for the headlines.

This week we chat with Reno unlimited winner Jay Consalvi about his incredible race. Consalvi flew "Strega," just beating out rival "Voodoo." Hear what it's like to go 500 miles per hour just 50 feet from the ground. Plus stick around for the headlines.

This week we catch up for a brief chat with General Charles Boyd, a former POW in Vietnam who now keeps his flying decidedly less dramatic. Also stick around for the week's top headlines.

NASA's Kristen Erickson, who pulled together the agency's "Eclipse Across America" coverage, explains solar eclipse highlights; and catch up on the latest aviation news in this week's Hangar Talk podcast.

What's it like to fly close formation upside down, mere feet above the ground? This week David talks to Paul "Rocket" Hornick of the Phillips 66 Aerostars team. The team flies four Yak 52TWs in a dynamic routine that excites audiences everywhere they go. Plus stick around for the week's headlines.

Now is the time to fight for the future of general aviation. This episode we dig into the battle over air traffic control with Jim Coon, AOPA's senior vice president of government affairs. Learn what's at stake and what you can do to help. Plus tune in for the week's top headlines.

This week we soar to the edge of space with Jim Payne from the Perlan glider project. Payne is trying to break the altitude record for soaring, currently at more than 50,000 feet. Also tune in for the week's top headlines.

You've read his columns in AOPA magazines for years, and maybe you've seen his talks. On this week's show hear flight instructor and funnyman Rod Machado talk about both his love for aviation and his frustration for its future. Plus tune in for the week's headlines.

BasicMed is here! This week we talk with AOPA's medical certification expert Gary Crump about BasicMed. What is it? What does it mean for aviation? And most importantly, what does it mean for you? Plus tune in for the week's top headlines.

Learning to fly is difficult. Learning to fly when you're missing an arm and a leg--that's in another league. This week David sits down with Adam Kiselewski, a Marine who lost two limbs in Iraq. Kiselewski hasn't let that slow him down. He's learned to fly, rides a motorcycle, and volunteers for many veteran's organizations. Plus the week's top headlines.

Have you ever thought about being an airline pilot? Or just wondered what the flying was like? This week we chat with Pete Bedell, a pilot for a major carrier. Bedell is a freelance contributor to AOPA Pilot and Flight Training magazines, and comes from a flying family. Also this week, BasicMed rolls out and we cover the top headlines.

Do you look up and admire those majestic hot air balloons as they calmly float by? Do the balloons with odd shapes make you wonder how flight is even possible? This episode David talks to Colin Graham, a world renowned hot air balloon pilot who flies shaped balloons everywhere from Albuquerque to Thailand. Plus tune in the headlines of the past two weeks.

What's the difference between an LP and an LPV approach? What's new about the Cirrus G6? And is technology really making lazy pilots? We discuss these questions and more this week with 2008 Flight Instructor of the Year and author Max Trescott. Trescott is an expert in glass cockpit technology, and teaches regularly in various Cirrus models. Hear his perspective on pilot skills and the latest news in this week's episode.

North Carolina's airport system is expansive, and some of the best sit on the string of barrier islands known as the Outer Banks. The popular vacation destination is a struggle to reach by car, but a joy to visit by airplane. This week we talk to Thomas Freeman and James Capps of the North Carolina's Division of Aviation about the history and attraction of these unique fields. Plus the week's top news. 

Cuba is physically close but culturally a world away. Off limits for decades, today visiting is relatively easy and well worth the trip. Plus, now you can fly yourself there! This week we talk to Cuba Handling's Eric Norber about how to get there, what to do when you're on the island, and why going to Cuba is such a unique experience. Plus tune in for the headlines of the week.

Every pilot dreams of getting a seaplane rating. For many who do, it's a great weekend experience and nothing else. For a lucky few, it translates to a life of incredible adventures. This week we talk to Brian Schanche of Adventure Seaplanes about his guided seaplane trips. Editor at Large Dave Hirschman flew along with Brian on a trip to see polar bears in Churchill, Canada. Plus tune in to hear the week's top headlines.

To visit great ski destinations. To see incredible vistas. To travel across the country. Whatever the purpose, flying in the mountains is fun and challenging. This week we talk to The Finer Points podcast's Jason Miller about his weekend mountain flying course. Miller organizes semi-annual fly-outs from his base in the San Francisco Bay area, and last summer Technical Editor Jill Tallman joined him on a fun and educational trip into the Sierra Nevada. Plus tune in for the week's headlines.