Nearly everyone who travels will experience turbulence at some point in their life. For some, it's no big deal, but for nervous flyers it can be incredibly uncomfortable. This week we'll be talking about what causes turbulence, and addressing w...

I'm excited to announce Plaid Aviation, your new home for aviation training resources and community. To make sure you are notified when we go live, please sign up for the mailing list at http://www.plaidaviati...

This week we finish our discussion of the Pilot Qualifications in the Commercial ACS, with a topic that is covered in the Private Pilot and Instrument Rating ACS as well. We discuss the difference in safe and legal, and examine some risk manage...

Beginning our discussion of ground school topics, this week we talk about pilot qualifications for the Commercial Pilot Checkride, and the privileges and limitations around your new certificate.Commercial Pilot ACS:

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope you are getting to finish out the week spending time with loved ones and planning the goals you will set for the coming year. Hope to see you next week!Follow me on Instagram:

On December 20th 1943, the crew of the B-17 known as Ye Olde Pub flew their first combat mission together and almost didn't make it home. Flying on only one fully functional engine, with half a tail, and leaking hydraulics, things looked bleak ...

On December 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers became the first people to achieve manned, controlled, heavier than air flight. Take away all of the qualifiers, though, and they were far from the first in flight. This week I talk about 5 aviators who...

This week we are talking about the incredible story of Jesse Brown, who was the US Navy's first African American fighter pilot, and Thomas Hudner, who received the Medal of Honor after crash landing his own plane behind enemy lines in an attemp...

Happy Thanksgiving!This week we talk about the 20th century's craziest soft drink (developed by a meat packing company) and the transcontinental flight it inspired. Calbraith Rodgers became the first person to fly coast to coast when he...

This week, we revisit the history of Veterans Day, a holiday that began with the end of the first World War.Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaidpilot/L...

This week we talk about the B-29 Superfortress, the most advanced bomber in the American fleet during WWII. Bell X-1 Drop Launch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5xFJRcHFqU

For this week’s Halloween special we are revisiting an old episode where I got to talk to Barb Kramer from the haunted Kansas Aviation Museum. We talk about the history of the museum and aviation in Kansas, and Barb shares some ghost stories fr...

This week I had the honor of sitting down with Bill Weidenhammer, a retired pilot with the US Navy, and B-25 pilot with the Champaign Aviation Museum in Urbana, Ohio. On the show he talks about the history of Champaign Gal, the museum's own B-2...

This week we mix things up a little and instead of aviation history, I'm sharing a PIREP (that's short for Pilot Report) about a recent flight to Lake Havasu, AZ. Email me: todd@theplaidpilot.comInstagram: 

This week, Lynne Newton of the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum joins me to talk about the 239 year old history of ballooning from 18th century Versailles to the Balloon Fiesta that takes place in Albuquerque every year. She also g...

On September 24, 1929 Jimmy Doolittle made the first flight completely on instruments, so in this episode, we take a look at the history of instruments on the flight deck from the first flight at Kitty Hawk to satellite navigation.Airma...

After finishing the first part of my Commercial Pilot training, I'm back to share a little about my journey and talk about the differences I've experienced in Part 61 and 141 flight training.Email me at todd@theplaidpilot.comIns...

I finally passed my instrument checkride on my second attempt! In this episode I talk about my instrument training journey and lessons learned from two attempts at the checkride. Email me at todd@theplaidpilot.comInstagram:...

Thank you guys for all of the support the last five months. The show will be on hiatus starting this week as I get ready for my checkride and start commercial training. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and fluffy landings!Email Me - tod...

On November 24, 1971, a man calling himself Dan Cooper hijacked Northwest Orient Flight 305 bound for Seattle from Portland, OR and after receiving $200,000 cash as ransom for the passengers, parachuted into the rainy night never to be seen aga...

Due to technical difficulties, I wasn't able to get this week's episode recorded, but I still wanted to stop in and say Happy Thanksgiving! See you next week!

On November 17, 1955, a US Air Force C-54 crashed on the way to Area 51 on a mission to support the development of the U-2 spy plane. On this week's episode, I get to talk to Ky Plaskon, author of Silent Heroes of the Cold War, about the story ...

On this week's episode, I take a break from aviation history and briefly talk about the history of Veterans Day from its World War I origin in 1918 and how the holiday has evolved today.Email me at todd@theplaidpilot.com or DM me on Ins...

In 1929, Amelia Earhart got together with fellow aviatrixes to form an organization dedicated to promoting aviation, keeping records of women in aviation, and giving women pilots a community to grow with. Over nine decades later, the 99s are a ...

For this week’s Halloween special, I get to talk to Barb Kramer from the haunted Kansas Aviation Museum. We talk about the history of the museum and aviation in Kansas, and Barb shares some ghost stories from her time as Director of Operations....