I Learned About Flying From That

123. Engine Failure at FL230

In episode 123 of "I Learned About Flying From That," host Carl Valeri sits down with pilot James McDiarmid to discuss a dream cross-country flight that quickly turned into a terrifying emergency. Cruising at 23,000 feet in his Mooney Acclaim en route from the UK to Italy, James was enjoying a smooth ride—until the engine unexpectedly quit cold over Brussels. Faced with freezing temperatures and a complete loss of power, James was forced to declare a Mayday and initiate a harrowing dead-stick glide toward an unfamiliar runway, with his wife by his side and the odds stacked against them. Will they make it to the ground safely? And what invisible, easily overlooked threat caused a perfectly well-maintained engine to suddenly fail at flight level 230? Tune in to hear the gripping conclusion to James’s mid-air crisis and discover the critical lesson every high-altitude piston pilot needs to hear.

122. Flying High and Landing Low

In this episode of the I Learned About Flying From That podcast, host Carl Valeri welcomes guest Tom Frink to discuss his firsthand experience with an in-flight engine failure that forced him to land on a busy Florida highway. Frink, an experienced flight instructor, recounts the moments leading up to the incident, his training and decision-making process, and the aftermath of the successful emergency landing. He shares his insights on the importance of recurrent training and maintaining situational awareness, especially in general aviation. This episode is packed with valuable lessons for pilots of all experience levels and highlights the resilience and preparedness necessary for safe flying.

121. Heidi Porch

In this episode of the I Learned About Flying From This podcast, host Rob Reider interviews Heidi Porch, a retired airline pilot who survived a harrowing emergency landing in the Pacific Ocean. For a pilot who admitted a lifelong fear of swimming, Heidi details the technical and psychological challenges of ditching a Cessna 182 during a ferry flight from California to New Zealand in 1984.

120. Kevin Winder

In this episode, host Rob Reider speaks with Kevin Winder, a veterinarian and pilot from Alberta, Canada, who experienced every pilot's nightmare: a total engine failure during a routine cross-country flight.

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."