The Student Pilot Cast

I’m back with video!  I’ve been sitting on this footage for almost two years now, so I’m very excited to get this one published.  In this episode I take you on a flight with me over Hana, Hawaii on Maui with Armin from Hang Gliding Maui.  Armin is a CFI, and took me for me first microlight ride, and it couldn’t have been in a better setting.

This flight was one of the experiences that finally got me doing something about my dream of learning to fly.  Within 6 months of this, I was preparing to start my own training.  I hope you enjoy it.  As always, I would love to get feedback from you on this.

NOTE: I have encoded this video at a higher quality than I usually do because the content deserves it, and it is a shorter video, so the file size wouldn’t be too massive.  It could, however, prove problematic on some hardware players.  I have tested on iPhone, both classic and new Zune’s, and Xbox 360, and all work great.  I couldn’t get my hands on a regular iPod to test, but I think it should work.  It may not work on older iPods though (pre G5).  In any case, please let me know if you run into any problems so that I can continue to improve my process.

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In episode 23 we cover the return flight from Tucson International Airport (KTUS) to Chandler (KCHD) as part of my first dual cross country.  Leaving a class C airport was a bit different than working in my usual class B airport.  Busier airspace, bigger airplanes, departure controllers, approach controllers, and clearance delivery.  All together, it kept me busy, but I learned a lot on this flight and enjoyed it very much.

I mentioned in this episode our new sponser, Air Feddy's Learning to Fly Guide.  Air Freddy has around 9000 hours of dual given and has written an e-book that really helps lay out the process of learning to fly; what to expect, what equipment is needed, how to figure the costs accurately, etc.  He also tells a few personal stories as part of the book which helps keep it all interesting and personal.  Fred's experience can be very helpful to prospective and current student pilots.  If you want to know more about it, or purchase the e-book, please use the link above.

Thanks again, SPC listeners.  I hope you enjoy this episode.  As usual, please provide any feedback that you may have.

Hello again, everyone.  I’m back with episode 22 about my first dual cross country flight during my primary training.  It was fantastic as I hope you’ll be able to tell from this episode.  I went from KCHD to KTUS, or Tucson International. 

I also mentioned Scenario Based Training in this episode as well.  Linked here is an ASA book on the subject.

Finally, Picacho Peak is used as landmark in this episode.  I wanted to include a picture I took of it during one of my flights…it is quite spectacular (and this picture does not do it justice).

I hope you all enjoy the episode.  Please leave feedback for me.

I was having a quick chat with David Allen, co-host of the Pilot’s Flight Pod Log, about podcasting, and the difficulty of getting them out on a regular basis.  I said something to the effect of, “I need some podcast fiber to stay regular.”  We laughed, and then it was downhill from there, with David rattling off a few funny quips, which spurred an idea.  The result is a new product (that exists only in my mind).  Introducing Podamucil, daily therapy for staying regular with podcasts.  The secret formula used by Jack and the gang at UCAP is now available for everyone!  I’ll start a daily regimen right away.

I'm back SPC listeners!  I've had no time to produce new episodes for a while, but I forced myself tonight...and put off some other stuff.  So what we have is another training episode, Episode 21, "Good Freakin' Flight".  This is a solo flight that I took after returning from my Dive trip, and this was the next flight in my training after the night flight that was covered in episodes 19 and 20.

I hope you enjoy this episode, and I'll try to be more consistant with the releases going forward.  Please give me feedback as always.  Also, I'm working on a couple of videos, including the video from the flight covered in this episode as well as a tutorial on how to record in cockpit audio, as this is my most frequently asked question from listeners.  This is in addition to a start that I've got on the next audio episode as well.

As usual, for up to date information on flights, feel free to follow me on twitter.  Thanks again, everyone.  Get out there and fly!

I’m back, after an exclusive one month tour of Europe, Scandinavia, and…no, that’s not true.  In fact, I’ve just been really busy, and haven’t had a chance to finish this episode up and send it out on the feed.  Bad me, I know.  So, we skipped September in the podcast…I’ll try to make it up to you all.

Here is episode 20, the second and final part of my first night flight around the Phoenix area.  As I said in the audio, I really enjoyed this flight a lot.  Now that I have my license, I need to do some more night flying.

Enjoy the episode, and by all means, let me know what you think of the podcast.

Wow.  Brian Terwilliger, the director and producer of the great aviation documentary film One Six Right, has done it again.  This time in a very high quality web vignette about his history and his media ride with the Navy jet demonstration team, the Blue Angels.  I can’t say any more that you won’t get from seeing, so just watch “Flying Full Circle”.

Feel free to watch it here if you’re pressed for time, but if not, do yourself a favor and watch (or download) a higher quality version at Brian’s site.

Hello patient Student Pilot Cast listeners.  I'm back again with a training flight, which happens to be my first night flight...as well as a few other firsts.  We basically to take a tour of the Phoenix Valley at night.  Very cool.

I broke this into two parts because it was a long flight with quite a bit going on.  I hope you enjoy.  Don't forget to give me feedback.

Hello everyone.  I'm still here, and actually in the middle of producing a new episode...but it's taking longer than expected (it's a good one...lot's of firsts in my training).  I just wanted to let everyone know that there is a new episode on the horizon and I haven't forgotten about you.  I'm working on some other stuff as well.

Also, I just had to tell someone.  I took my first cross country as a licensed pilot this past weekend, as well as my first pax (my wife), and we headed up from the dreadful heat of the Phoenix Valley to the nice cool pines of Show Low (with a stop in Payson).  It was great, and I'll tell you all about it in an episode down the road...but I've gotta say...flying is cool.

 Stay tuned...I'll be releasing in the next day or two (I know...promises, promises).  Stay safe.

Here is the last part of Podapalooza 2008 from Oshkosh.  I hope you enjoy.  Thanks for listening, and please don't forget to let me know you're out there.  Leave me some feedback using the contact link near the top of the page.

Hello everyone.  I'm happy to release part 1 of the 2008 edition of Podapalooza, which was recorded in Oshkosh at EAA Airventure.  Podapalooza is the gathering of aviation podcasters in Oshkosh each year.  As well as being released on this and many other feeds, this year it was broadcast live on EAA Radio as well as on the Internet. 

Participating in this year's event was, in the order they were sitting, Uncontrolled Airspace, The Student Pilot Cast, The Finer Points, Airspeed, and the Pilotcast (along with CFI cast).  Remoted in via skype was Will and Dave of the Pilot's Flight Pod Log.  Notably missing this year were new pilot, Greg, from the Student Pilot Journal and student pilot Jerry from VA Student Pilot.  I'm probably forgetting others as well, so forgive me.

 I also want to note that Airventure Today (the daily Airventure newspaper) did an article on the Podapalooza, so check that out if want to.

 I really enjoyed participating this year, and felt honored to be on the stage with so many talented people.  It's a great community of people in aviation.

Hello everyone.  I'm finally releasing the next episode in my student pilot saga.  In this episode, 16, I do an update direct from Oshkosh, WI for EAA Airventure 2008.  I wasn't able to get this published while still in Oshkosh because of very poor Internet access...but now that I'm home in Arizona I've got my acess back to normal.  I added a pre-script to the original episode that I recorded on location.  In this episode, a very important announcement is made, as well as some information on small changes to the podcast going forward.  Don't worry, nothing major will change...just more content, so it's all good.

In this release, I talk about following me on Twitter if you want, which you can do from this link.  If you don't know what Twitter is, take a look at the site and determine if this is useful to you.

That should do it.  Stay tuned in for more content from Oshkosh as well as more training.  I'll be updating you all soon.

Hello, everyone.  Sorry for the long delay.  I have not stopped flying...but I appreciate those of you who have asked or inquired.  In fact, if anything, I have intensified my training.  I'll try to do a quick audio update as well so those of you who don't get on the website will get an update as well...but this will have to do for now.

So...the other news is that I'm at Oshkosh.  I flew in with Kent from the PilotCast, which was very interesting.  This is my first trip to the mecca of general aviation, and I'm hoping to bring some good information to all of you who haven't made it this year.  I've got some really good updates coming for my training, too, but I'm putting those on hold for Air Venture, and will resume those next week.

You can follow me at Oshkosh on twitter (www.twitter.com/billwil) where I am attempting to update what I'm seeing and doing.  I've been seeing some great stuff, and I'll get you all some more information soon.  Stay tuned for more updates.

Shooting 'em out rapid-fire, now, folks.  Here's another episode of the Student Pilot Cast, number 15, about a flight in which we focused on VORs and Simulated Instrument Conditions (The Hood).  I had passed my Phase II Check, and I was starting on Phase III.  I hope you enjoy.

Episode 14 is here!  Today we'll follow a dual lesson that I had to prep for the Stage II Stage Check.  Now that I had been introduced to shorts and softs, and had some time to practice, it was time to finish stage II.  Before I could do this stage check, though, I had to prep with my instructor.  That's what this lesson and episode is about.  We practiced steep turns, minimum controllable airspeed, power on and power off stalls, emergency procedures, and a couple more short and soft landings.

Thanks for listening.  I hope you enjoy episode 14.