EP172 - Live from Bentonville! The Thaden Invasion Fly-In

Recorded live at Legends Air Center, Bentonville Municipal Airport (KVBT)

We pulled it off. Forty-six planes, 76 humans, one carbon cub with a suspiciously placed trim switch, and a weather forecast that went from "perfect VFR" to "tornado watch to snowstorm in 24 hours." Episode 172 is the live recording from the Thaden Invasion fly-in — and it did not disappoint.

Ben, Brian, and 1DullGeek filling in for Ted who attempted to get here from Portland via Delta and was defeated by the commercial aviation gods. We called him anyway. He answered!

IN THIS EPISODE:

🛫 The Instrument Rating Spite Train

✈️ The Race to Union City — Ben attempts to bribe a Memphis Center controller via Venmo. The controller provides his Venmo. "Ready to copy."

🛩️ The Convergence Incident — Mark's GPS-autopilot handshake goes sideways mid-flight, resulting in an unannounced formation maneuver.

🌩️ The Forecast Nobody Asked For — Our new friend Bruce, a multi-decade professional meteorologist, delivers a pre-show weather briefing that sends everyone scrambling for early departures. Tornadoes by noon. Snow by evening. Perfect fly-in weather.

📞 We Call Ted — He answers. It's lovely. He didn't miss anything at Game Bird. Those planes are ugly. The formation flights were nothing. (They were incredible. Ted knows.)

🎙️ Community Moments — Keith's story of stepping away from aviation and finding his way back. Captain Todd's first cross-country with his girlfriend (she asked where the car was). The anonymous question about an all-wives episode (immediately shot down). Erica Gilbert, CFII and weather guru, knitting quietly in the back like an aviation safety angel.

MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:

🏆 Legends Air Center at Bentonville Municipal Airport (KVBT) — Home of the Thaden Invasion and quite possibly the only FBO where you can fish off one end and tour an aerobatic manufacturer off the other.

✈️ Game Aerospace — The manufacturing facility that had our crew high on carbon fiber fumes and ambition. Shoutout to Derek and the team.

📋 Checkmate Aviation — Sponsor of our beautiful lounge space. Barry bought the company by accident (sort of). Custom checklists. Real story.

🎙️ Midlife Pilot Podcast on Patreon — The thing that keeps this ad-free and human. The reason we can afford microphones and index cards (when Ted is here).

🐦 Plane Places Adventures (YouTube) — Check out the channel. Virgil always has something.

🎙️ Airline Pilot Guy Podcast — AJ's co-hosting home. Captain Jeff. Good people. Good aviation.

📘 Helen Thaden — Aviation Pioneer — The namesake of the invasion. Bentonville's own. Look her up if you don't know the name yet.

🌤️ 1800wxbrief.com — FAA Aviation Weather Briefings — For those of you who don't have Bruce's number.

📖 Make Small Corrections by Brian Siskind Essays on flying, legacy, and midlife transformation. Brian's book. Read it.

QUOTE OF THE EPISODE:

"A beef Wellington is just a corn dog from a different socioeconomic background."