EP153 - Information Whiskey: "I've Studied My Brain Into a Porridge-Like Consistency"

EP153 - Information Whiskey: "I've Studied My Brain Into a Porridge-Like Consistency"

Information Whiskey strikes again!

BIG NEWS: The Thaden Invasion is official—March 13-15, 2026 in Bentonville, Arkansas! Brian confesses his Sheppard Air conversion after weeks of IFR written torture ("The FAA told you to look at figure 71, but you have to memorize it's actually figure 24"), his wife solves compass errors in 8 seconds ("Here, idiot"), and Ted's fuel gauge crisis leads to the ultimate "It's Always Fuel" moment. Plus: Ben kills another twin, navigating without flight following during the shutdown, and why flying different planes makes you better.

In this episode:

  • 🎉 THE THADEN INVASION IS HAPPENING: March 13-15, 2026 at VBT, Bentonville, Arkansas!
  • Why Bentonville rocks: Frank Lloyd Wright house, Crystal Bridges Museum (free!), mountain biking capital, Fly Oz backcountry destinations, and Flying Magazine's "Coolest Airport in the Country"
  • Ben's twin curse continues: "I warned this flight school of my curse and they still accepted me" - switching to BE-55 Baron
  • Jekyll Island adventure with red bug rentals and son Evan
  • Government shutdown reality: How to fly safely when ATC can't take VFR requests and controllers are on skeleton crews
  • Ted's "It's Always Fuel" crisis: "This wing is either full or empty. There's no level in it. I have no confidence that I have fuel at this point."
  • Chinese lantern with actual flame floating past Ted's wing at night: "I can hear the FAA: 'So how did your wing catch on fire?'"
  • The Hacienda Cherokee: Still out there, still getting refueled mid-air, still haunting Ben's flights


Safety talk that actually matters:

  • Ben's wisdom: "See and avoid is ALWAYS our responsibility - 50 hours or 5,000 hours, period"
  • Monitor approach frequencies even when not on flight following
  • Know arrival/departure corridors at major airports
  • "Keep your eyes outside and don't get lazy. Don't start playing on your phone."
  • Ben's Cherokee stalker story: Same plane intersected his course twice in one day

Weather nerdery from Erica Gilbert:

  • Ted's 30.48" altimeter after atmospheric river: "That is a HIGH number"
  • Jet stream troughs create low pressure; ridges create high pressure
  • High pressure = stable air, clear skies, but poor visibility from trapped pollution

Listener feedback gold:

  • Chris H: Why flying multiple planes makes you better - "I became too comfortable flying just one plane and built bad habits"
  • The value of clubs: 180-2, PA-28, and 172 access keeps you sharp and forces proper checklist usage

Fly-in essentials:

  • One mile walk to brewery, one mile to downtown (Ben's proud of this planning)
  • Grass strip + paved runway available
  • Live podcast recording somewhere in Bentonville (street corner? Hangar? Brewery? TBD!)
  • Hotels, Airbnbs, mountain biking, art museums, and aviation - something for everyone
  • Brian: "Ben has rented us a giant complex with what seems like a slaughterhouse in the back, but I'm sure it's fine"

Mentioned on the Show:

Support the Show:


New Patreon Members: Andy & Babs, Sierra Tango, Patrick L, Michael R, Michael W - Welcome aboard!


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Jaksot(203)

EP204 - What Is Landings?

EP204 - What Is Landings?

Ted did the math: episodes 83, 108, 116, 119, 128, 155, 188, and 201 were all more or less about landings, and tonight makes it nine, because you filled the tape machine and we have no self-control. T...

27 Loka 1h 4min

EP203 - Pause Not Included

EP203 - Pause Not Included

Last week's emergency deserves a sequel about the thing you reach for in the later phases of one: the checklist. Enter returning special friend of the show Checkmate Barry, two years to the day (Octob...

20 Loka 54min

EP202 - Declared Mercy

EP202 - Declared Mercy

Ryan and Jackie flew the beautiful RV-10 down for the EP200 hangar show. On the way home, the airplane had other plans: autopilot master fault, attitude indicator misbehaving in IMC, showing level whi...

13 Loka 1h 2min

EP201 - The Last Five Seconds of a Landing

EP201 - The Last Five Seconds of a Landing

The Discord kept circling one subject, and it happens to be printed on our favorite t-shirt: I forget how to land (or have never learned in the first place). So this one's all landings: the plateau, t...

6 Loka 1h 2min

EP200 - It Took You Long Enough

EP200 - It Took You Long Enough

Two hundred episodes, and this one comes with a studio audience: live from a hangar at McCollum Field, at a non-event event. "Come if you want, come as you are," and people came anyway, some from very...

29 Syys 54min

EP199 - No Longer Sport Pilot Extraordinaire

EP199 - No Longer Sport Pilot Extraordinaire

Eleven minutes of "we're keeping it a mystery," and then out with it: our friend Timestamp Tedder went and passed his private pilot checkride. "No longer sport pilot extraordinaire." Theoretically he ...

22 Syys 1h 1min

EP198 - How Dare You Try to Minimize My Suffering

EP198 - How Dare You Try to Minimize My Suffering

Ted has a private pilot checkride on the calendar, so naturally the crew dedicated the evening to helping him prepare. And by helping, we mean: "You may not be nervous at all for the checkride. But yo...

15 Syys 1h 6min

EP197 - I Just Passed My PPL at 1,005 Hours

EP197 - I Just Passed My PPL at 1,005 Hours

A listener comment set the agenda this week: as the hosts stack ratings and turbine job offers, do the 20-to-200-hour faithful still see themselves in the show?Ben answered by wearing his Nobody Cares...

8 Syys 1h 1min

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