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!


Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(180)

EP181 - Fly Like It's Your Job. Because It Kind Of Is.

EP181 - Fly Like It's Your Job. Because It Kind Of Is.

Brian's got a shiny new commercial certificate, Ben just logged 25 hours in three days in a flying potato over Florida, and somehow nobody declared an emergency — so naturally, it's time to talk about...

19 Mai 1h 10min

EP180 - Getting Back in the Training Saddle

EP180 - Getting Back in the Training Saddle

Ben is about to climb into a Piper Apache, which our own blog has definitively declared the official airplane of twin-engine Russian roulette, and he's doing the responsible midlife thing: writing dow...

12 Mai 48min

EP179 - Information Whiskey: Pimp the Plane or the Pilot, But You Can't Pimp Both

EP179 - Information Whiskey: Pimp the Plane or the Pilot, But You Can't Pimp Both

It's Information Whiskey time, and we're only one episode late — which, as Brian would say, is basically on time. Brian's commercial checkride is less than two weeks out, which means Lucy has been get...

5 Mai 59min

EP178 - Flying Silent: No Engine. No Seat Cushion.

EP178 - Flying Silent: No Engine. No Seat Cushion.

Ted soloed a glider this weekend. He went up at 3,500 feet and came back down at 9,500. Then eventually came back down from that too, but only because his butt hurt. One tow rope, zero engines, four a...

28 Apr 1h 10min

EP177 - Momentum: The Pudding Skin of Aviation

EP177 - Momentum: The Pudding Skin of Aviation

What do glider tows, five written tests in 32 days, and refusing to go home before a late concert all have in common? Momentum — and the sneaky ways midlife tries to steal it from you.This week Brian,...

21 Apr 1h 1min

EP176 - Flying With Pilots, Strangers, and Stranger Pilots

EP176 - Flying With Pilots, Strangers, and Stranger Pilots

There's nothing more dangerous than a plane full of pilots. A wise man with a Pilatus once told Brian that, and he's been thinking about it ever since. Episode 176 is a deep dive into one of GA's most...

14 Apr 1h

EP175 - Say Again, Slowly: Everything We Wish We Knew About ATC Comms

EP175 - Say Again, Slowly: Everything We Wish We Knew About ATC Comms

That little button is not your enemy — but nobody tells you that when you're a student pilot white-knuckling your first radio call. In episode 175, Brian, Ben, and Ted dig into everything they wish so...

7 Apr 1h 1min

EP174 - Information Whiskey: Just Don't Do It. Just Don't Do It.

EP174 - Information Whiskey: Just Don't Do It. Just Don't Do It.

Ted "puts a ring on" his airplane in the most permanent way possible. A Colorado hotel owner proves that "not a Patreon supporter" and "free advertising" aren't mutually exclusive. We talk IFR currenc...

31 Mar 52min

Populært innen Fritid

rss-spartsklubben
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
mil-etter-mil-en-podcast-om-bil
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
jegerpodden
jakt-og-fiskepodden
interiorradet
rss-gatebilpodden
nerdelandslaget
rss-avskiltet
rss-jegerpodden
villmarksliv
0-100-med-broom-mats-og-remi
level-backup
rss-hestenes-klan
grontpodden
hagespiren-podcast
rss-jeg-fikser-vin
fjellsportpodden
klokkepodden