Flying BC - Pilot Stories and Aviation Adventures

"You know, it would be embarassing to get out of an upside-down SuperCub with a bent-up prop and a scuff on my helmet. But it would be better than not getting out and having to pull me out and waking up three months later with a brain injury." - Steve Thorne, Flight Chops If you're a fan of Flight Chops on YouTube, you may have recently seen an episode about helmets and his first flight in the Harvard wearing one. On this episode of Flying BC I catch up with Steve for a follow-up now that he's flown

"The way we do it at the museum is we brief the plan and we fly the brief, and we don't improvise. It says on the board in real big letters that never gets erased...No Improvising." Steve Thorne, perhaps better known as Flight Chops, has over 300,000 subscribers and 47 Million views on Youtube. His context-laden aviation analysis and learning videos take viewers through everything from warbird flying to tailwheel checkouts to seaplane training. In this episode, we discuss the challenges of making

Special bonus episode with former Snowbirds Lead and CF-18 Demo Pilot, Rob "Scratch" Mitchell. He answers listener questions about how the Snowbirds create their show routine, how aerobatic pilots adapt to new airports, whether he prefers solo or team flying, and how they deal with turbulence while in tight formation. This is an example of the sort of exclusive bonus content you will experience as a supporter on Patreon. Among other benefits, patrons will have an opportunity to get their

"I remember that moment. There was 22 sets of eyes just staring at me, and they all said the same thing, 'What do we do now, Boss?' That's when the penny dropped for me that, ah, this is what leadership is about." Rob "Scratch" Mitchell's 20-year career in the Royal Canadian Air Force is highlighted by his time as a CF-18 demo pilot, and two tours with the Snowbirds, including as Team Lead in 2006-2007. Performing at airshows sparked his interest in acting and film, and eventually it became his

"I could feel the trees smacking the bottom of the airplane. It was like a machine gun sound. And then, all of a sudden, they went back into the cloud." 178 seconds to live. Just under three minutes. If you're a pilot you've no doubt heard the statistic. Continued visual flight into instrument conditions claims a disproportionate number of general aviation pilots every year. It's easy to think, "I'll never do that." And yet, it keeps happening. James Marasa is an IFR Air Traffic Controller in

"When I started feeling like I was overwhelmed...my brain went automatically to private pilot school default. Hands and feet. I disconnected the autopilot, and I flew it raw." Angie Tanton is a pilot with a penchant for flying in the overseas, off-the-grid world. With 8000 hours under her belt, and 6000 of those on floats, she's chasing a career full of adventure. Whether its flying a Beaver for a fishing lodge, a Dash-7 for the UN in Africa, or Twin Otters in the Maldives, Angie is proof that you

"Never ignore the gut feeling...the hairs on the back of your neck. If it doesn't feel right, stop. Ask yourself why. If you still can't figure it out, don't do it." - Kevin Maher On this episode we introduce the podcast hosts and veer off into discussions on pilot knowledge and job prospects, the importance of standardizing procedures and decision making priorities. Plus, Kevin grapples with taxiing a Boeing 777. Flying BC is hosted by Warwick Patterson, joined by Ryan Van Haren, Kate Klassen, and