Hangar Talk

This week we catch up for a brief chat with General Charles Boyd, a former POW in Vietnam who now keeps his flying decidedly less dramatic. Also stick around for the week's top headlines.

NASA's Kristen Erickson, who pulled together the agency's "Eclipse Across America" coverage, explains solar eclipse highlights; and catch up on the latest aviation news in this week's Hangar Talk podcast.

What's it like to fly close formation upside down, mere feet above the ground? This week David talks to Paul "Rocket" Hornick of the Phillips 66 Aerostars team. The team flies four Yak 52TWs in a dynamic routine that excites audiences everywhere they go. Plus stick around for the week's headlines.

It's Oshkosh week! Hundreds of thousands of pilots have descended on Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for EAA Airventure this week to celebrate everything that takes to the skies. We cover the best of the show, plus talk to a few show-goers on what makes Oshkosh special to them.

Now is the time to fight for the future of general aviation. This episode we dig into the battle over air traffic control with Jim Coon, AOPA's senior vice president of government affairs. Learn what's at stake and what you can do to help. Plus tune in for the week's top headlines.

This week we soar to the edge of space with Jim Payne from the Perlan glider project. Payne is trying to break the altitude record for soaring, currently at more than 50,000 feet. Also tune in for the week's top headlines.

You've read his columns in AOPA magazines for years, and maybe you've seen his talks. On this week's show hear flight instructor and funnyman Rod Machado talk about both his love for aviation and his frustration for its future. Plus tune in for the week's headlines.

BasicMed is here! This week we talk with AOPA's medical certification expert Gary Crump about BasicMed. What is it? What does it mean for aviation? And most importantly, what does it mean for you? Plus tune in for the week's top headlines.

Learning to fly is difficult. Learning to fly when you're missing an arm and a leg--that's in another league. This week David sits down with Adam Kiselewski, a Marine who lost two limbs in Iraq. Kiselewski hasn't let that slow him down. He's learned to fly, rides a motorcycle, and volunteers for many veteran's organizations. Plus the week's top headlines.

Have you ever thought about being an airline pilot? Or just wondered what the flying was like? This week we chat with Pete Bedell, a pilot for a major carrier. Bedell is a freelance contributor to AOPA Pilot and Flight Training magazines, and comes from a flying family. Also this week, BasicMed rolls out and we cover the top headlines.

Do you look up and admire those majestic hot air balloons as they calmly float by? Do the balloons with odd shapes make you wonder how flight is even possible? This episode David talks to Colin Graham, a world renowned hot air balloon pilot who flies shaped balloons everywhere from Albuquerque to Thailand. Plus tune in the headlines of the past two weeks.

What's the difference between an LP and an LPV approach? What's new about the Cirrus G6? And is technology really making lazy pilots? We discuss these questions and more this week with 2008 Flight Instructor of the Year and author Max Trescott. Trescott is an expert in glass cockpit technology, and teaches regularly in various Cirrus models. Hear his perspective on pilot skills and the latest news in this week's episode.

North Carolina's airport system is expansive, and some of the best sit on the string of barrier islands known as the Outer Banks. The popular vacation destination is a struggle to reach by car, but a joy to visit by airplane. This week we talk to Thomas Freeman and James Capps of the North Carolina's Division of Aviation about the history and attraction of these unique fields. Plus the week's top news. 

Cuba is physically close but culturally a world away. Off limits for decades, today visiting is relatively easy and well worth the trip. Plus, now you can fly yourself there! This week we talk to Cuba Handling's Eric Norber about how to get there, what to do when you're on the island, and why going to Cuba is such a unique experience. Plus tune in for the headlines of the week.

Every pilot dreams of getting a seaplane rating. For many who do, it's a great weekend experience and nothing else. For a lucky few, it translates to a life of incredible adventures. This week we talk to Brian Schanche of Adventure Seaplanes about his guided seaplane trips. Editor at Large Dave Hirschman flew along with Brian on a trip to see polar bears in Churchill, Canada. Plus tune in to hear the week's top headlines.

To visit great ski destinations. To see incredible vistas. To travel across the country. Whatever the purpose, flying in the mountains is fun and challenging. This week we talk to The Finer Points podcast's Jason Miller about his weekend mountain flying course. Miller organizes semi-annual fly-outs from his base in the San Francisco Bay area, and last summer Technical Editor Jill Tallman joined him on a fun and educational trip into the Sierra Nevada. Plus tune in for the week's headlines.

Drones are by far the largest growth area in aviation. For many manned pilots, the small remotely piloted aircraft remain an oddity, if not a threat. This week we meet the owner of an aerial application business. He has turned to drones to help a farmer who sees the technology as leading to better, more efficient agricultural practices. Plus tune in for the top headlines of the week.

Every pilot dreams of flying around the world, but few have succeeded. Even in this age of fast, long-range turboprops, the complexity and cost of such a trip is daunting. When flying something like a Beechcraft Bonanza, safety is also a showstopper for many. Unless you're Adrian Eichhorn. This week AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines talks to FAA AMT of the Year Eichhorn about his flight around the world. Eichhorn spent years preparing for the trip. Hear about his adventures, and the week's headlines in the latest episode.

University presidents appear to lead lives trapped in offices dealing with the numerous challenges of dealing with students, faculty, parents, and state regulators. So when we heard James Clark, the president of South Carolina State University participated in the flyover of one of his school's football games in an RV, we had to learn more. Hear Clark talk discuss his passion for aviation and the week's headlines in the latest episode.

The declining number of pilots is private aviation's biggest threat. With a smaller community comes fewer airports, fewer airplanes, and higher prices. Not to mention less influence in Washington. AOPA's You Can Fly program is aiming to tackle this difficult problem. Hear AOPA's Katie Pribyl explain what she and her team are doing to reverse the decline in the pilot population. Plus this week David and Ian debate the merits of a new type of traffic pattern.