Midlife Pilot Podcast
Welcome to the Midlife Pilot Podcast, where we share the experiences and the challenges of flying in midlife. Whether you're a seasoned pilot, training for private or instrument ratings, or just thinking about getting started in aviation, we like to think of the podcast as your aviation companion, and your weekly dose of aviation inspiration. Hosted by the dynamic trio of Ben, Brian, and Ted - the show is not instruction - it's all about sharing real stories, personal insights, and the pure joy of spreading your wings in midlife.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 58 minutes
- Episodes
- 145
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
EP126 - Information Whiskey: "Like Oregon Trail Without Dysentery"
The Midlife Pilot crew prepares for their "Big Texas Send" fly-in at T82 while navigating spring weather challenges. Brian celebrates returning to flying after a 42-day maintenance hiatus, sharing st…
EP125 - "What Am I Doing?": Extinguishing Helmet Fires Before They Consume You
When your CFI asks for your name and you respond with "standby" – you're experiencing what pilots call a helmet fire. In this episode, Ben, Brian, and Ted dive into the phenomenon of task saturation …
EP124 - Parking: The Episode That Goes Nowhere
Join the Midlife Pilot Podcast crew as they tackle the surprisingly complex world of airport parking that flight schools never teach you. Between Brian's maintenance woes with Lucy, Ted's triumphant …
EP123 - The Answer to All Solutions: Level Seven Hangar Living
In this episode, Ben, Brian, and Ted dive into the challenges of finding and maintaining hangar space, or not having one. From ratchet straps (BAD) and tornado warnings (ALSO BAD) to the joys of elec…
EP122 - "I Plan My Stops Around Food" and IFR Training: CFII Erica Gilbert
Join us for special guest Erica Gilbert, a CFII and TBM pilot who brings her expertise on cross-country planning and adult learning to the show. While Ben mourns his grounded "Beast" waiting on engin…
EP121 - Information Whiskey: Between Patience and Numbness
Join Ben, Brian, and Ted for hangar talk about the joys (and pains) of annual inspections in this episode of the Midlife Pilot Podcast. The guys commiserate over their planes being simultaneously gro…
EP120 - Descending from Mount Stupid: with Paul Craig
For this very special episode we welcome Paul Craig, author of "The Killing Zone," "Be a Better Pilot," and numerous other aviation books including his memoir "Flight Times: Stories from the Second B…
EP119 - The Cockpit Lies, Data Doesn't: Flysto Debrief
Join Ben, Ted, and special guest Mark (aka 1DullGeek) as they talk Flysto, the flight-tracking app that brutally reveals they're better and worse pilots than they thought. Geek out over landing score…
EP118 - All Aboard the Pain Train: The Trials of Aircraft Ownership
"Freedom to go broke." The guys dive deep into the bittersweet reality of aircraft ownership—from the freedom it provides to the unique challenges it presents. Brian compares airplane ownership to ma…
EP117 - Park Bench vs. Swing Set: The High Wing-Low Wing Showdown
"If you're tired of doing your yoga classes every morning, just buy a low wing." In this episode, the crew kicks off a playful aviation civil war, pitting high-wing and low-wing aircraft against each…
EP116 - Got Lazy, Not Rusty: Navigating Pattern Entries
Ben shares his unconventional left base entry at Daniel Field, admitting "Rusty is not the right word. Lazy, I think is the right word." This sparks a spirited debate as Brian responds " I'm coming i…
EP115 - The $200 Time Machine: Flying GA For Business
From dodging Atlanta traffic to landing sweet courtesy car upgrades (hello, BHM Millionair FBO's Mercedes), Ben breaks down how flying personal aircraft can transform business travel. While Ted needs…
EP114 - "This is a Checklist, Not a Do List" - Hustle and Flow(s)
In this episode, a perfectionist's quest for the perfect checklist leads to an unexpected business acquisition. Barry explains how his journey from "maybe I should get my pilot certificate" turned in…
EP113 - Information Whiskey: Very Plane Shaped, That's As Far As It Goes
Come for the "sleep-deprived Ballyhoo," stay for the "bowling ball collectors who fly Cherokee 235s." In this episode, the crew reveals their "Ultimate Official Airplane of..." Guide where your aircr…
EP112 - 'Just Doing a Bombing Run Here We Go': Master CFI Nathan Ballard's Military Adventure
When a master CFII/ATP trades right rudder lessons for a seat in an Air Force T-38 Talon, you know it's going to be good. Nathan Ballard expected a polite tour of Sheppard Air Force Base but instead…
EP111 - It's ALWAYS Fuel (and Never for Skywriting)
"Well honey, the engine's about to stop running..." is NOT a conversation you want to have at 5,000 feet. In this episode full of real-talk about fuel management, our midlife pilots share their clos…
EP110 - An Appy Hour Special
Join us for a special Appy Hour episode! We talk aviation apps and tools we love, and some we even know how to use. From the "suspiciously good and free" flight analysis tools that'll keep you up unt…
EP109 - Information Whiskey: Dented Wings and Announcing Big Texas Send 2025!
Join the crew as they announce their epic 2025 fly-in at the retro-cool Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas! Between planning cross-country routes and debating who gets "shotgun" in Erica's TBM, th…
EP108 - Trip, Fall, Succeed : When Bad Judgment Makes Good Stories
Ever pushed the wrong button while talking to ATC? Landed on the wrong runway but nailed the landing? Join Ben, Brian, and Ted as they confess their most memorable aviation oopsies and why they stil…
EP107 - Overcoming Perfectionism: Sexy Indifference for Mediocre Pilots
Ben, Brian, and Ted dive into why perfection might actually be holding you back in the cockpit! Between Brian's obsession with landing "THE MIDDLE of the centerline stripe" and Ben's tales of learnin…