Episode Delta: First take-off

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The fourth episode of The Vintage Pilot School is ready for you to enjoy! Listen below, download for later, find it on iTunes and Spotify or subscribe to the RSS feed. Make sure to follow the Facebook page to stay up-to-date!

Cleared for takeoff

It’s finally happened: I’ve gone airborne for the first time. In this week’s episode I talk about how I was too scared to handle the final approach on landing, what your best options are in case of a crash landing – not very many – and why I was so desperate to get the all-clear from the, eh, Analclinic. You’ve read that right, and you can see the proof for yourself below:

Letter with Analclinic letterhead

In case you were wondering: the emergency (or mayday) call that featured towards the end of the episode, is entirely real. The pilot was rather confused when he’d ended up in a low-visibility situation and started panicking – never a good idea. It all turned out fine, and it’s a rather well-know audio clip amongst flight instructors and their students to demonstrate the importance of clear-headed radio communications.

 

Links and credits

  • The Vintage Pilot School podcast’s Facebook page.
  • Teach Yourself to Fly, the original flying guidebook by Nigel Tangye, is available in facsimile via most popular online channels.
  • The audio snippet about flight training is a line delivered by the delightful Rowan Atkinson in episode 4 of the fourth season of Blackadder. You can watch the full sketch here.
  • The full Mayday call by the panicking pilot is available via different sources, including this YouTube link.
  • Interview with the creator of the Mutt Muffs, via the Aero-News Network.
  • Background music for this episode: