Expert Aviator 

Stuck Mic AvCast

Victoria returns from her 2 week long adventure to obtain her Commercial Pilot certificate to join us on Episode 4. Tune in to hear about her intensive flight training, how she contracted a flight instructor on a daily rate, and flew her bottom off to reach that Commercial ticket on her 7th day of training.

Other topics include:

1. Navigating thunderstorms

2. Thunderstorm avoidance

3. What to expect if you've flown into a thunderstorm

4. Learning about gust fronts

5. The danger of downdrafts

6. Windshear and low level windshear awareness

7. Co-hosts stories of thunderstorm encounters

8. What are you waiting for?

But wait, there's more! Listen in for our picks of the week where each of the co-hosts shares an aviation related product, service, and/or website that they've found to be interesting or helpful.

Rick - Martin-Baker Ejection Seat Test videos

Carl - Pappy Boyington Field, A Campaign to Honor a Hero DVD

Victoria - The Aviatrix Aerogram

Len - iPad2

PS - don't forget to click that "LIKE" button and share this episode with you other pilot friends!

The large hook echo on the weather radar confirmed reports of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes as we flew towards Cincinnati. The tops of the storms where lower than our maximum cruising altitude so it seemed like we would have no problem flying over the storms. All was good until we where airborne and saw how quickly the storms where growing.

My coworker was fairly new to weather flying and did not seem at all disturbed by the oncoming weather. I said we need an exit strategy in case this storm becomes so severe that we cannot fly through it. We decided our best route would be a turn to the southeast if we found that we could not pass the large line of building storms.

Feel free to ask us anything related to aviation.

Want to know what a ground stop is and why you have to wait for three hours in Orlando before leaving for New York? Ever wonder what it means when the controller says "resume own navigation"? Looking for clarification on something you heard in the media, from a pilot friend, or flight instructor?

For answers to these and all your aviation questions send us an e-mail at carl@expertaviator.com or click on the Ask Expert Aviator Button. 

It was a steamy summer afternoon, the air filled with the acrid smell of smoke from the local forest fires made my leaving the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina for cooler weather more palatable. It was the last flight of my scheduled trip and I planned on getting to Newark early for dinner, but my plans where to be interrupted in many ways.   

Recently I was interviewed by Fox 13 Tampa Bay concerning the stowaway mechanic on a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. It seems the mechanic was trying to get to work and decided to ride in the cargo bin since there where no seats left on the airplane.