Shows / Flight Tales
Flight Tales
Ryan Owens, Owner and flight instructor at Owens Flight training interviews other pilots, co-workers, students, air traffic controllers, and talks about everything aviation in these fun and sometimes informative episodes of Flight Tales.
Episodes
- Flight Tales
Pilot Radio Communication: What to Say, When to Say It, and What NOT to Say
Does talking to air traffic control make you nervous? You're not alone. Radio communication is one of the biggest challenges student pilots face, but it…
- Flight Tales
Aviation Weather Explained: What Every Pilot Needs to Know Before Flying
Checking the weather before a flight is easy. Understanding what that weather actually means for your flight is a different story.In this episode of Flight…
- Flight Tales
Are You Making These Checkride Mistakes? DPE Explains
What are the most common mistakes pilots make during their checkrides, and how can you avoid making them yourself?In this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down…
- Flight Tales
Cessna 172 System Failures: Would You Know What to Do?
How well do you actually understand the systems in a Cessna 172?It’s one thing to memorize aircraft systems for your checkride. It’s another thing to recognize…
- Flight Tales
Pilot Proficiency Examiner (PPE): What 50+ Years of Flying Teaches You
What does it really mean to stay ahead of the airplane?In this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with Jeff Brevelle, whose aviation career began right here…
- Flight Tales
How to Fly an Approach Plate | What IFR Pilots Need to Know
What do you actually do with an approach plate once you’re flying the approach? In this episode of Flight Tales, we’re breaking down how to actually use an…
- Flight Tales
Part 61 vs. Part 91: Do You Know These FAA Regulations?
What’s the difference between FAR Part 61 and Part 91—and which FAA regulations should you actually know before you fly?In this episode of Flight Tales, Ryan…
- Flight Tales
Can You Learn to Fly With a Full-Time Career?
Think you don’t have enough time to learn to fly? Dr. Bose Cheeran became a private pilot while working full-time as an interventional cardiologist, taking…
- Flight Tales
Can You Pass This Airspace Mock Checkride? | Sectional Charts Explained
Think you know your airspace? Ryan Owens puts Owens Flight Training instructor Fernando Sequera through a mock-checkride-style breakdown of sectional charts…
- Flight Tales
What DPEs REALLY Look for on a Checkride with DPE Peyton Enloe
What is a DPE actually thinking during your checkride?In this episode of Flight Tales, host Ryan Owens sits down with Designated Pilot Examiner Peyton Enloe to…
- Flight Tales
Aviation Attorney Discusses FAA Violations, NASA Reports & Pilot Rights
What should you do if ATC tells you to "call this number" after landing? Do you have to call? What does a NASA ASRS report actually protect you from? Can the…
- Flight Tales
Flying Corporate Jets Internationally: Panama, Crew Resource Management & Challenger 300
What does it take to go from teaching students in a Cessna to flying a Challenger 300 business jet across the United States and internationally? In this…
- Flight Tales
Air Traffic Controller Explains FAA Transfers, Shortages & His Assumptions About Orlando Tower
What does it take to become an air traffic controller at one of the busiest airports in the country?In this episode of Flight Tales, host Ryan Owens sits down…
- Flight Tales
How to Buy Your First Airplane with A&P Mechanic Vernon Knowles
Buying an airplane is one of the biggest investments a pilot can make—but choosing the wrong one can cost you far more than the purchase price. In this episode…
- Flight Tales
A DPE's Best Flying Stories After 28,000 Hours
What was flying like before GPS, ForeFlight, glass cockpits, and even transponders? In this episode of Flight Tales, host Ryan Owens sits down with legendary…
- Flight Tales
Practice Approaches with an Air Traffic Controller
In this episode of Flight Tales, host Ryan Owens sits down with Air Traffic Controller Nick Jeffers to talk about practice approaches and IFR training flights…
- Flight Tales
DPE Reveals Checkride Mistakes Pilots Make w/ Peyton Enloe
What is the difference between a Forward Slip to a Landing and a Power-Off 180? When should pilots go around? What are the most common mistakes Designated…
- Flight Tales
Flying the Challenger to Aspen, the Virgin Islands & Beyond
From one-way departures in Aspen to island-hopping across the Virgin Islands, this episode of Flight Tales is packed with real-world corporate jet stories…
- Flight Tales
From Seaplanes to Annuals: Inside the Mind of an Aircraft Mechanic
In this episode of Flight Tales, host Ryan Owens sits down with A&P/IA mechanic and seaplane pilot Vernon Knowles to talk about what really keeps your airplane…
- Flight Tales
You Can’t Cram a Checkride: Real Talk from Flight Instructors
What does it really take to get a student pilot ready for a checkride?In this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with Chaun to talk candidly about preparing…
- Flight Tales
Passing the CFII Checkride: Holds, Nerves, and Teaching IFR
What’s it really like to take a CFII (Instrument Instructor) checkride? In this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with Chaun Kraus fresh off passing his…
- Flight Tales
“Looks Fine Outside” Is a Trap: How Smart Pilots Plan Weather & Make Better Decisions
On this episode of Flight Tales, we get real about weather planning and aeronautical decision-making (ADM)—from using AviationWeather.gov and understanding…
- Flight Tales
Why Every Student Pilot MUST Learn Paper Nav Logs (Before Trusting ForeFlight!)
In this episode of Flight Tales, we dive deep into one of the most overlooked skills in private pilot training—mastering the paper navigation log. New pilots…
- Flight Tales
From a $20 Rice Festival Helicopter Ride to CFI
On this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with newly-minted CFI Alex Foreman to talk about his unconventional path into aviation. Alex grew up in Crowley…
- Flight Tales
Leave Grandma Behind: The Truth About Density Altitude
In this episode of Flight Tales, we break down one of the most misunderstood topics in aviation: density altitude what it is, why it matters, and how it can…
- Flight Tales
Flight Following: Why ATC Wants You On Radar (Real Stories from Lafayette Tower)
Ever flown “under the shelf” to avoid talking to ATC? In this Flight Tales episode, we sit down with a Lafayette controller to unpack why flight following is…
- Flight Tales
Flying the G5: Corporate Pilot on Bonaire Runs, Customs Curveballs & Talking to ATC
Corporate aviation isn’t all champagne and leather seats—sometimes it’s customs phone calls, international ATC accents, and learning to love uncertainty. In…
- Flight Tales
Challenger Jet Training, ATP Checkride, Sim ‘Gotchas’ & First Month as a Charter Pilot
Brennan walked in straight from a charter - uniform, socks and all - and breaks down what it’s really like to earn a Challenger type rating at CAE and jump…
- Flight Tales
FAA Inspector Laennec Ratard on Storms, Cargo Runs & Part 141 Secrets
FAA Aviation Safety Inspector Laennec Ratard joins Flight Tales to unpack a decades-long journey—from childhood island hops in BN-2 Islanders to night freight…
- Flight Tales
Flight Following Explained: The #1 Safety Tool Pilots Shouldn't Skip
Ever wondered what flight following actually does — and why every pilot should be using it? In this episode of Flight Tales, the crew dives into the ins and…
- Flight Tales
From Flight Attendant to U.S. Pilot: Mohamed Zuhairi’s Immigrant Journey
Mohamed Zahairi was born in Saudi Arabia to Egyptian parents, learned three languages, worked across 20+ countries, became a flight attendant—and is now…
- Flight Tales
Mr. Rockin’ on the Runway: Warbirds, Grass Strips & the Wild Life of Shannon Elliott
Step onto the grass strip and into the cockpit with Shannon Elliott—better known as “Mr. Rockin’ on the Runway!” In this episode of Flight Tales, we dive deep…
- Flight Tales
Life at 1900 Hours: King Air Sim, Charter Pilot. & Brennan’s Aviation Upgrade
What’s life really like for a pilot at 1,900 hours? In this episode of Flight Tales, Brennan spills the unfiltered truth about climbing the aviation ladder…
- Flight Tales
From Barnstorming to Airshows: Bryan Regan’s Journey with the Titan Aerobatic Team
What does it take to go from chasing rides at a rural airport to performing jaw-dropping formation aerobatics with the Titan Aerobatic Team? Meet Bryan…
- Flight Tales
From Boats to Airplanes: Greg Trahan’s Journey to Pilot
In this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with Greg Trahan—riverboat captain, military veteran, scuba instructor, and now a proud private pilot—to talk…
- Flight Tales
Flying 10 Feet Off the Ground: Inside the World of Ag Pilot
Meet Austin Fontenot—a small-town Louisiana kid who went from racing dirt bikes down gravel roads to flying turbine-powered crop dusters across America. In…
- Flight Tales
What It's REALLY Like to Do ATP CTP Training (Full Motion Sims, Crashes & Crew Drama)
Thinking about taking your ATP CTP course? Wondering what it's actually like to sit in the big boy sims and stare down crash reports from real airline…
- Flight Tales
Flight Checkride Secrets: Acronyms, Stable Approaches & Mistakes You Can't Afford
From ROADS to RUAC to "Fast COCOA," we're diving deep into the world of acronyms and this episode of Flight Tales, Ryan and our resident DPE, Peyton break…
- Flight Tales
Aliens, Lasers, and Runway Confusion: Inside Air Traffic Control
What do air traffic controllers really think about lasers, weather avoidance, and student pilots doing steep turns five miles off the departure end? In this…
- Flight Tales
Controller Miscommunication, Mic Mistakes, and Funny Flight Moments
Ever wonder what air traffic controllers really think when a student pilot keys up and nervously says, "Uhh, I think I wanna... land?" In this episode of…
- Flight Tales
Fastest (and Smartest) Way to Become a Pilot in 2025
Want to become a pilot FAST? In this episode of Flight Tales, we break down how Owens Flight Training helps students go from zero to CFI in as little as 8…
- Flight Tales
Everything You Need to Know About Special VFR
Ever taxied out only to hear “the field is IFR—state your intentions”? Welcome to the world of special VFR! In this episode of Flight Tales, we’re joined by…
- Flight Tales
He Just Wanted ANY Aviation Job and Ended Up as Airport Manager with Mitchell Walsh
Meet Mitchell Walsh—a political science grad who traded campaign trails for taxiways! In this candid and humorous episode, Mitchell shares how a spontaneous…
- Flight Tales
Surviving Checkride Nerves: Chris' Private, Instrument, and Commercial Stories
In this lively episode of Flight Tales, we chat with Chris, a newly minted Certified Flight Instructor who recently swapped accounting textbooks for aviation…
- Flight Tales
Soloed with the Door Open before I could Drive!: Chaun Kraus' Flight Journey
What starts as a birthday gift for his dad turns into a lifelong passion for Chaun Kraus. In this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with Chaun to trace his…
- Flight Tales
From Draft Notice to the Captain’s Seat: Peyton Enloe’s Flying Legacy
Before he was a DPE, Peyton Enloe was herding cattle with helicopters, dodging rotor blades with Santa, navigating Soviet airspace, and logging thousands of…
- Flight Tales
Life At 1500 Hours: What Pilot Hiring Actually Looks Like
Ryan and Brennan dive into the realities of job hunting after hitting 1500 hours — from regional airlines and 135 ops to NetJets dreams and staying put in…
- Flight Tales
VFR on Top: The Clearance Nobody Uses (But Every IFR Pilot Should Know)
Most pilots file IFR or fly VFR—few take advantage of the hybrid clearance known as VFR-on-top. In this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with air traffic…
- Flight Tales
Inside the Tower: What Air Traffic Controllers Want Pilots to Know
In this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with local air traffic controllers to hear what it’s really like behind the mic. From training new pilots and…
- Flight Tales
From Trying to Wash Planes to Flight Instructor
From showing up asking to wash planes… to becoming a certified flight instructor—Fernando Sequera's aviation journey is anything but ordinary. In this episode…
- Flight Tales
Weather, Manifolds, and Multi-Engine Mayhem
The hosts are back in the hangar and catching up on everything from high winds to 141 school progress! This episode covers wild weather woes, multi-engine…
- Flight Tales
From Flight Sim Kid to CFI: Cole Ruckstuhl’s Unexpected Aviation Journey
In this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with Cole Ruckstuhl—pilot, instructor, and lifelong aviation enthusiast. From growing up in New Mexico to…
- Flight Tales
5 hours of Insurance Flight Time Turned Into 24 Hours, But We Got It!
What was supposed to be a routine Cirrus SR22 G7 flight turned into a 24-hour weather-fueled adventure! 🌩️✈️ Join us as we recount the unexpected detours…
- Flight Tales
How Airports Really Work: Inside Airport Operations with Giles Menard
Ever wondered what it really takes to run an airport? In this episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with Giles Menard, an airport operations specialist and…
- Flight Tales
Flight Training, ATC, and IFR Challenges with ATC Jake Ross
In this episode of Flight Tales, we dive deep into the world of flight training, air traffic control, IFR procedures, and aviation instruction. 🚀✈️🔹 Key Topics…
- Flight Tales
Flying Challenges, Check Ride Wins, and Multi-Engine Training
In this episode of Flight Tales, we’re back with another round of aviation talk! We catch up on aircraft maintenance updates, including Zero Nine Echo’s new…
- Flight Tales
Navigating Instrument Checkride Challenges: More Tips from a DPE
Join us as we explore real-world scenarios and insights from instrument checkrides with Designated Pilot Examiner, Peyton Enlo. This episode dives into common…
- Flight Tales
Brakes, Crosswinds, and Baby Powder
In this laugh-filled episode of Flight Tales, Ryan and Brennan dive into the chaos of stuck brakes that weren’t, a flat nose wheel, and baby powder mysteries…
- Flight Tales
Stay Ahead of the Plane
In this episode of Flight Tales, Ryan and Brennan share updates on breaking in a newly overhauled engine, tips for staying ahead of the plane, and funny…
- Flight Tales
Chris Sullivan: A Quadriplegic Pilot's Journey
In this inspiring episode of Flight Tales, we sit down with Chris Sullivan, a quadriplegic private pilot with an extraordinary story. From his service as a…