Advertise on podcast: "There I was..." An Aviation Podcast

Rating

★★★★★

4.8

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295 reviews

Description

There I was…, presented by the AOPA Air Safety Institute, invites you into the cockpit with pilots across the aviation community. We fly with them as they encounter unpredictable scenarios and we learn from the knowledge and skills they utilize to fly safely out of them. This podcast honors the tradition and heritage in aviation to leverage “hangar flying” as an avenue to pass along knowledge and experience.

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Podcast episodes

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Air Race Classic

2026/10/07

Flight instructor and airline flight attendant Travasha Runyon recounts a harrowing engine failure that struck during the final leg of the all-women’s Air Race Classic. Just 100 miles from the finish line, Runyon and her crew members suddenly lost all engine power, turning a celebratory flight into a real-world test of their training, preparation, and teamwork.

Trapped in the Wreckage

2026/09/15

On the first flight home in a newly purchased airplane, pilot Dennis Steinbock experienced a total engine failure over remote forest. What followed was a dramatic crash landing and 54 hours trapped in the wreckage before ultimately being rescued by the Civil Air Patrol.

Prop Separation

2026/08/19

Sport pilot Ken Luna and his former instructor Toto Marchand discuss an emergency Ken experienced while flying home from a short lunch trip with his son. At about 2,000 feet, his light sport aircraft suddenly experienced violent vibrations when a propeller blade separated, causing the engine to fail and the canopy to pop open.

Avionics Failure in Heavy Rain

2026/07/14

Father-and-son pilots Michael and Ethan Russo recount an IFR flight that turned critical when their aircraft suffered a complete avionics failure at 8,000 feet in heavy rain.

Whiteout in a Helicopter

2026/06/16

Coast Guard helicopter pilot Rick Kenin recalls a Christmas Eve rescue flight that nearly became an emergency of its own.

Lake Amphibian

2026/05/12

During a trip to Dry Tortugas National Park with his wife and two friends, Brandon Reissiger faces a challenging and nerve-wracking water takeoff in his Lake Amphibian.

Engine-Out at Night

2026/04/21

Kansas City-based flight instructor Lennon Carlson recounts a night engine-out scare in a borrowed Cessna Cardinal RG while flying home after a Fourth of July weekend.

Windscreen Blowout

2026/03/17

Arkansas pilot Greg Robbins is flying to lunch with his wife when the front windscreen and side doors of his Aeroprakt A22LS suddenly blow out. To see the video of the incident, click here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu23j1DsPOU

Icing in a Sling

2026/02/18

Newly minted instrument pilot Chris Yalanis launches on a long IFR trip in his Sling TSi. ATC issues a clearance that doesn’t match his plan, and a routine climb turns tense when he begins to pick up ice.

Unexpected Spin

2026/01/08

Brad Cohen test flies his homebuilt Zenith Zodiac 601 XL. About 20 hours into testing, while working on departure and accelerated stalls, Brad enters an unexpected spin.

Exhaust Valve

2025/12/16

Flight test engineer Joey Brown recounts a New Year’s Eve flight in his Cessna 150 with his wife, when their trip is interrupted by violent engine vibration and power loss.

Gear-Up Landing

2025/11/18

Tony Williams and Ben Taylor prepare to ferry a Cessna 401 that’s been resurrected after almost 25 years in storage. Despite meticulous planning, high-speed taxi tests, and pattern work, a loud bang on downwind reveals a left-gear failure. With support from ATC, the pilots plan a deliberate gear-up landing on a foamed runway.

Bouncing on Empty

2025/10/14

During a mountain flying trip in a Cessna 172, Doug Tilghman and two companions become dangerously close to fuel exhaustion.

Safety Pilot

2025/09/16

Bob Thomason recounts a tense IMC approach as safety pilot for a friend facing a cancer diagnosis. When his friend panics and fights the autopilot, Bob must intervene to stabilize the aircraft.

Engine Failure Over New Mexico

2025/08/12

Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant Justin Lillie shares the story of an engine failure in his Mooney during an IFR cross-country flight with his family.

Podcast reviews

Read "There I was..." An Aviation Podcast podcast reviews

4.8 out of 5

295 reviews

★★★★★

Jrjmn9999 2025/10/17

Makes safety relatable!

A lot of what you learn in getting your private ticket is sort of a, “this wouldn’t happen to me”, scenario. Engine and instrument failure, fuel issue...

★★★★★

Bill the pilot 2024/08/22

Asks all the right questions

David O’Leary asks all the right questions to give us listeners the best takeaways from the experiences of David’s interviewees. I’m especially thinki...

★★★★★

DEFEAT FAKE NEWS 2022/11/12

Episode 51 - Deerstrike

Great episode - simple usable advice and decision process discussion around wildlife a common problem nationwide. One question - how delicious was t...

★★★★★

cshbell 2022/11/10

Highly informative and potentially life saving

I enjoyed “There I was…” before I even became a pilot, and as a student pilot, I find something in almost every episode to discuss with my CFI. Whethe...

★★★★★

Servohead 2022/10/18

Favorite Aviation Podcast!

I’m a long time airplane geek who hasn’t yet pursued a pilots license, but this is just a fantastic platform to learn from and be exhilarated by learn...

★★★★★

Alaska Champ 2022/02/16

An excellent aviation podcast!

This podcast is the intersection of relevant information with real life experiences, and is produced at a professional level all around. Please keep...

★★★★★

Jkent27 2021/07/21

Super interesting podcast

Can’t get enough of this podcast!

★★★★★

swedeakp1 2021/03/28

AOPA There I Was podcast Episode #29

Richard et al, What an exvellent podcast, especially this episode. As a helicopter pilot, I know it is tempting to assume that since a helicopter c...

★★★★★

A libertarian 2021/03/24

Learn from the lessons of others

Seems like such a simple format, one person talking to another about an aviation episode they were lucky enough to learn from. But it is so brilliantl...

★★★★★

Azhwymn 2021/03/21

Great podcast and educational!

Thank you for putting on this podcast and for doing such a great job, all around. I am a student pilot, and I did not grow up in an ‘aviation family....

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