What happens when a C-130’s #3 propeller gearbox explodes at flight level 270? It ain’t pretty. Listen to the cockpit voice recording of the incident, and hear Evan Smith–who was in the left seat on that day in 1988–tell the tale.
BBC reporter Poonam Taneja tried to forget about aviation when her father was killed in a crash while delivering a plane from Scotland to Canada in 1999. 17 years later she wanted to learn more about what he did, and understand his passion for it. The result is a thoughtful short documentary that recently aired on BBC Radio 4.
“Professional Air Race Pilot” is a rather unique job title. Thom Richard always knew he wanted it. In this conversation, you’ll hear how he worked his way up through flying and wrenching to eventually racing (and winning) at the Reno Air Races and the Air Race One World Cup.
EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh is not only the biggest aviation event in the United States (and the most fun), it’s also a great place for oddball pilots to network and find potential employers. Marty Blaker spent his time there this year doing some recon on your behalf. Here’s what he discovered.
Marty had been intrigued by the Pilatus Porter PC-6 STOL for years, but had never actually seen one in person. But when he walked through the gates at AirVenture 2015 in Oshkosh a few days ago, there it was. Inspired, he couldn’t help doing some research. If you’ve ever dreamed of flying a PC-6, this overview will point you in the right direction.
We’ve been wanting to explore aerial firefighting for a long while. After all, it’s one of the most oddball flying jobs out there! Marty gets the ball rolling with this overview of some of the opportunities, and what it takes to get in the door.
Our new addition to the Oddball Pilot team, Marty Blaker, is headed to Oshkosh next week for AirVenture 2015, and that got him thinking about airshows and the pilots who perform at them. Here are the results of some research he did about becoming an airshow pilot. Think it’s impossible? We actually know someone who got there.
A quick update on what we have coming for you on Oddball Pilot, from the stunning vantage point of High Camp on Aconcagua (the highest mountain in the western hemisphere).
Northern Air Cargo pioneered delivery of oversized cargo to remote locations in Alaska back in 1956, and they’ve been hauling freight around the state ever since. These days they fly Boeing 737-200s and -300s throughout Alaska, and to locations in the lower 48 and in Mexico too. In this interview, NAC’s Chief Pilot Nate Martin talks about his career, the history of the company, what he looks for in pilots, what the job is like, and how it’s changed along with the fleet.
After a series of heavily publicized accidents, Alaska’s Hageland Aviation Services (doing business as Ravn Connect) completely overhauled their operational control process. Incorporating elements of a Part 121-style airline dispatch operation into a Part 135 air taxi company, a new state-wide operations center based in Palmer has changed the way Hageland’s pilots assess and manage risk as they fly in the Alaskan bush.
