Relentless General Aviation airplane crashes - Airliner Prevention applied to Flight Reviews 

As a flight instructor and air traffic controller who is already involved in trying to improve ATC training about inflight emergencies, I thought that this video was excellent. Pilots, please do not forget that you are the PIC and if you need help please do not hesitate to declare an emergency. This is especially true when you get into those murky VFR-in-MVFR situations where things are starting to become unsafe. Also, whenever needed, do not hesitate to say "unable" to a controller if we start throwing too much at you too fast. "Unable" and "mayday/emergency" are two words (three?) that every pilot should be willing to say when needed.

I'd like to give a shout out to Wellington Approach in NZ. I was flying across some water uncontrolled and realized the cloud in front of me was getting uncomfortably low. I started to do a 180 away from it and they immediately got hold of me, asked me if everything was OK, and when I explained the situation offered to clear me into controlled airspace with a heading to my destination. Just hearing that voice come through my headset made a whole lot of pressure go away for this low time pilot.

That's the last time I text Chops a butt pic as a joke, hahaha. Good stuff, Dan & Chops!

I love Dan. “Excuse me folks, we’re in a lotta trouble right now, but I’m going to do a Chandelle and get us out of this!” 😂 In all seriousness tho, this is great work! On all fronts. Great video. Important content. 👍

As a 17yr old student pilot who has always wanted to fly, it's very concerning to see these fatal statistics. Thanks for inspiring change so I can continue to enjoy the greatest privileged on earth: flying above it.

As a pilot and a controller I understand where Dan is going with this training, however, controllers are NOT trained to "talk you down" like what is seen in the movies, and we are definitely not trained to give instructions on how to fly the aircraft. ATC are NOT flight instructors and are in no way trained to fly any sort of aircraft as part of controller training. We are not familiar with various systems on an aircraft or how to maintain any amount of control. Any information you do receive from a controller (like the "wings-level" instruction) is most likely coming from a controller with flight experience and is taking it upon themselves to give that information. In the vast majority of cases, controllers have no idea how to fly an airplane, what your workload in the cockpit may consist of, or how to get you out of whatever situation you got into. We as controllers MUST abide by rules governing ATC in the FAA JO 7110.65 (which is why you get the "maintain VFR" instruction so much. If you're not able to maintain VFR, you are expected to declare an emergency rather than expect the controller to start giving additional information on their own accord. After declaring an emergency, yes you absolutely will receive the best handling available while other aircraft standby) Controllers (RADAR specifically) are not necessarily aware of weather limitations obscuring visibility or how bad things actually are in your area. Tower controllers may be able to help more due to the nature of being at the top of a window-wrapped building. What a controller CAN do for you is to give you the Minimum Vectoring Altitude (MVA) in your area which guarantees terrain and obstruction clearance. Controllers CAN give you vectors to an area with a lower MVA to help get below a layer of weather. Controllers CAN make phone calls to emergency services. SOME controllers are familiar enough with their area that they may provide additional information (such as "fly directly towards the smokestacks") but that is not guaranteed at all. Even information available on the VFR sectional is not something that a controller is necessarily familiar with. I fully support the change in attitude towards how pilots are training and would love to see this training implemented elsewhere, but please do not think for a minute that a controller is going to be able to get you out of a bad situation. There are plenty of excellent controllers out there that will go as far as necessary to get you home safe, especially if you clearly indicate that you are experiencing difficulty and even declare an emergency. But the vast majority, by no fault of their own, are not trained pilots and have no fundamental understanding of aircraft systems. Expecting a controller to function like a CFI and talk you out of a problem is a losing game.

Steve and Dan, HANDS DOWN, the best video I’ve ever seen. This is SO important!

A weekend warrior, private, "instrument rated," pilot changing the world of GA one new friend at a time.

Years ago I very briefly inadvertently flew into IMC, and only by luck made it out alive. This video has changed my thinking about Flight Reviews and declaring an emergency. My review is due later this year, and I will surely incorporate these concepts into it. Thanks to Steve, this info will probably save someone's life. Who knows, it might even be mine...or yours.

Question for Dan: When I was doing my PPL checkride for the simulated engine out procedure I was taught by a Riddle graduate to circle the field over the middle. Just like I saw the younger guy in this video do. My DPE was losing his mind. After the checkride during the debrief he asked me. How many times do you every fly in a circle before you land? ME: Ughhhhhhh never.... I was still able to land it safely, however his point still sticks with me to this day. When you are circling over a runway, you are losing visual every 180 degrees. My DPE suggested if I'm already near the airfield just fly a traffic pattern. Either start at the base or if you have a ton of altitude to kill just start on downwind and fly the pattern normally. When he asked me how many times I've flown the pattern I said about 400 times. I really appreciated his insights. Even though I'm almost finished with IFR I asked my CFII to kill the power on random flights without giving me any notice so I could practice flying the pattern like the DPE suggested. I'm 4 for 4 and it's given me a ton of confidence.

Wow, I just happened to stumble on this video and I’m impressed. I’m a 737 Captain employed for a major airline for over 32 years. I went to Embry-Riddle University (class of ‘83!) and back then most of us were perusing airline careers as our ultimate goal. Many of us also flew GA outside of school at local FBO’s and thankfully we actually did do a lot of these scenarios in training ourselves toward the airline goal! Hopefully we did pass on some good habits to GA pilots that were only flying for fun. Many times however we did notice the lack of seriousness and professionalism back then of the regular GA “drivers” who’s attitude was “since I’m not going to work for the airlines I don’t care about that stuff”! I remember on my ATP ride my examiner actually gave me the VFR into IMC scenario and other planning for emergency scenarios that weren’t on the check ride study guides. She actually said the same thing you are, that just because it’s not on the test doesn’t mean it’ll never happen and shouldn’t be practiced or learned, it could save your life someday. I guess I was lucky to have that attitude passed on to me in the start of my flying career! I have friends in GA that are always complaining about the cost of insurance and simulator training ( Like Flight Safety, etc) and they do the minimum to meet their BFR requirements just because of the cost. You’re doing good work here! As a side note, the airlines DO train stalls these days but as part of high altitude recoveries (where you are thrust limited, etc) from mountain wave or convective activity, wake turbulence, and upset training which all have GA application as well, especially wake turbulence/upset recovery.

This is why I spend 2-3 hrs every month practicing maneuvers, maneuvers, maneuvers. It's cheap insurance and if you are a pilot and you fly with me, expect the unexpected. It may save your life some day. That's how I was taught. Thank you Grant Smith, who after flying for the US Army for 8 years and who has been flying for American Airlines since 1991, for his outstanding training? We practiced Emergency Proceedures with every lesson to the point to where, for me, acting appropriately and quickly in an emergency situation became second nature. Of course, we trained equally as hard on avoidance. I still hear his voice in my head after 30 years of flying. EXCELLENT piece Steve. Keep up the great work.

Steve and Dan. You are saving lives with these videos. Thank you both for your hard work and dedication.

By far one of the best videos you’ve done yet, Steve. Dan makes me re-think how I administer a flight review. Keep it up!

Actually I have used a "Chandelle" during an actual inflight emergency. We were climbing out through 800' in a high performance twin turbine aircraft when our right engine had a 3rd stage turbine failure. We had already passed through 180 kts as we were headed only about 30 miles down the road. We were still with the tower and the winds were light. We requested a turn back to land opposite direction on the departure runway. This was approved by the tower. During the turn I executed a "Chandelle", climbing, and slowing to 140 kts. This accomplished a number of objectives. It decreased the radius of the turn, which also served to decease the distance back to the airport, allowed us to configure the aircraft for landing and converted excessive airspeed into altitude. We landed uneventfully. Thinking through possible emergency scenarios is always a good idea. One never stops learning, our skills need constant refreshment and fine tuning.

Steve, this is the most emotional video I feel like I have watched on your channel. I have never had to experience an emergency in flight, but recieving this training has always been on my mind as a student pilot. I hope more flight schools can work on this training and these scenarios because it will help General Aviation for years to come. Great video and keep up the good work. Congratulations on getting your IFR cert too!

I am a captain for a major airline and big into GA and I think this is AWESOME!!! When I retire I am going to get my CFII and I will use this technique. THANK YOU!!!

This is AMZING work gentlemen. I am in my 50's and not a pilot just very interested in Aviation and a follower for a very long time. It is just baffling that this type of training is just being pushed , it is also heartbreaking the amount of General Aviation accidents that have occurred even in the last 6 to 8 months including airliner mishaps . I truly believe that many GA pilots are pushing the envelope and not having the skills to get out of the mess . I hope that what ever you are able to conceive is passed on to all .. PS Dan is a phenomenal individual extremely detailed and making sure all pilots in GA pay attention at getting better. There should be a forum of controllers and aviators together in a room discussing partnership and should happen all over the country every year . If I had the funds I would donate for that to happen .

Now that was the best flight training video I've ever seen. Thank you all so very much. Blessings to you and safe flying. Shalom

Steve this is without a doubt one of the most important things you will ever be a part of. Bring it to the UK and I’ll do whatever I can to help. Excellent work!

You know I see so many videos about flying safely and how to avoid dangerous situations but very few on what to do when something just happens, how dangerous it can be, and the importance of good atc’s and communication between. I think this is a great program you guys are putting together and I’m glad it’s getting good reception in the aviation community. Good job guys keep it up!

Dan Gryder and Steve, you guys are champs! Thank you for what you are doing!!

Steve and Dan, thank you... this truly is enlightening and I look forward to better understanding and learning from it. Greatly appreciate access to the documentation. The ATC help shown ties in closely with learning from RH & AG of The Opposing Bases podcast that controllers really are there and all to willing to help.

Steve! What a phenomenal video! I'm a helicopter flight instructor for the US Army and can honestly say, I took a lot away from this video and the previous one with Dan. I see a huge opportunity to take advantage of lessons learned from past mistakes and make us all better and safer. Please keep this kind of transparent content coming. I learn and pass along these good techniques/habits to my flying and students.

As an aspiring Air Force Pilot, I just want to say thank you! This video was so eye opening. These are things that I will for sure keep in my mind when I start flying. A special thank you to Dan for taking your years of knowledge and experience and giving them to the aviation community. These are priceless lessons and the fact that he's giving away that 50 page pdf for free goes to show how much he cares about the subject. Definitely going to read it. Great work!

Thanks to all who made this happen. If y’all happen to make it into the Greensboro NC area, I’ll be glad to play along! Thanks again for making this discussion happen!

Awesome video Steve, great stuff you're doing for GA, keep up the good work!

I sent this video the the chief instructor at my flight school. This is so well prepared and executed. Training should simulate real life and Dan did an incredible job of helping these pilots navigate those real life circumstances. I’m looking forward to see the positive impact this will have for pilots all over the world. You all are going to save lives and change the industry with this GA AQP program.

I don’t comment often but this is one of the best flight chops - this is the stuff GA pilots need to hear over and over

This is so awesome it's a blessing. Hopefully in the future there is more videos about this topic. Keep up the good work.

Great video! I love what you are working on here. I hope you keep building this out and encouraging other CFIs to do this for GA flight reviews. I will share this! Keep doing more of this!

That might be the most useful aviation video ever! Keep it up Steve! Love your channel.

Still looking for that "All Dan Playlist", Chops! Great stuff!

These videos w Dan are fantastic! Not yet a PPL student but from being a Flight Paramedic this info is SO topical and important! Thank you for highlighting.

This is the most important conversation we need to have in GA regarding improving our piloting skills. Keep this content coming!!!!

Yet another great service to the GA community. You guys have set such an example. Thank you so much for doing this, it's such a great partnership.

Oh man, this is so good. Steve and Dan, thank you so much for your contribution to GA.

Steve, These videos of yours (and Jason Miller) are outstanding. So much useful information on them. Dan is very thought provoking. thanks for your hard work Keep them coming!

I’m an Ifr-rated ppl weekend warrior. When your first video with Dan came out, it was right before my BFR. I took notes and took it to my cfi so we could attempt to use some of the procedures discussed. I’ve watched this video 3 times already and sent it to both cfis that I have worked with proclaiming “this is what training should be.” Amazing job all the way around. Kudos to the 4 volunteers putting themselves out there. And as always, the great production makes it super compelling to watch. I so desperately want to do this training. Let me know when you’re around dfw.

I’m a helicopter pilot and I just wanted to let you know that the content in that video was absolutely perfect. Inadvertent IMC coupled with spatial disorientation is something we brief and debrief about almost every single flight. I’m glad to see your pushing it into the GA realm. As an army aviator we’re required to know specific tasks conditions and standards in the cockpit and our inadvertent task starts with “Announce, attitude, heading, torque (because helicopters), trim, airspeed, and altitude. The reason for announcing is a little bit different depending on who you ask but it can be brought to the GA realm pretty easily, in laymans terms you’re committing to it. The number one killer in aviation is going inadvertent because of people being fearful of committing to it and the repercussions that come with having to deal with that aftermath. It’s better to be able to tell your story than not be able to at all. Love what you’re doing and keep up the great work.

I love your support for Dan! Keep up this great movement and let this go viral. - God Bless

Steve, you have outdone yourself. This is an absolutely excellent video. Well done, and as always, keep up the great work!

You are amazing…..just recently discovered your channel. Now I’m a Hugh fan. Thank you for you dedication to safe flying. Also your NTSB challenge is spot on.

I've been following your channel from the beginning, it's one of the best videos. Well done!

This is such a good initiative. I was trained with air transport practices from beginning of my training and I understand perfectly what you are trying to communicate here.

Wonderful video! Thanks to everyone helping keep us all safe out there

Great job y’all!!! 🙌🏻 Keep your flight chops sharp! 💪🏻

Seriously the best safety conversation starter I have ever seen. Please continue to make videos to expand on this.

Decades ago a friend of mine was student pilot and he told me that he was going to take his cross country solo flight. I asked if I could go with him, just to tag along and he said yes. I was a commercial pilot at the time. I did not check his ground planning or the methods he used while on the ground for the flight, I was to go along for the ride. We took off and after 15 minutes we were approaching a town I asked him which town that was, he was wrong, he thought he had covered over twice as much ground as he actually had. It was a simple early student pilot error that should have been completely covered in his ground school training, no excuses. I asked him what side of the town was the airport located and he answered correctly. I then told him to look at his chart and follow along our direction of flight until he could identify which town had the airport in that location. He answered correctly. I asked him why he was not using his radios to help him navigate and he replied that he had never been taught how. I then made it my job to teach him in areas where he was lacking during the duration of the three hour flight. His lack of training was staggering. There is no excuse for lack of basic instruction. It was a good thing that I went with him or he may never have completed the flight. More than likely, after he had not been able to fly the three legs I suspect his instructor would have told him that he needed more training and would have gotten more duel time out of him. Keep up the great work, and thank you for this video.

Steve, one of your very best videos. Really great. Thanks!

What an amazing video, Steve and Dan! Thanks so much for inspiring me and many others to think seriously about how prepared we are for circumstances outside of the ordinary in the cockpit. As a newly rated, 35-hour private pilot, headed for a career in the airlines, this has been one area that I have felt the most unprepared for, and have spent many hours "chair flying" emergency scenarios. This video, however, inspired me to take a longer, more serious look at that preparation, and I must say, I need some work. So here's to more simulator time involving emergencies, and consistent practice with all types of simulated emergencies. Thanks again, your channel continues to inspire and impress me, and this (IMO) might be your best video yet.

As usual, you stuff is on point and brilliant. As a long time fan of you, Stevo, Trent Palmer and Josh Flowers, you guys really help me. I have a serious fear of flying. I was noticing this in the news (former IT guy and long time online news junkie). Kobe, 909 crash. Bonanza flip etc. There has been way too much of this lately. Thanks so much for the post and keep up the good work! Jason~

I had a flight instructor similar to Dan and he protected me during training and long after with retention of the knowledge. Jim has passed and I no longer fly. Still I am here learning in his memory.

On of the best and informative video I have seen. I’m starting my PPL training next Tuesday and even after getting it and my IFR rating I would love to be able to do this training. I love flying and want to keep learning every time I fly to be a little safer each time! Keep up the good work with your videos.

This is AWESOME Steve. Loss of power is one of my biggest fears outside of a fire, this is great training. thanks for sharing

So great to see someone who doesn't wait for the FAA to lead in the area of safety. Thank you Dan for putting in the thought and effort to create and share these concepts - you are doing more for GA safety than anyone else right now.

Thanks for posting about this. Appreciate all your videos.

Wow, this feels so compelling. What a great job of conveying the urgency of this need in the community.

This is some great stuff here, Steve. You're all great people for doing something about the current statistics. Every pilot, and every aspiring pilot should be watching this one! FANTASTIC job, Steve & Dan!

Thanks Chops, This is probably the best, most needed video about GA flying I have ever seen. I hope Dan's techniques and methods become standard practice in GA. I hope that the FAA adopts these lessons and mandates they be taught as part of the PPL lesson plan.

This is a great channel, I have always been excited when a new video is posted. Keep up the great work 👍

I'd recognize that tower voice anywhere. The guys at Smyrna are awesome! Did my training in Murfreesboro with MTSU, and would fly into Smyrna all the time.

Your videos are amazing and the changes you are trying to make in aviation world is incredible.

Brilliant Chops! Especially, considering what happened last week here in socal! Sorry I haven't been staying up with you.(life and all) All the best from Pasadena!

Another amazing video from Steve and Dan. These guys are going to change GA for good. Every Pilot should see this video.

Great video Steve! Smyrna was my training airport. In fact, the controller y'all were talking too was there for my first solo. I'm going to show this video to my CFI and get him to take me through the checklist for my upcoming biennial. This stuff is truly life saving!!

Love the content. I’m an aspiring pilot here in my home state of Oregon, and I’m glad to have your channel to help teach me new tricks as well as being a great deal of fun to watch. 👍

That was awesome Steve! You and Dan are starting something amazing, well done!

Great stuff Steve. Thank you! Keep these videos coming! Learning so much.

One of the best video's you have made so far. Keep up the wonderful work.

Content like this is vitally important for the aviation community as a whole. As a pilot, thank you for this safety rich content that you’ve been posting lately. You might’ve just saved someone’s life exposing them to the unforgiving world of aviation we fly in!

Wow this was one of the best and real videos this hits home and is so true how unprepared we are great job Steve

Amazing video, so thankful you guys put this together. Well done!

Some times, or pretty much every time I love these videos so much it brings tears to my eyes, this one def. did! This is amazing!

I literally paused the video immediately and downloaded the AQP PDF from your link. I know that this kind of preparedness is one of the things I'm sorely lacking. Thanks for some very important assistance. This one was wonderful.

Love love love this stuff. We talk about this all the time in Army Aviation. Thank you for what you guys are doing.

Absolutely one of the best aviation training videos I've ever seen. Keep it up!

Steve, what an excellent video! What a long overdue phenomenal concept that can and will save lives in the future.

Thank you Dan and Flight Chops for another well done video, presenting excellent information for GA pilots and aspiring would/will be pilots. Your dedication to making flying safer is commendable. I salute you, thanks for sharing these videos.

Yet another awesome video Steve that could potentially save someone's life! Keep doing what you're doing to advance safety in GA

Really great safety course you reviewed with us. Head-in-the-cockpit distractions, when mixed with degrading weather, don't blend together. Based on a recent event: 1. "Radar service is terminated. Remain that squawk" 2. "... and we have 0235" 3. "You're following a 1200 code" If you make a mistake by habitually resetting transponder to 1200 (1), then communicate that mistake clearly to ATC vs inferring it (2). Additional time can be given to focus on resolving the issue, so as to avoid (3), which is compounded by additional factors of weather.

Working on my privet in Alaska, this was great please keep things like this coming.

Another great video with great take aways. These videos need to continue.

Have always received surprised instructors when I try and brief! Get the feeling they think it’s a waste of time. Love the intent of this.

This is a great initiative and something I've been thinking about for the past years. I have to say it really motivates me to get the job done.

OMG! This was really fantastic, Steve and Dan! Thanks so much!

My Dad is a retired Commercial Pilot that still does recreational flying out of Fort Lauderdale FL. I guarantee you he'd be stoked if he had that opportunity be one of those 4 pilots and test his knowledge. He is a great pilot, it be good to put him to the test to see how he performs.

Absolutely brilliant video and love your channel man !

Thank You, for making this most excellent content. You have increased my awareness and changed the way I look at flight reviews.

AWESOME vlog AND a free training pdf - look forward to checking it out. Thanks Dan, you’re a star - sure would be great to see AOPA / EAA / FAA recognise your commitment to helping making GA safer with a safety award - that would no doubt help promote the concept to an even wider audience. Thanks to the willing studs for sharing the experience too. Keep it up Steve: really well done, thank you :)

This was a great video Steve, maybe one of your best, I loved it! The music was awesome too :)

watched the whole video! This needs to be. talked about more! love all the scenarios! Also my flight schools planes were on com 7KE and 63G! Really cool to know we were flying with ya'll :)

Possibly the best living example I've seen of Public Service, or pro bono, I've seen to date. Witnessing this spirit of substantially strengthening a culture of learning & capability, and intentionally developing extensible training frameworks, is also a wellspring of genuine optimism for those of us who wish to decrease "flying solo" and increase team endeavors, with practitioners of all skill levels aboard. Thank you.

Priceless experiences! Just loved every minute of the video!! Thanks so much!!!

Great video, great work. Thank you guys for aiming to keep GA safe and fun.

Once again....Chops delivers! You have done so much for us pilots. Thank you!

Dan is great. Fantastic teacher. It’s great that you are bringing this to everyone.

I'm in the process of knocking the dust off of my pilot's license after a decade or more of letting flying pass me by. I watched the vids with you and Dan when they came out and was impressed then. As I return focus to flying, I'm more impressed now. Besides watching these vids, I totally recommend getting a flight sim set up at home. I may never get my instrument rating but I can still train to keep me from flying to the scene of my accident. I'm guessing that most VFR only pilots never practice whatever instrument training they learned in flight school. At the moment, I'm not in a position to get back behind the yoke, so until I can, I've dug up my old xplane 9 computer and have been practicing shooting approaches in IMC. I do not recommend using a home sim for basic flight training but it works like a charm for practicing instrument procedures. I set up my home airport with IMC from 400' AGL to 10,000'. No wind. What I do is take off and fly back along the ILS in cloud for about 20 miles, do a 180 and shoot the approach. It is exhausting but it's a good feeling to see those runway lights enough in front of the plane that I can stick a landing, when I bust out of the muck.

It was a pleasure working with you to do this video at MQY. Excellent video!

Wow, that's one of the best aviation videos I've ever watched. Such a program will save lives!