I think a lot of us get that one 'tunnel vision' event in our flying career that really make us rethink how we fly. I shared mine - going VFR to IMC/Smoke during the wildfires - with a bunch of student pilots at my school so they could learn from it and hopefully not make the same mistake. "Props" for sharing yours too AA.
I'm just glad Juan Brown is reporting on this side of the flight. So many great content creators in aviation. Thanks for both of you sharing your experiences.
Not sure if it was 'tunnel vision,' or a 'me first,' approach. It's a big step, when you can just say you were wrong about something. Ego doesn't make a good co-pilot.
The best type of pilot is one who can humble him or herself and admit their mistakes. Not only can you learn from the experience, but we can learn from it as well. Honest video that contains great information. Well done. 👍
As a student pilot, I truly appreciated this insight. The aviation world needs guys like you, willing to share the good and the not so good. Humbling and constructive for sure. Thx again. Norm from Montreal.
As long as you learn from this , and don’t think well he made it ! He should have taken a look at the runway first , and saved himself a lot of stress, we all have done this !!
There is the saying that any landing you walk away from is a good one but it's not a mindset I will try and be in. Agreed! The accident investigation videos on YT always identify a chain of errors rather than a single thing. I'm glad the guy was safe in the end 👍
An old instructor told me after I passed my check ride....”now go out and scared yourself 10 times, then you’ll be a pilot “. I didn’t know what he meant at the time but ive had similar experiences and now understand. It all makes us better decision makers!
"I learned about flying from that" Sharing those experiences is always helpful to the audience, and probably especially helpful to the storyteller. Thank you for overcoming any reluctance you may have had, and laying out an important real-life lesson for your viewers.
Thank you, I’m about ten hours into my private, about to solo and I’m really glad you shared this story. I’m a people pleaser and if I screw up with a judgment and make a mistake, I will do everything I possibly can to make sure someone else’s day is not ruined because of me, hell I even hate blowing my horn while driving, to avoid an accident, so I don’t disturb anybody else around🤦♂️. Thank you again, I definitely needed to hear this.
Thanks Kenny, and glad you found it helpful! congrats on your upcoming solo, keep us posted! Don't ever feel pressured by other folks... learned that the hard way on this flight and others.
I’m a student pilot at an airport with a long runway at sea level, and as much as i’ve heard from my training about density altitude and high altitude flying, this was eye opening for me. thank you for sharing, i learned so much from this :)
Before you go somewhere and scare yourself or worse, get with an instructor you really trust and go somewhere that is hot and high and learn what it's all about. There is a lot of differences. You won't regret it.
When listening or observing others we all know the "I wouldn't have dropped that pass", "I would have hit that pitch out of the park" or in this case " I would have gone around". As you so eloquently and humbly put it, "I didn't give myself the option". Tunnel vision and bull-headed determination to "see it through" is a wonderful trait that can also be your worst enemy. Awesome job of baring your soul and sharing this with others. It takes true grit to do what you have done in this video and it is greatly appreciated by anyone who seeks excellence in their piloting skills. Thanks for being a great representative for the great state of Texas!
As a student pilot in Cape Town, South Africa,I would like to say thank you so much for your wonderful blogs and for your insight and honest professional view and guidance to flying, a true breath of fresh air and way above most of the other flying blogs out there! Thank you, what a pleasure to follow your show. Regards Brett
Thank you! Lots of lessons for me, 'nice landings start with nice approaches', 'I don't know what I don't know' (weather and mountain flying teach me every time I'm out there), 'be ahead of the plane'. You had the courage to learn and share, kudos!
Being born and raised flying the mountains in Montana and Idaho, I can say it doesn't get better. All I know is mountain flying and it still scares me. It can be done safely, but not from basic flying skills. Flying in the mountains ALWAYS comes down to judgement. It sounds like you lived and learned and shared. Thank you.
Welcome to the club of those who have flown flights we wish we could re-fly, or not fly at all. Thank you for sharing your mistakes and observations. You have contributed to the overall safety of the pilot community.
I learned a while back ..the moment I think I can do whatever I want when I want with my airplane..it will show me I can’t . Great debriefing...always have an out .
I really appreciate your sharing this experience. I can absolutely identify with that feeling of being too high, too fast, and too tight with other traffic. In the moment, it almost feels like you're trapped and, as you said, you forget to give yourself an out. Thank you for sharing. I learned a lot!
Thank you for sharing this experience with us. It's amazing how quickly conditions and circumstances mount. Although less than favorable, your ability to pilot your plane sustained you while keeping you, everyone and everything around you safe.
Wow, brother! It's easy to share those great flights---when you do everything right and grease her in. I can tell by the look in your eyes and your demeanor that it's a hell of lot more difficult to share those times that you feel like you let yourself down. Not to mention, that was a day of flying that scared the hell out of you. It takes some big balls to share a story like that with the world, but I think the comments reflect, and I certainly agree, that your video not only provides excellent specific information on mountain flying, but also reinforces the general lesson in aviation that our egos and overconfidence can act in concert to summon the grim reaper into the co-pilots seat next to us. And you certainly aren't alone in the fact that he generally likes to join us (the Grim Reaper, that is) when we are trying to get the airplane on the ground. Excellent video. I think any pilot, student pilot, or instructor could benefit from this video whether you fly cherokees or 747s. You're description of feeling as a passenger in your own airplane is both haunting as it is instructive. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Hi Warren - man, what a nice and thorough comment. Really appreciate your encouragement, and more than anything I'm glad that you and others have found the debrief helpful. That was my goal, really. Glad to hear it's been well-received!
Great job getting your story out. I think all pilots remember a moment they were overcommitted, and/or unsafe. Great job getting this off your chest, and keep up the wonderful work on both your channel and in the air.
Sounds like you learned a very important lesson. I really like that you don't try to blame it on any external factors, that's a sign of somebody who's a lifelong learner.
One of the reasons I like your channel is you're honesty & your willingness to just "put yourself out there". Being upfront about mistakes is really hard but it definitely helps us all be better pilots. Thank you.
Watching the video, I could see it was still very emotional for you to re-live and share your experience with us, and yet you decided to go ahead and share the video for the greater good! It takes a lot of courage and you did it. Thanks so much! As I learn to fly, I am sure I won't forget the lessons in this video. Thank you!
The tendency to “save face” can be very powerful in the moment, and can lead to a pilot continuing with a bad situation until options run very thin. I’ve been there a couple of times. Good for you-for making this video, keep talking about your flying mistakes with others, it gets easier. It also reduces pilot ego and illusion of perfection that one feels pressure to maintain, but is detrimental to aviation safety. Anyone can control an aircraft with enough practice, what actually makes a great pilot is the decisions they make, when they need to make them.
Great story. Love the transparency. Always remember this: Accidents are always caused by a chain of events. Break that chain, and you won't have an accident.
This is the kind of education we as pilots need to give one another. No textbook can duplicate this experience or breakdown. Valuable video. Thank you for the humble training. Your videos are honest and irreplaceable.
Man what a story never delete an event like that again those are the ones I’m looking for as I’m working towards my ppl. I’d think more of someone who can share a story they aren’t proud of. Thanks again for sharing
Hey man! Helicopter pilot here working on instrument. This is one of the best pilot videos I have seen. I don’t mean to be blunt, but many of the things you experienced are things found in accident case studies. You were experienced enough not to end up in a crumpled mess thankfully. I think many pilots have experiences like the one you shared but are afraid of talking about them because of pride. It shows that you are humble enough to share a momentary error so others can learn. Not many pilots can do that. Thank you for the fantastic video!!!
Thanks Ethan. I agree... safety slips in small stages and I can see how accidents happen. It's usually a combination of small errors like I made that day.
Thank you for your honesty. Takes a mature person to humble themselves enough to be honest. That’s an investment in other people’s safety and learning from that story.
Thank you for sharing this and for your humility. So many great lessons for all pilots. After more than 40 years of flying, "scares" are some of the best teachers.
Applaud the honesty! “The thought of a go-around didn’t even come to mind...” How many accidents because of that. The thought of a go-around should be exactly 50% of what’s going through a pilots mind on any approach. Standard patterns aren’t taught just to be easy, they’re taught to provide a clue that something is wrong. If it’s not fixed by a predetermined point, you do approach option A, a go around - works every time. Approach option B is land, but only works when everything is right. Glad you made it through this and shared your story for others to learn from.
I've always been told that a go around is not a failed landing, but having the ability to recognize a bad situation. I think a lot of us have "get-there-itis" sometimes and you just want to get on the ground. Glad you made it through safe and sound though :)
Completely agree. I think I was scared of a go-around in the mountains and going off on my own since I had mainly only done formation flying with the guide of a more experienced airplane. I will brief and do much better next time!
It goes to show that you’re never too good for a go around. Thank you for your story. The lesson will probably stick with me throughout my Instrument training and beyond.
One of my good friends is a Citation pilot. He doesn’t understand why I watch every aircraft crash video that exists. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Yes, I watch Juan Brown’s channel too. Thanks for sharing your mistake(s), allowing us to learn a d prevent similar mistakes. I wish everyone in aviation would check their egos and tell the world their mistakes. You’re a rare breed of guy! I tip my hat to you!
Thank you for that insight! I love these "If I had to do it again..." or "lessons learned" type videos. I think it gives the community of GA pilots something to be wary of for their future flights.
I appreciate the courage it took to post this so others cam learn from it. That license is a license to learn and we learn from mistakes. Happy these mistakes didn't go badly for you. Being a pilot humbles you multiple times.
Takes a Big Man to admit his mistakes, and a Better Man to learn from them. Thanks for sharing. A good debrief on situational awareness and responsibilities in flight.
You sharing this probably saved someone’s life or will save someone’s life. Thanks for being humble enough to admit your faults. Good learning for all of us!
Thank you for sharing this, seriously. We need more pilots like you who share experiences like this we as a pilot community can learn from. I’m already a subscriber, but man now I’m more than a fan. You have my deepest respect.
Great video. Never let traffic outside of the pattern influence your approach. Although they may be faster, you are ALREADY in the pattern and they can do 360s outside to increase the spacing. You have priority. Been there, done that. I had a following pilot get gruff with me after landing once and I said "hey, hold on, you're in a hurry so I should unstabilize my approach, come in faster that normal and risk an overrun because YOUR in a hurry? YOUR the intruder and should yield to other traffic in the pattern!" As there were about 5 CFIs around at the time who all agreed with me this guy felt like a squashed bug. Seems the fellow was an 'entitled' regular who did that often. By the same token, if you hear an apprehensive new pilot in the pattern, give them some space to take some of the stress off them, done that too. Keep up the great vids.
Right. At large airports I always flew the approaches at 90-100 knots in a Cherokee when I could hear the controller caution the Boeing right behind me... over the approach lights I would slow and pull full flaps. And exit the runway asap :)
Excellent! You probably helped someone save their life with this confessional. It has certainly helped me be more appreciative of when an approach is unstable especially flying in the mountains. Very much appreciated your honesty in sharing this. Great job!
The one thing that makes me respect pilots most is the ability for them to be able to self critique and evaluate themselves and what they did wrong. They are always looking at how they could be better, safer etc. I do my best to apply this in my daily life. Mad respect for discussing this with others. I hope no one is ever put in a situation they cannot handle, but if so - I hope they think of this video and realize "get there-itus" is not what is important.
Thanks Forest - really appreciate this and glad you found it useful! Very much agree with what you are saying. I don't want to be "that guy" with a youtube channel that only talks about the rosy stuff I want people to see.
I am glad you are okay. I don't know a whole lot about aviation, but i know a whole lot about trucking. Their are lots of situations where you can get very scared that you may get seriously hurt. The difference between a truck driver and,a "steering wheel holder" is being able to learn from those mistakes you may have made and preventing that situation in the future. I'm glad you learned from it and didn't have to from the hospital.
I was just thinking this is so much better than hearing about a fatality from Juan's chanel. You already know how fortunate you are, and this video shows one of the most understated marks of true airmanship: accepting we make mistakes and learning from them. Excellent breakdown and thank you for sharing. Pilots need to see this and hear those words: "In the moment, I felt like I was in control even though it should have been obvious I was not." It can happen to any of us (in a lot of cases it has) and we don't bring it up enough. Excellent job. Fly safe.
I understand this video is going on 3 years since publishing, but it is timeless wisdom and unparalleled transparency. Your posts are helpful beyond words and remind me I'm not alone in both my experiences and thinking. Thank You.
Excellent talk, loved it, it helps a lot! I had an old river pilot tell me once, "Son you know as much about piloting as I do, but just remember I've been scared more times than you!"
Thank you for sharing Charlie. It's not always easy to share moments when we mess up. But because of what you just did, this student pilot is now that much more prepared. -Shane
Thanks for sharing your bad situation. This could save another pilots life by learning from your mistakes. It took guts to admit this, but it is excellent training for all of us. Thanks and be safe!
I loved the video, it's videos like these that I believe end up saving someone's life down the road who watched it and gets in a similar situation. Thank you for sharing your experience and providing other pilots the insight and hazards of the situation, without having to experience it firsthand.
Charlie: Thank you for sharing this, and I am happy you landed ok. I recently had a few ugly landings, and I wish I would have just aborted the landings and went around to get in a more stabilized approach. Thanks again and have a great day my friend
Great debrief. Definitely could save someone from making the same mistake. Something came out in my PPL training in that I overcommit to landing because I'm a glider pilot at heart. I have to tell myself in the pattern, out loud "I can go around if something doesn't go the way I want".
I am just a SIM pilot but your story still resonated with me as in real life I have been involved if a few sketchy, life endangering sailing situations usually because we ignored some obvious risks in an effort to get somewhere on time when the sensible thing to do would have been to be late or just cancel our trip. Our hearts were allowed to rule our heads. Whenever my friend and I get through one of these situations we treat it as a slap from the sea god Poseidon, he is saying “you stopped showing respect for the sea boys, treat this as a warning” I think Zeus the sky god was giving you the same warning. Survived mistakes provide some of the best lessons valuable and help to stop us getting over confident and smug. Safe flying.
This is an excellent cautionary tale and I think it really speaks to your mettle as a pilot how you made the mistakes and instead of just going "well that was lucky" and moving on, you focused on breaking down what you did wrong, what not to do again and applying those lessons to make you a safer pilot. That, I think, is what separates good pilots from great pilots. I've sent this video off to some of my friends who are just starting out in aviation in the hopes they'll watch and glean the lessons you had to learn the hard way so when they find themselves in your shoes, they will have already learned how to handle it.
I applaud you for coming out with this video! You learned a real lesson on the flight. You added to your experience level and will take that lesson with you going forward. We are all still learning! We all make mistakes! At almost 30,000 hours, I still make mistakes. Ask my flying buddy! And I am still learning.
Thanks for always sharing so candidly and honestly. All we can do is try to improve for the future, and you are helping people learn through your mistakes, but swallowing your pride sharing. Keep up the great vids, and fly safe my dude!
Its interesting how being over committed can get you into trouble in the air. I hope to fly the real planes one day but i tinker with the model planes and from a slight perspective i can see what you are saying. Lesson learn is you always have an out by going around and trying again if it doesn't feel right. If i have the chance to do the real thing, i would say you have been a real source of inspiration to me. Thank you for sharing and teaching me to be a better pilot. What happens in our head dictates the flight outcome.
Hi Craig - I totally agree with this. I hope you are able to fly too if that's something you'd like to pursue! I was really into R/C for a few summers. Super super fun. I had a T-28 and a super cub and really enjoyed it. Lots of cool things you can do modding those out!
Speaking as a future pilot ( I'll be starting Ground School soon ). I always learn more from people who are willing to admit their mistakes rather than making excuses. It usually takes me about five videos before I decide whether or not to subscribe and this is number 2. In both videos he's admitted mistakes he's made and been very good at explaining them. You just got a new subscriber. Keep up the good work.👍
Thanks for sharing, we all make mistakes and you're brave to admit the series of errors that were made. However for inexperienced pilots it's a great debrief full of useful tips that others will recall if in a similar situation.
Thanks for sharing with us. While tough to admit and rehash our mistakes, when we’re fortunate enough to make it through them unscathed, it’s important to not only learn from them ourselves but to share with others so we all can be safer pilots. I know I’ve had that “oh shit, what did I just do” feeling before, it’s the worst! One time I was almost finished with a flight before I realized the alternator wasn’t on! Thanks again for all the details and the reminder that you should always have (and remember to use) an out. Take care and be safe! 👍
Hi Andrew - thanks for participating and I completely agree on all points. I remember watching a flight chops video of him in the Pitts and towards the end of the flight he realized he hadn't flipped on the alternator. I loved that he pointed that out, because he very well could have edited it out without anyone knowing.
As a CFI and former airline pilot, appreciate your debrief. Seems like you know what you did wrong. Even in the airline world, you see mistakes like this. Even I have made poor decisions at times. But the ultimate lesson is that you learned from this experience and will do things differently next time!
I thank you for this sir. You just made us all safer. Please share more in the future. This allows other's to do the same. You are a pioneer. Thank you for opening the door to be honest and helpful.
Started flying when I was 18 back in 1986. Had a couple of scares myself when I owned an airplane in my mid 30's. As much as I loved flying I decided to walk away after my last scare. Haven't flown since 2005 and do miss it at times, but just don't have that immortality feeling you have when you're younger anymore! Thanks for sharing your experiences, stay safe!
Thanks for sharing your experience, and sorry to hear that you felt you needed to walk away. It's not for everybody, so there's no shame in that. If you're ever interested in getting back on the horse and I can help in any way, let me know.
Hey man, good on ya for making this video. It takes a lot of humility, but you owned up to your mistakes, learned from them, and will make the necessary changes accordingly and to help others. That shows your true character. 👏 I'm about to start the training to get my PPL and I've learned a lot from your videos and I really appreciate your level headedness. Very informative. 👏 Don't let it eat you up. We all do dumb shit from time to time and no one is perfect. 🙂
Great video. Liked the fact that you shared. A lesson for me and others in the future. Remember we are in control and there is always the go around. Plus the reminder of density altitude.
I have just started watching your videos and I have to tell you, this one made me take notice how easy it could be to get in a bad situation. Your sharing this video has helped me immensely in my decision to look into becoming a pilot. If I can make decisions one tenth as good as you have shown, I will have a great chance to be a safe pilot. I thank you so much!
Mistakes do occur, you survived it unscathed and and got a valuable learning experience out of it. Too many private pilots here in Florida were not so lucky and we are the easiest place to fly
Thanks for sharing! I live in Spokane and fly in ID all the time. It's wonderful! Great story for a learning experience. Not seeing the field in time to set up properly has bitten me, too. It is probably pretty common so this video should hopefully help people make a better choice than just bulling ahead and forcing it on. (FWIW, I can totally see how this happened, given the scenario.)
These are the type of things which I am certain, as soon as the 'vid is over and I can take courses, will help me be a better pilot from day 1. Thank you for being willing to share this. THIS is maturity and a real concern for fellow pilots. Thank you.
I think it's great that you were able to share your experience. In the end, its made you a better pilot and I'm sure your experience will help others not make the same mistake. I remember a few instances back in my flight training days where I scared myself and it was absolutely a learning experience for me. On another note, I came across your channel while I was watching your dad take you for a rip in the TBM.....love those airplanes! Been a subscriber since then. Keep up the good work and safe travels!
Imagine all the things we are learning due to yours and other pilots honesty, only by sharing the good with the bad can we all get the safety we all want; good on ya bro!
Hey man thanks for sharing. No reason to feel shame, the fact that we are all humans means all pilots will make mistakes. By sharing this sort of thing, you're helping others to remember and be conscious of mistakes that could happen to anyone frankly.
Charlie, you are a great person. Thanks for sharing things we all experienced. Flying is about physics, not ego. Appreciate all your great wisdom. Matt
Thanks for allowing YOURSELF to share this with us. With any flying time, we've all been there in one fashion or another. We've learned to say "Unable" to ATC, but we also need to learn to say that to ourselves. I could hear the stress in your breathing. By this humility, you've grown into a better pilot. Be sure to give God thanks for every blessing and His protection.
Excellent debrief on an unstable approach in the mountains! ‘Tunnel vision’ is a powerful force to overcome. Subscribed. Juan.
I think a lot of us get that one 'tunnel vision' event in our flying career that really make us rethink how we fly. I shared mine - going VFR to IMC/Smoke during the wildfires - with a bunch of student pilots at my school so they could learn from it and hopefully not make the same mistake. "Props" for sharing yours too AA.
Charlie's humility and pragmatism convinced me to follow him months ago.
I'm just glad Juan Brown is reporting on this side of the flight. So many great content creators in aviation. Thanks for both of you sharing your experiences.
Not sure if it was 'tunnel vision,' or a 'me first,' approach.
It's a big step, when you can just say you were wrong about something.
Ego doesn't make a good co-pilot.
Thank you I appreciate that!
The best type of pilot is one who can humble him or herself and admit their mistakes. Not only can you learn from the experience, but we can learn from it as well. Honest video that contains great information. Well done. 👍
Thank you so much!
As a student pilot, I truly appreciated this insight. The aviation world needs guys like you, willing to share the good and the not so good. Humbling and constructive for sure. Thx again. Norm from Montreal.
Absolutely echo this comment as a student in the UK. I hope these thoughts enter my head if I'm in a similar situation. Thanks for sharing
Ditto.
As long as you learn from this , and don’t think well he made it ! He should have taken a look at the runway first , and saved himself a lot of stress, we all have done this !!
There is the saying that any landing you walk away from is a good one but it's not a mindset I will try and be in. Agreed! The accident investigation videos on YT always identify a chain of errors rather than a single thing. I'm glad the guy was safe in the end 👍
I'm so glad it was helpful!
You sir, are the bravest type of pilot. Thanks for making us all safer aviators!
Thank you! I really appreciate this.
Wow, i bet you are The queen of exaggerations..
An old instructor told me after I passed my check ride....”now go out and scared yourself 10 times, then you’ll be a pilot “. I didn’t know what he meant at the time but ive had similar experiences and now understand. It all makes us better decision makers!
A similar phrase I like is that a few examiners have told me "you're getting a license to learn" - every flight is a learning experience.
Good judgment comes from experience…
Experience comes from poor judgment.
Takes a Real Man to share his mistakes with the world. 💪
Thank you! I appreciate that.
Your plane landed rubber side down and you learned from it. Don't beat yourself up, you're now a better pilot.
"I learned about flying from that" Sharing those experiences is always helpful to the audience, and probably especially helpful to the storyteller. Thank you for overcoming any reluctance you may have had, and laying out an important real-life lesson for your viewers.
Thanks Martin, I appreciate your comment. I always love the "ILAFFT" segments... so I guess this was my version of that!
Respect, sounds like you learned a life (saving) lesson and shared it so everyone can learn from it.
Thank you, I’m about ten hours into my private, about to solo and I’m really glad you shared this story. I’m a people pleaser and if I screw up with a judgment and make a mistake, I will do everything I possibly can to make sure someone else’s day is not ruined because of me, hell I even hate blowing my horn while driving, to avoid an accident, so I don’t disturb anybody else around🤦♂️. Thank you again, I definitely needed to hear this.
Thanks Kenny, and glad you found it helpful! congrats on your upcoming solo, keep us posted! Don't ever feel pressured by other folks... learned that the hard way on this flight and others.
I’m a student pilot at an airport with a long runway at sea level, and as much as i’ve heard from my training about density altitude and high altitude flying, this was eye opening for me. thank you for sharing, i learned so much from this :)
I'm so glad it was helpful!
Before you go somewhere and scare yourself or worse, get with an instructor you really trust and go somewhere that is hot and high and learn what it's all about. There is a lot of differences. You won't regret it.
When listening or observing others we all know the "I wouldn't have dropped that pass", "I would have hit that pitch out of the park" or in this case " I would have gone around". As you so eloquently and humbly put it, "I didn't give myself the option". Tunnel vision and bull-headed determination to "see it through" is a wonderful trait that can also be your worst enemy. Awesome job of baring your soul and sharing this with others. It takes true grit to do what you have done in this video and it is greatly appreciated by anyone who seeks excellence in their piloting skills. Thanks for being a great representative for the great state of Texas!
As a student pilot in Cape Town, South Africa,I would like to say thank you so much for your wonderful blogs and for your insight and honest professional view and guidance to flying, a true breath of fresh air and way above most of the other flying blogs out there! Thank you, what a pleasure to follow your show. Regards Brett
Hi Brett - thank you for your kind words and I'm really glad you've found it useful! Thanks for watching and participating!
Thank you! Lots of lessons for me, 'nice landings start with nice approaches', 'I don't know what I don't know' (weather and mountain flying teach me every time I'm out there), 'be ahead of the plane'. You had the courage to learn and share, kudos!
Being born and raised flying the mountains in Montana and Idaho, I can say it doesn't get better. All I know is mountain flying and it still scares me. It can be done safely, but not from basic flying skills. Flying in the mountains ALWAYS comes down to judgement. It sounds like you lived and learned and shared. Thank you.
Welcome to the club of those who have flown flights we wish we could re-fly, or not fly at all. Thank you for sharing your mistakes and observations. You have contributed to the overall safety of the pilot community.
Who would dislike this? Appreciate your humility in sharing this.
Thank you so much!
I learned a while back ..the moment I think I can do whatever I want when I want with my airplane..it will show me I can’t . Great debriefing...always have an out .
Thanks for your humility and sharing, we all can learn from this.
I really appreciate your sharing this experience. I can absolutely identify with that feeling of being too high, too fast, and too tight with other traffic. In the moment, it almost feels like you're trapped and, as you said, you forget to give yourself an out. Thank you for sharing. I learned a lot!
Thanks Andrew - I completely agree. I think that's a great synopsis of what happened.
Great learning moment for me. I appreciate you posting it. I am still in the middle of getting my PPL, and guys like you have been so much help.
Thank you for sharing this experience with us. It's amazing how quickly conditions and circumstances mount. Although less than favorable, your ability to pilot your plane sustained you while keeping you, everyone and everything around you safe.
Wow, brother! It's easy to share those great flights---when you do everything right and grease her in. I can tell by the look in your eyes and your demeanor that it's a hell of lot more difficult to share those times that you feel like you let yourself down. Not to mention, that was a day of flying that scared the hell out of you. It takes some big balls to share a story like that with the world, but I think the comments reflect, and I certainly agree, that your video not only provides excellent specific information on mountain flying, but also reinforces the general lesson in aviation that our egos and overconfidence can act in concert to summon the grim reaper into the co-pilots seat next to us. And you certainly aren't alone in the fact that he generally likes to join us (the Grim Reaper, that is) when we are trying to get the airplane on the ground. Excellent video. I think any pilot, student pilot, or instructor could benefit from this video whether you fly cherokees or 747s. You're description of feeling as a passenger in your own airplane is both haunting as it is instructive. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Hi Warren - man, what a nice and thorough comment. Really appreciate your encouragement, and more than anything I'm glad that you and others have found the debrief helpful. That was my goal, really. Glad to hear it's been well-received!
Great job getting your story out. I think all pilots remember a moment they were overcommitted, and/or unsafe. Great job getting this off your chest, and keep up the wonderful work on both your channel and in the air.
Sounds like you learned a very important lesson. I really like that you don't try to blame it on any external factors, that's a sign of somebody who's a lifelong learner.
One of the reasons I like your channel is you're honesty & your willingness to just "put yourself out there". Being upfront about mistakes is really hard but it definitely helps us all be better pilots. Thank you.
Thanks so much, really appreciate it, Mike!
Watching the video, I could see it was still very emotional for you to re-live and share your experience with us, and yet you decided to go ahead and share the video for the greater good! It takes a lot of courage and you did it. Thanks so much! As I learn to fly, I am sure I won't forget the lessons in this video. Thank you!
The tendency to “save face” can be very powerful in the moment, and can lead to a pilot continuing with a bad situation until options run very thin. I’ve been there a couple of times. Good for you-for making this video, keep talking about your flying mistakes with others, it gets easier. It also reduces pilot ego and illusion of perfection that one feels pressure to maintain, but is detrimental to aviation safety.
Anyone can control an aircraft with enough practice, what actually makes a great pilot is the decisions they make, when they need to make them.
Every time you go up it ends with either a lesson or a lawsuit. A good pilot is always learning.Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed!
Great story. Love the transparency. Always remember this: Accidents are always caused by a chain of events. Break that chain, and you won't have an accident.
Thanks Mark. Totally agree. I was just surprised by how small each chain was... it never felt like I was in over my head until the end there.
This is the kind of education we as pilots need to give one another. No textbook can duplicate this experience or breakdown. Valuable video. Thank you for the humble training. Your videos are honest and irreplaceable.
Thanks Terry, I really appreciate all of that. Glad you found it helpful!
Man what a story never delete an event like that again those are the ones I’m looking for as I’m working towards my ppl. I’d think more of someone who can share a story they aren’t proud of. Thanks again for sharing
Hey man! Helicopter pilot here working on instrument. This is one of the best pilot videos I have seen. I don’t mean to be blunt, but many of the things you experienced are things found in accident case studies. You were experienced enough not to end up in a crumpled mess thankfully. I think many pilots have experiences like the one you shared but are afraid of talking about them because of pride. It shows that you are humble enough to share a momentary error so others can learn. Not many pilots can do that. Thank you for the fantastic video!!!
Thanks Ethan. I agree... safety slips in small stages and I can see how accidents happen. It's usually a combination of small errors like I made that day.
Thank you for your honesty. Takes a mature person to humble themselves enough to be honest. That’s an investment in other people’s safety and learning from that story.
Thank you! Really appreciate you saying this.
Thank you for sharing this and for your humility. So many great lessons for all pilots.
After more than 40 years of flying, "scares" are some of the best teachers.
Applaud the honesty!
“The thought of a go-around didn’t even come to mind...”
How many accidents because of that. The thought of a go-around should be exactly 50% of what’s going through a pilots mind on any approach. Standard patterns aren’t taught just to be easy, they’re taught to provide a clue that something is wrong. If it’s not fixed by a predetermined point, you do approach option A, a go around - works every time. Approach option B is land, but only works when everything is right.
Glad you made it through this and shared your story for others to learn from.
I've always been told that a go around is not a failed landing, but having the ability to recognize a bad situation. I think a lot of us have "get-there-itis" sometimes and you just want to get on the ground. Glad you made it through safe and sound though :)
Completely agree. I think I was scared of a go-around in the mountains and going off on my own since I had mainly only done formation flying with the guide of a more experienced airplane. I will brief and do much better next time!
It goes to show that you’re never too good for a go around. Thank you for your story. The lesson will probably stick with me throughout my Instrument training and beyond.
I'm so glad to hear this! I'm thankful my experience can help others.
One of my good friends is a Citation pilot. He doesn’t understand why I watch every aircraft crash video that exists. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Yes, I watch Juan Brown’s channel too. Thanks for sharing your mistake(s), allowing us to learn a d prevent similar mistakes. I wish everyone in aviation would check their egos and tell the world their mistakes. You’re a rare breed of guy! I tip my hat to you!
Thank you for that insight! I love these "If I had to do it again..." or "lessons learned" type videos. I think it gives the community of GA pilots something to be wary of for their future flights.
Thanks Vincent! Glad you found it useful - that was my goal.
I appreciate the courage it took to post this so others cam learn from it. That license is a license to learn and we learn from mistakes. Happy these mistakes didn't go badly for you. Being a pilot humbles you multiple times.
Thank you for your kind words!
Takes a Big Man to admit his mistakes, and a Better Man to learn from them. Thanks for sharing. A good debrief on situational awareness and responsibilities in flight.
Thank you so much! Really appreciate it.
You sharing this probably saved someone’s life or will save someone’s life. Thanks for being humble enough to admit your faults. Good learning for all of us!
Thanks so much. I really appreciate you saying this. :
Thank you for sharing this, seriously. We need more pilots like you who share experiences like this we as a pilot community can learn from. I’m already a subscriber, but man now I’m more than a fan. You have my deepest respect.
Thanks a bunch, I really appreciate your sharing that. More than anything, glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and participating.
Nice debrief man, you can be proud ;)
Thanks for making us safer
Thank you! Really appreciate it!
Great video. Never let traffic outside of the pattern influence your approach. Although they may be faster, you are ALREADY in the pattern and they can do 360s outside to increase the spacing. You have priority. Been there, done that. I had a following pilot get gruff with me after landing once and I said "hey, hold on, you're in a hurry so I should unstabilize my approach, come in faster that normal and risk an overrun because YOUR in a hurry? YOUR the intruder and should yield to other traffic in the pattern!" As there were about 5 CFIs around at the time who all agreed with me this guy felt like a squashed bug. Seems the fellow was an 'entitled' regular who did that often. By the same token, if you hear an apprehensive new pilot in the pattern, give them some space to take some of the stress off them, done that too. Keep up the great vids.
Thanks for the comment and your perspective. I completely agree. Also good point on helping other guys out in the pattern - I agree!
Right. At large airports I always flew the approaches at 90-100 knots in a Cherokee when I could hear the controller caution the Boeing right behind me... over the approach lights I would slow and pull full flaps. And exit the runway asap :)
Excellent! You probably helped someone save their life with this confessional. It has certainly helped me be more appreciative of when an approach is unstable especially flying in the mountains. Very much appreciated your honesty in sharing this. Great job!
Hi Steven - thanks for your comment and I'm glad you found it useful!
The one thing that makes me respect pilots most is the ability for them to be able to self critique and evaluate themselves and what they did wrong. They are always looking at how they could be better, safer etc. I do my best to apply this in my daily life. Mad respect for discussing this with others. I hope no one is ever put in a situation they cannot handle, but if so - I hope they think of this video and realize "get there-itus" is not what is important.
Thanks Forest - really appreciate this and glad you found it useful! Very much agree with what you are saying. I don't want to be "that guy" with a youtube channel that only talks about the rosy stuff I want people to see.
I am glad you are okay. I don't know a whole lot about aviation, but i know a whole lot about trucking. Their are lots of situations where you can get very scared that you may get seriously hurt. The difference between a truck driver and,a "steering wheel holder" is being able to learn from those mistakes you may have made and preventing that situation in the future. I'm glad you learned from it and didn't have to from the hospital.
I was just thinking this is so much better than hearing about a fatality from Juan's chanel. You already know how fortunate you are, and this video shows one of the most understated marks of true airmanship: accepting we make mistakes and learning from them. Excellent breakdown and thank you for sharing. Pilots need to see this and hear those words: "In the moment, I felt like I was in control even though it should have been obvious I was not." It can happen to any of us (in a lot of cases it has) and we don't bring it up enough. Excellent job. Fly safe.
Thanks for the comment and for participating in the discussion. I completely agree with all of this. Glad you found it helpful!
We've all had that experience. Thank you for sharing. You're human.
Thanks for sharing! Mountain flying is so different when you're used to relatively flat land!
I understand this video is going on 3 years since publishing, but it is timeless wisdom and unparalleled transparency. Your posts are helpful beyond words and remind me I'm not alone in both my experiences and thinking. Thank You.
Thanks Jeffrey. I'm glad it encouraged you! Thanks for sharing.
Excellent talk, loved it, it helps a lot! I had an old river pilot tell me once, "Son you know as much about piloting as I do, but just remember I've been scared more times than you!"
Ha! Love that quote. Thanks for watching.
Amazing story!!! Talking about our mistakes will only make the GA flying community better. Thank you for sharing!!!
I have more respect for a man like you who can admit mistakes and learn from them - and in the process, help others to possibly avoid the same issues.
Thanks so much! I really appreciate this.
Thank you so much for helping drive the right attitude for those of us learning.
Excellent debriefing, thanks for sharing.
My instructor imprinted in my mind that every landing is a failed missed approach.
Thank you! And ha, I haven't heard that one before! I like it!
This is the honest stories that spark thoughts, that may save you and loved ones one day. Thanks for sharing 👍
Thank you. Really appreciate it!
Thank you for sharing Charlie. It's not always easy to share moments when we mess up. But because of what you just did, this student pilot is now that much more prepared. -Shane
Thanks Shane - I'm glad you found it useful!
Reminds me of the old pilot adage: **any** landing that you can walk away from, that's a good landing. Thanks for sharing man.
Charlie, this video could save a life. Thank you very much for sharing your experience with this PiT.
Thanks JP - I appreciate that and glad you found it useful!
Thanks for sharing your bad situation. This could save another pilots life by learning from your mistakes. It took guts to admit this, but it is excellent training for all of us. Thanks and be safe!
Thank you! Really appreciate it. It's my hope that my experience can help others.
Thanks for sharing! We all get better by sharing stories like this.
I loved the video, it's videos like these that I believe end up saving someone's life down the road who watched it and gets in a similar situation. Thank you for sharing your experience and providing other pilots the insight and hazards of the situation, without having to experience it firsthand.
Charlie:
Thank you for sharing this, and I am happy you landed ok. I recently had a few ugly landings, and I wish I would have just aborted the landings and went around to get in a more stabilized approach.
Thanks again and have a great day my friend
Great video, good takeaways for all of us.
Great debrief. Definitely could save someone from making the same mistake. Something came out in my PPL training in that I overcommit to landing because I'm a glider pilot at heart. I have to tell myself in the pattern, out loud "I can go around if something doesn't go the way I want".
"what Juan said" , excellent recap / debrief, thanks for sharing Charlie.
I am just a SIM pilot but your story still resonated with me as in real life I have been involved if a few sketchy, life endangering sailing situations usually because we ignored some obvious risks in an effort to get somewhere on time when the sensible thing to do would have been to be late or just cancel our trip. Our hearts were allowed to rule our heads. Whenever my friend and I get through one of these situations we treat it as a slap from the sea god Poseidon, he is saying “you stopped showing respect for the sea boys, treat this as a warning” I think Zeus the sky god was giving you the same warning. Survived mistakes provide some of the best lessons valuable and help to stop us getting over confident and smug. Safe flying.
This is an excellent cautionary tale and I think it really speaks to your mettle as a pilot how you made the mistakes and instead of just going "well that was lucky" and moving on, you focused on breaking down what you did wrong, what not to do again and applying those lessons to make you a safer pilot. That, I think, is what separates good pilots from great pilots. I've sent this video off to some of my friends who are just starting out in aviation in the hopes they'll watch and glean the lessons you had to learn the hard way so when they find themselves in your shoes, they will have already learned how to handle it.
I applaud you for coming out with this video! You learned a real lesson on the flight. You added to your experience level and will take that lesson with you going forward. We are all still learning! We all make mistakes! At almost 30,000 hours, I still make mistakes. Ask my flying buddy! And I am still learning.
Thanks Tom. Appreciate that perspective!
Thanks for always sharing so candidly and honestly. All we can do is try to improve for the future, and you are helping people learn through your mistakes, but swallowing your pride sharing. Keep up the great vids, and fly safe my dude!
Its interesting how being over committed can get you into trouble in the air. I hope to fly the real planes one day but i tinker with the model planes and from a slight perspective i can see what you are saying. Lesson learn is you always have an out by going around and trying again if it doesn't feel right. If i have the chance to do the real thing, i would say you have been a real source of inspiration to me. Thank you for sharing and teaching me to be a better pilot. What happens in our head dictates the flight outcome.
Hi Craig - I totally agree with this. I hope you are able to fly too if that's something you'd like to pursue! I was really into R/C for a few summers. Super super fun. I had a T-28 and a super cub and really enjoyed it. Lots of cool things you can do modding those out!
I’ll respect a humble pilot over an egotistical pilot all day long. Huge thanks for your contributions to help other pilots!
Hi Josh - appreciate your comment and thanks for watching! Glad you found it helpful.
Thank you for sharing. No judgment from me. I’ve made mistakes too. Hearing these stories help keep me on my toes.
Thank you!
Speaking as a future pilot ( I'll be starting Ground School soon ). I always learn more from people who are willing to admit their mistakes rather than making excuses. It usually takes me about five videos before I decide whether or not to subscribe and this is number 2. In both videos he's admitted mistakes he's made and been very good at explaining them.
You just got a new subscriber. Keep up the good work.👍
Awesome, glad to have you as a subscriber!! Thanks for your kind words and keep me posted on ground school! Welcome to the aviation family!
Thanks for sharing, we all make mistakes and you're brave to admit the series of errors that were made. However for inexperienced pilots it's a great debrief full of useful tips that others will recall if in a similar situation.
Thanks for sharing with us. While tough to admit and rehash our mistakes, when we’re fortunate enough to make it through them unscathed, it’s important to not only learn from them ourselves but to share with others so we all can be safer pilots. I know I’ve had that “oh shit, what did I just do” feeling before, it’s the worst! One time I was almost finished with a flight before I realized the alternator wasn’t on! Thanks again for all the details and the reminder that you should always have (and remember to use) an out. Take care and be safe! 👍
Hi Andrew - thanks for participating and I completely agree on all points. I remember watching a flight chops video of him in the Pitts and towards the end of the flight he realized he hadn't flipped on the alternator. I loved that he pointed that out, because he very well could have edited it out without anyone knowing.
As a CFI and former airline pilot, appreciate your debrief. Seems like you know what you did wrong. Even in the airline world, you see mistakes like this. Even I have made poor decisions at times. But the ultimate lesson is that you learned from this experience and will do things differently next time!
Thanks for the comment, Chris. Good to hear.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences, which will help remind us to Go Around is our get of trouble card.
Thanks Anderson. Absolutely agree!!
I really appreciate your honest report, you earned my highest respekt for your courage to present this.
Thank you! That means a lot to me.
I thank you for this sir. You just made us all safer. Please share more in the future. This allows other's to do the same. You are a pioneer. Thank you for opening the door to be honest and helpful.
Thanks so much! Really appreciate it.
Started flying when I was 18 back in 1986. Had a couple of scares myself when I owned an airplane in my mid 30's. As much as I loved flying I decided to walk away after my last scare. Haven't flown since 2005 and do miss it at times, but just don't have that immortality feeling you have when you're younger anymore! Thanks for sharing your experiences, stay safe!
Thanks for sharing your experience, and sorry to hear that you felt you needed to walk away. It's not for everybody, so there's no shame in that. If you're ever interested in getting back on the horse and I can help in any way, let me know.
Hey man, good on ya for making this video. It takes a lot of humility, but you owned up to your mistakes, learned from them, and will make the necessary changes accordingly and to help others. That shows your true character. 👏 I'm about to start the training to get my PPL and I've learned a lot from your videos and I really appreciate your level headedness. Very informative. 👏 Don't let it eat you up. We all do dumb shit from time to time and no one is perfect. 🙂
Great video. Liked the fact that you shared. A lesson for me and others in the future. Remember we are in control and there is always the go around. Plus the reminder of density altitude.
I have just started watching your videos and I have to tell you, this one made me take notice how easy it could be to get in a bad situation. Your sharing this video has helped me immensely in my decision to look into becoming a pilot. If I can make decisions one tenth as good as you have shown, I will have a great chance to be a safe pilot. I thank you so much!
Wow! Thanks so much. Really appreciate you saying this!
Thanks for the honestly. Makes us all think again when flying we all make mistakes and we can learn from it.
A+ on the video...good to know all of us has nerves and second guess at times in the air...this video really is comforting. Thank you for sharing..
Mistakes do occur, you survived it unscathed and and got a valuable learning experience out of it. Too many private pilots here in Florida were not so lucky and we are the easiest place to fly
Thanks for sharing! I live in Spokane and fly in ID all the time. It's wonderful! Great story for a learning experience. Not seeing the field in time to set up properly has bitten me, too. It is probably pretty common so this video should hopefully help people make a better choice than just bulling ahead and forcing it on. (FWIW, I can totally see how this happened, given the scenario.)
These are the type of things which I am certain, as soon as the 'vid is over and I can take courses, will help me be a better pilot from day 1. Thank you for being willing to share this. THIS is maturity and a real concern for fellow pilots. Thank you.
Thank you! Really appreciate it!
I think it's great that you were able to share your experience. In the end, its made you a better pilot and I'm sure your experience will help others not make the same mistake. I remember a few instances back in my flight training days where I scared myself and it was absolutely a learning experience for me.
On another note, I came across your channel while I was watching your dad take you for a rip in the TBM.....love those airplanes! Been a subscriber since then. Keep up the good work and safe travels!
Thanks so much for subscribing and watching. I'm glad you're enjoying the channel!
Thank you for sharing and for being honest about your vulnerability. As a training pilot, I certainly appreciate it. Always learning.
Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it.
Imagine all the things we are learning due to yours and other pilots honesty, only by sharing the good with the bad can we all get the safety we all want; good on ya bro!
Hey man thanks for sharing. No reason to feel shame, the fact that we are all humans means all pilots will make mistakes. By sharing this sort of thing, you're helping others to remember and be conscious of mistakes that could happen to anyone frankly.
Thank you so much! Really appreciate your kind words. This was my greatest hope in sharing.
No experience is a better teacher than a mistake that scares even yourself.
Charlie, you are a great person. Thanks for sharing things we all experienced. Flying is about physics, not ego.
Appreciate all your great wisdom. Matt
Thanks so much, Matt! Really appreciate this!
I very much appreciate you sharing this. I’ve had my share of “wish I hadn’t a done that” experiences. We all learn from these. Happy future flying!
Thanks Darrick - I appreciate the comment!
Thanks for allowing YOURSELF to share this with us. With any flying time, we've all been there in one fashion or another. We've learned to say "Unable" to ATC, but we also need to learn to say that to ourselves. I could hear the stress in your breathing. By this humility, you've grown into a better pilot. Be sure to give God thanks for every blessing and His protection.