Aviation · Wayne Allen

Try Not to Crash

by Wayne Allen

"Try Not To Crash." The last thing my instructor said when I went solo. Sound familiar?  Welcome to the only flying podcast where the pilot's still figuring it out. Some pilots like to think they know everything. Some people think they do. Me, I'm still looking for the checklist, still trying to remember which end of the runway to take off from. Try Not To Crash is for everyone who's still learning, which is all of us. I'm Wayne. I learned to fly in my early fifties, and I own a one-fifth share in a Cessna 172 called KK, based at Elstree just north of London. I'm a private pilot, not an instructor, so don't come here for a lesson. Come here for the honest version: what it's actually like to learn, to stay current, to fly a share, and to muddle through general aviation in the UK without pretending I've got it all worked out. I'll talk about my own flying journey, the good days and the bad, and a fair few of the c**k-ups in between. And because everyone likes to think pilots are sky gods (we are, obviously) who must have an opinion on absolutely everything, I'll have a nosy natter about the wider flying world too, the stuff that affects how and where we get to fly. What I won't do is sit here calling the cause of an accident. That's not my job and I'm not qualified for it. But I'll gladly tell you how it all feels from someone who prefers to fly with the windows in front, not at the side. Student pilot, later-in-life learner, or just someone who likes aeroplanes and honest stories? Pull up a headset. We never stop learning, and the day we do is the day we should stop flying. You'll find me on YouTube as WhiskeyAlphaPilot, where I actually show you the flying, and at whiskeyalphapilot.com. Be safe, have fun, and of course try not to crash.