Think you don’t have enough time to learn to fly? Dr. Bose Cheeran became a private pilot while working full-time as an interventional cardiologist, taking call, raising a family, traveling internationally, and dealing with all the normal challenges that come with flight training.In this episode of Flight Tales, Ryan Owens sits down with Bose to talk about his journey from a Discovery Flight at Owens Flight Training to earning his Private Pilot Certificate in a Cirrus. What started as a birthday gift from his wife—who hoped one flight might get aviation out of his system—ended up doing exactly the opposite.Bose talks about fitting flight lessons around a demanding medical career, flying after work and on weekends, dealing with motion sickness, staying proficient during breaks in training, preparing for his checkride, and the confidence that came from his first solo.They also dig into what medicine and aviation have in common: checklists, risk management, staying calm during emergencies, knowing your memory items, and fighting complacency. As Bose explains, whether you're dealing with a complication during a medical procedure or an engine failure in an airplane, you can't freeze and start searching for the answer—you need to know how to respond.Plus, Ryan and Bose talk Cirrus training, avionics, CAPS, the new SR20 G7+, Safe Return Autoland, checkride mistakes, get-there-itis, flight planning, and why even the best technology can't protect a pilot from bad decisions.If you've been telling yourself “I don't have time to become a pilot,” Bo's story might change your mind. His advice to other busy professionals is simple: if you want to learn badly enough, you can find the time—even if it takes a little longer.In this episode:Learning to fly while working a demanding full-time careerDiscovery Flights and getting hooked on aviationTraining in a CirrusOvercoming motion sickness during flight trainingFinding time to fly consistentlyFirst solo and building confidencePreparing for the Private Pilot checkrideMistakes and go-arounds during a checkrideCirrus avionics and avoiding automation dependencySR20 G7+ and Safe Return AutolandSimilarities between physicians and pilotsChecklists, emergency procedures and memory itemsComplacency and get-there-itisWhy good preflight planning mattersEvery pilot has a story, and every story has a lesson. Flight Tales with Ryan Owens is about helping you become a safe, knowledgeable, and confident pilot.Owens Flight Training is a flight school based in Lafayette, Louisiana.www.owensflighttraining.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/owensflighttrainingInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/owensflighttraining

Think you know your airspace? Ryan Owens puts Owens Flight Training instructor Fernando Sequera through a mock-checkride-style breakdown of sectional charts and the airspace knowledge every student pilot should have before the real thing.In this episode of Flight Tales, Ryan and Fernando work their way across the sectional and cover Class B, C, D, E, and G airspace, VFR weather minimums, Special VFR, equipment and communication requirements, TRSAs, restricted and prohibited areas, MOAs, TFRs, VFR corridors, terminal area charts, airport symbols, VORs, Victor Airways, maximum elevation figures, magnetic variation, and more.They also get into the practical stuff that matters when you're actually flying: when you need to talk to ATC, how to determine whether special-use airspace is active, why flight following is worth using, what all those symbols on the sectional actually mean, and where to look when you don't know the answer. The episode even works through real-world flight planning scenarios, including navigating complex airspace and considering glide distance over large bodies of water.If you're preparing for your Private Pilot checkride, studying for your written exam, or you're already certificated and could use an airspace refresher, follow along and see how many questions you can answer before Fernando does.Topics include:Class B, C, D, E, G and A airspaceVFR weather minimums and cloud clearancesAirspace entry and equipment requirementsSpecial VFRMOAs, restricted areas, prohibited areas and TFRsSectional chart symbols and airport informationTRSAs and VFR corridorsVORs, Victor Airways and Flight ServiceMaximum Elevation Figures and obstaclesMagnetic variationFlight following and ATC communicationPractical VFR flight planningEvery pilot has a story, and every story has a lesson. Flight Tales with Ryan Owens is about helping you become a safe, knowledgeable, and confident pilot.Owens Flight Training is a flight school based in Lafayette, Louisiana.www.owensflighttraining.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/owensflighttrainingInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/owensflighttraining

What is a DPE actually thinking during your checkride?In this episode of Flight Tales, host Ryan Owens sits down with Designated Pilot Examiner Peyton Enloe to talk about what examiners notice, the mistakes that cause pilots to fail checkrides, and what separates a pilot who can simply perform a maneuver from one who actually understands what they're doing.Peyton explains why your checkride starts before you ever get in the airplane—from having your documents and FAA reference materials ready to knowing how to access IACRA without relying on your instructor.Ryan and Peyton also dig into some of the most common weaknesses Peyton sees in flight training, including instructors teaching students how to perform maneuvers without explaining why they're performed that way.In this episode:What DPEs notice when you first walk into a checkrideHow to show up prepared for your practical testCommon mistakes CFIs make when preparing studentsWhy pilots need to understand the "why" behind maneuversFlap usage and when full flaps may not be the best choicePower-on stalls, turning stalls, skids, and spin scenariosWhat pilots misunderstand about steep turnsWhy the ACS should be part of your training—not just checkride prepScenario-based training vs. memorizing proceduresForward slips and why the scenario mattersWhen going around is the right decision on a checkrideHow many go-arounds can become too manyWhat happens after an unsatisfactory maneuverContinuing a checkride after a failed maneuverA real-world example of a pilot landing and taking off downwind during a checkrideWhy stabilized approaches matterHow professional flight operations monitor unstable approachesFuel management mistakes that can become dangerousWhy good decision-making may be the most important skill a pilot developsPersonal minimums for new instrument-rated pilotsWhy instrument students should experience actual IMC during trainingWhat DPEs expect you to know about your autopilotAutomation mistakes that can lead to altitude deviationsWhy you should always fly the airplane firstWhether you're preparing for your Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot, Instrument Rating, or CFI checkride, this conversation gives you a look at practical tests from the examiner's side of the table.The biggest lesson? Don't just memorize what your instructor tells you to do. Understand why you're doing it, know where to find the answer when you don't know it, and learn how to make good decisions when the situation doesn't go exactly as planned.Owens Flight Training is a flight school based in Lafayette, Louisiana.www.owensflighttraining.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/owensflighttrainingInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/owensflighttraining