Greg Brown: Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet
Ride along with renowned aviator, writer, and photographer Greg Brown in his light airplane, the "Flying Carpet," as he searches behind clouds for the real America, experiencing countless aerial adventures along the way. A former National Flight Instructor of the Year, Greg is author of five books, a former Barnes & Noble Arizona Author of the Month, and recently completed twenty years as aviation adventure columnist for AOPA Flight Training magazine. Some reviewers have compared his book, "Flying Carpet: The Soul of an Airplane," to sixties road-trip classics like "On the Road," and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." Says aviation author and humorist Rod Machado: “Greg thinks with the mind of a pilot, questions with the curiosity of a philosopher, and sees with the eyes of a poet.” Observes Nina Bell Allen, former “Readers Digest” Asst. Managing Editor, "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in [his] Flying Carpet." So buckle in and join Greg for the ride!
Episodes
As you’ve likely heard, the final Learjet was recently delivered following almost 60 years of production. I was a kid when the Lear 23 was first introduced in 1964.
Although a few other corporate jets were flying by then, most companies still motored around in relatively slow, unpressurized piston airplanes, many of them repurposed WWII-era bombers and freighters.
The Lear was so sleek, sexy, and fast in comparison that it seemingl...
Every aviator develops mutually rewarding relationships with the flight instructors delivering his or her wings.
Well, here’s the backstory of one of those relationships, that over 22 years led to the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame. It’s a story every pilot will appreciate.
Read my 1999 NAFI Mentor column referenced in the Podcast.
Tips and tricks for introducing family and friends to general aviation flying, including some hysterical stories about how NOT to do it!
Learn how to treat family and friends to their critical first airplane rides, to ensure that they enjoy themselves and want to fly with you again.
Heads up that this is a live recording of a talk given several years ago, meaning audio quality is somewhat variable. But if you’ll stick with me I prom...
Greg
PS: If you enjoy this podcast, please share...
Ever wonder what it would be like, flying yourself into a foreign country where pilot communications are transmitted in an unknown-to-you language? Well, here's your opportunity to find out!
This episode marks fifty years of a treasured friendship, arising under unusual circumstances from a long-ago foreign adventure, and continued over the years through Flying Carpet adventures like this one!
Ever wonder what it was like to fly primitive airplanes into battle in World War I? Well, here’s your opportunity to find out!
“The engine is the heart of an airplane, but the pilot is its soul,” ⸺Sir Walter Raleigh, The War in the Air, 1922
(Music by Hannis Brown)
When celebrating birthdays with zeros in them, flowers alone won’t do it. So when Jean marked a new decade I sought somewhere special we could fly to celebrate.
“But it seems weird celebrating a big birthday in Death Valley,” she said...
Check out the photos at GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com !
(Music by Hannis Brown)
Experience archaeology by Flying Carpet: Earning your wings is more than piloting an airplane; it's about where flying can take you!
Don't miss this episode's photos at GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com !
(Music by Hannis Brown)
“Look!” said my wife with horror. “There’s been a terrible crash!” Glancing downward, there was just time for me to glimpse carnage on Highway 202, the Red Mountain Freeway east of Phoenix. A few hundred feet beneath us, flames and blackened vehicles littered the roadway as we crossed low on final approach to land at Falcon Field.
See photos at episode website. (Music by Hannis Brown)
Here's an audio holiday card to you and your family, direct from the cockpit of the Flying Carpet!
It's been a mighty tough year, between pandemic, politics, and world problems, so from our family to yours, we hope this little audio card will brighten your holiday season, whatever your heritage or faith. May 2021 mark happier times for all of us!
Grab your logbook, ‘cause it’s time for Flying Carpet Podcast Flight #12, “Inches of Runway!”
Because wind is invisible, it rarely seems as threatening as other weather when you’re flight planning, especially under clear skies. But as every pilot learns, wind is real; like other weather features it can be helpful or hazardous. Consider, for example, a 65-knot (75mph) headwind…!
See photos at the episode website.
Music by Hannis Brown
The saga of the Lobe Band Bus, rescued by Flying Carpet.
"You could always circle it on the way back, like a vulture!"
See photos at the episode website!
Music by Hannis Brown.
Grab your logbook, ‘cause it’s time for Flying Carpet Podcast Flight #10, “Long Journey North.”
Jean and I are often asked, “Is there one aerial journey that stands out above the rest, in all your decades of flying?” Well yes there is, and this is it -- an extended Flying Carpet trek from Arizona to Northern Minnesota, to attend a funeral.
There’s no single event that made it memorable, but rather a long cross-the-country adventure...
Ever heard of anyone sowing terror from a tiny 2-seat Cessna 150 trainer? Well, grab your logbook ‘cause it’s time for Flying Carpet Podcast Flight #9, “Flying the Mists of Time,” about a little-known aviation event leading up to one of the US's most heinous terrorist acts.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gbflyingcarpet)Grab your logbook ‘cause it’s time for Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Flight #8, “Painted into a Corner,” about a scary flight, facing down thunderstorms in dark of night!
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gbflyingcarpet)Grab your logbook, ‘cause it’s time for Flying Carpet Podcast Flight #7, “Snipe Hunt!” Those who savor old cars, grass strips, and the aroma of rotisserie chicken, will love this episode. And don't miss the photos at GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com, including "the wolf in sheep's clothing!"
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gbflyingcarpet)This account of how one airport helped save a town from wildfires, is presented as a tribute to the countless Wildland Firefighters, in the air and on the ground, and the teams and airports supporting them, currently battling record wildfires across California and the US Mountain West.
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gbflyingcarpet)Even after decades of piloting, night landings remain tough, beautiful, a little scary, and immensely rewarding. But just 30 minutes aloft displace all the preflight fears and apprehensions with just a single thought: CAN YOU BELIEVE WE GET TO DO THIS?!
Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gbflyingcarpet)“The roaring powerplant and squealing tires soon brought my instructor scrambling from the office.” Rancher-pilot Sky King of the legendary 1950s TV program intersects with the wackiest checkride of Greg's piloting career.
Music by Hannis Brown
Like fond memories of long-ago lovers, beloved airplanes resurface occasionally from quiet corners of a pilot’s mind. We hear the last three digits of some familiar N-number and are flooded with reminiscences. But rarely do the abbreviated call signs used in routine communications fully match the numbers of actual steeds we once flew — especially when 1500 miles and thirty years have passed under the wings. Along the way, you'l...
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