A newly minted rating, a blandly confident low-hours pilot, time pressure and a desire to impress. What could possibly go wrong?Read this Close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2022/06/fear-for-lunch/

A newly minted rating, a blandly confident low-hours pilot, time pressure and a desire to impress. What could possibly go wrong? Read this Close call at <a href="https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2022/06/fear-for-lunch/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2022/06/fear-for-lunch/</a>

Fear for lunch

A pilot flying at an incorrect level in a busy lane making garbled radio calls creates a wake of confusion and danger.

Taking the low road

A pilot listens to their nagging doubt, and makes a horrifying discovery.

Twisting the blade

Rising terrain, worsening visibility and the smell of smoke in the cockpit. ’I couldn’t believe I’d found myself in this situation.’

It’s a health hazard

How ‘marginal but do-able,’  turned into a sobering lesson for an eager pilot who was unaware of being subtly overconfident.

Clouded thinking

A mustering pilot experiences the longest five minutes of his life: ‘I was under no illusions. I knew the engine was going to seize.’

Down and dirty

Pilot Michael Ralph’s graphic retelling of an all-too-common VFR occurrence. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2019/07/his-story-almost-history/

Pilot Michael Ralph’s graphic retelling of an all-too-common VFR occurrence. Read this close call at <a href="https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2019/07/his-story-almost-history/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2019/07/his-story-almost-history/</a>

His story … almost history

A pilot has to make quick decisions after the airspeed indicator fails. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2020/04/nothing-on-the-clock/

A pilot has to make quick decisions after the airspeed indicator fails. Read this close call at <a href="https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2020/04/nothing-on-the-clock/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2020/04/nothing-on-the-clock/</a>

Nothing on the clock

A series of small decisions, none harmful in isolation created a terrifying situation by the end of the day. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/10/avoid-assumptions-without-confirmation/

A series of small decisions, none harmful in isolation created a terrifying situation by the end of the day. Read this close call at <a href="https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/10/avoid-assumptions-without-confirmation/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/10/avoid-assumptions-without-confirmation/</a>

Avoid assumptions without confirmation

How heat and stress incubated a horrifying human error. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/07/valuable-lesson-learned/.

How heat and stress incubated a horrifying human error. Read this close call at <a href="https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/07/valuable-lesson-learned/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/07/valuable-lesson-learned/</a>.

Valuable lesson learned

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is a government body that regulates Australian aviation safety. We license pilots, register aircraft and oversee safety.

An aviation professional  shudders to recall but draws lessons from an accident in his callow youth. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/05/past-the-point-of-no-return/

An aviation professional shudders to recall but draws lessons from an accident in his callow youth. Read this close call at <a href="https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/05/past-the-point-of-no-return/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/05/past-the-point-of-no-return/</a>

Past the point of no return

Skydivers are often asked why they'd want to jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane, but what if it wasn't perfect? Read more at www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/02/fully-loaded-and-going-fast/

Skydivers are often asked why they'd want to jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane, but what if it wasn't perfect? Read more at <a href="http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/02/fully-loaded-and-going-fast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2018/02/fully-loaded-and-going-fast/</a>

Fully loaded and going fast

I’ve held a VFR private pilot’s licence since 1988 and have around 1100 hours in command. Recently, I was involved in an incident, which could’ve ended in tragedy. Read more at http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2017/07/the-hills-are-alive/

I’ve held a VFR private pilot’s licence since 1988 and have around 1100 hours in command. Recently, I was involved in an incident, which could’ve ended in tragedy. Read more at <a href="http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2017/07/the-hills-are-alive/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2017/07/the-hills-are-alive/</a>

The hills are alive

It’s the Easter weekend. The weather’s perfect, skies are clear and my mate Kevin and I are in the cockpit of my beloved Kitfox 3 ‘rag and tube’ light plane. We’re at 5000 ft and heading east for Kalgoorlie, 590 km away. Read this close call at https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2017/05/easter-road-trip/.

It’s the Easter weekend. The weather’s perfect, skies are clear and my mate Kevin and I are in the cockpit of my beloved Kitfox 3 ‘rag and tube’ light plane. We’re at 5000 ft and heading east for Kalgoorlie, 590 km away. Read this close call at <a href="https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2017/05/easter-road-trip/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2017/05/easter-road-trip/</a>.

Easter road trip

A hangar story that could easily have been a front-page newspaper story.Read via Flight Safety Australia at http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2017/03/down-to-the-last-drop/

A hangar story that could easily have been a front-page newspaper story. Read via Flight Safety Australia at <a href="http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2017/03/down-to-the-last-drop/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2017/03/down-to-the-last-drop/</a>

Down to the last drop

How a recreational pilot found himself loaded with fuel without a drop to spare. Read this close call at http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/09/the-devil-in-the-detail/

How a recreational pilot found himself loaded with fuel without a drop to spare. Read this close call at <a href="http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/09/the-devil-in-the-detail/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/09/the-devil-in-the-detail/</a>

The devil in the detail

This newly instrument rated pilot was as happy as a warthog in elephant dung. I was flying old, but still shiny, twin pistons for a living; and Zimbabwe was now a relatively peaceful country with a new name and what looked like a bright future, now that the Bush War was over! Life was good.Read the full story at http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/07/out-in-africa/

This newly instrument rated pilot was as happy as a warthog in elephant dung. I was flying old, but still shiny, twin pistons for a living; and Zimbabwe was now a relatively peaceful country with a new name and what looked like a bright future, now that the Bush War was over! Life was good. Read the full story at <a href="http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/07/out-in-africa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/07/out-in-africa/</a>

Out in Africa

How secure is your cockpit and cabin? Is everything stowed safely, but still readily available if needed?Read this close call at http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/05/what-you-dont-find-can-kill-you/

How secure is your cockpit and cabin? Is everything stowed safely, but still readily available if needed? Read this close call at <a href="http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/05/what-you-dont-find-can-kill-you/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/05/what-you-dont-find-can-kill-you/</a>

What you don't find can kill you

A hang glider tells how fatigue and human factors almost had disastrous outcomes. Read the full article at http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/03/undone-over-gulgong/

A hang glider tells how fatigue and human factors almost had disastrous outcomes. Read the full article at <a href="http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/03/undone-over-gulgong/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/03/undone-over-gulgong/</a>

Undone over Gulgong

This is a story about the time that I let commercial pressures get in the way of my personal margins, and learnt the value of boundaries the hard way.You can read this close call at http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/01/the-rule-of-three/

This is a story about the time that I let commercial pressures get in the way of my personal margins, and learnt the value of boundaries the hard way. You can read this close call at <a href="http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/01/the-rule-of-three/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2016/01/the-rule-of-three/</a>

The rule of three

Flight Safety Australia - Close calls

The best podcast episodes of the most interesting stories and things. From skyping someone while they're in space, to tracking down and meeting a telephone scammer in person, to the story of a Galapagos. These episodes will keep you and all your friends entertained and captivated for hours. Learn something new in every episode! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes: Interesting Stories & Things

The best podcast episodes on physical health. Episodes talk about your diet, sleep, exercise and all the things that people do to improve their physical health and live a healthier life. This topic is for everyone, with applications in all of our everyday lives. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!