The Wing Wag – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to "The Wing Wag"!  In this episode, I will be introducing the podcast and explaining what a wing wag is.

At Oshkosh 2025, the FAA announced a new ruling called MOSAIC, which stands for Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification.  This ruling greatly expands the privileges of sport pilots and what is considered a light-sport aircraft.  Matthew Olinde of Olinde Aerospace joins us to discuss how this exciting new ruling will affect pilots, airplane owners, and flight schools.

Join us this week for a chilling Halloween tale!  We will be reading "The Horror of the Heights" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, an early aviation horror story about the creatures that lurk beyond the clouds.

Originally published in 1913, just 10 years after the Wright brothers' first flight, this story brings together aviation and science fiction terror as one adventurous pilot attempts to fly higher than any pilot has flown before.

Aviation was born with the balloon when, in 1783, the first manned hot air balloon rose off the French soil.  But ever since the Wright brothers made their first flight out of Kitty Hawk in 1903, the balloon has been vastly overshadowed by the airplane.

With the advent of space tourism, the balloon could rise again to the forefront of aviation!  Join Matthew and I as we talk about the company Space Perspective and their goal to bring tourists to space suspended from a balloon.

Probably not, but maybe.  Definitely don't do it without first checking to see if your plane has an auto gas STC.  This episode is all about aviation gas (avgas).  Why does it still contain lead when leaded auto gas was phased out 50 years ago?  Why does avgas have 2 octane ratings instead of just 1?  What makes ethanol so dangerous for airplanes?  Join Hunter and I as we answer all of your avgas related questions!

Meet the Cessna 170, the tailwheel older brother to the ubiquitous Cessna 172.  In this episode, Matthew joins us to discuss why the 170 is such versatile tailwheel aircraft, how we found one, and what we learned from the buying process.

This week, I'm flying solo through the hurricane!  As pilots, we are always thinking about weather when we are flying or planning a flight.  When you become an airplane owner, you have to worry about weather not only in the air, but also when the plane is on the ground.  This worry is made even worse when you have an airplane that you keep outside in Florida during hurricane season!  Join me as we discuss keeping you plane airworthy and shiny no matter the weather.

Once you get your pilots' license, it's easy to view flying as a chore, something that you must do every month to stay current.  The real joy of flying comes from the adventures that having a pilots' license opens up to you.

This week, I am joined by my Kiara to discuss some of the adventures that we have done together in the airplane, and the ones we want to do in the future!

At first, the vast majority of general aviation aircraft were tailwheels.  This all changed in the 1950s when tricycle gear (nosewheel) aircraft became the standard for general aviation.  Now virtually all trainers have a tricycle gear.

My brother Matthew, a CFI specializing in tailwheel training, joins us this week to discuss why this shift occurred and why there is still a benefit to learning to fly in a tailwheel airplane.

Trijets, airplanes with 3 jet engines, went from the majority of jet airliners in the 1980s to basically nonexistent today.  What caused their initial popularity and their drastic decline?  Join us on this week's episode of The Wing Wag as we answer these questions!