EP133 - Ice Bags in Your Nether Regions: Remote Field Breakdown Survival Guide

The guys tackle the inevitable reality of breaking down away from home - and yeah, "you did it to yourself by choosing to take on flying in midlife." They get real about emergency prep: "have a leatherman, have zip ties, have tape" and for the love of all that's holy, "cash is options, cash is flexibility." Brian drops wisdom about proactive maintenance ("we all do deferred maintenance") while Ted swears by Savvy Aviation as "AAA for aviation" after his windshield cracked mid-flight. Ben reminds everyone that mechanics are surprisingly helpful - "don't worry about it" seems to be their universal response to weekend pilot problems. The crew's advice boils down to: plan your route around services, know your call-out numbers, stay "calm and systematic" when things go sideways, and sometimes, if it's safe. just "put some duct tape on it" and "send it." Their six-point survival plan covers everything from building your network before you need it to knowing "when to walk away"—because "small town A&P's seem to be more available than you would expect." Mentioned on the show: Volvo 940: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_900_Series#Volvo_940 Blackstone Labs (oil analysis): https://www.blackstone-labs.com/ Evektor EV97: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evektor_SportStar Example of a 'magnetic tablet cooler': https://amazon.com/dp/B0C7PC3155 Savvy Aviation: https://www.savvyaviation.com/plans/ AirNav (airport information): https://www.airnav.com/ Pain Field (PAE): https://www.airnav.com/airport/KPAE RAM Mounts: https://www.rammount.com/ Leatherman multi-tools: https://www.leatherman.com/ Support the Podcast: Join our amazing Patreon community for just $1/month and get access to exclusive content, check ride debriefs, and the best pilot community on the internet: https://www.patreon.com/midlifepilotpodcast Connect with us: Website: https://midlifepilotpodcast.com Email: midlifepilotpodcast@gmail.com Watch live: Mondays 8PM Eastern on YouTube Discord: Join through our website A portion of proceeds supports Freedom Aviation Network's anti-human trafficking efforts.