In our second episode, we speak to my flight instructor Frédéric. I've been flying with Frédéric at my aéroclub for a couple of months now and this episode was chance to get to know what made him want to change careers and become a pilot relatively late in life, what it's like to teach someone else how to fly and what his own goals are as a pilot.

We also talk about:

• Why he feels like he has aviation in his genes
• What made him want to pursue his hobby and get his license
• What drew him to acrobatic flying
• How bad landings are a simply a necessary part of flight training
• What it's like to teach someone how to fly and learn to trust them
• Tips for the beginning student pilot
• How, regardless of experience, a pilot has to always be learning

Frédéric mention these things in the podcast:

• The Right Stuff, a historical drama about the early test pilots involved in cutting-edge research at Edwards Air Force Base in the 60s, including the legendary Chuck Yeager.
• L'avionnaire, a very thorough online encyclopaedia on aviation, with articles on everything from history, aerodynamics and instrument flying to weather, engines and de-icing (in French).

A huge thanks to Frédéric for taking the time to chat. We hope you enjoy this episode.

This is a fairly new podcast and we've still got a lot to learn, so we've love to hear from you! Send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions either by email (ground.effect[@]neustadt[.]fr) or via Twitter (@thegroundeffect).

Host: Parimal Satyal
Support and Original Artwork: Maggie Oran
Podcast Music: Getting It All Together by RockitMaxx