Episode 11: Ed Regensburg and Jillian Harner

Episode 11: Ed Regensburg and Jillian Harner

Author: AOPA Air Safety Institute June 11, 2019 Duration: 58:27
Join us on an adventure in the Caribbean as we talk to Ed Regensburg, Cirrus SR22 pilot, and Lt. Jillian Harner, commander of a US Coast Guard HC-144. Flying home after a trip to St. Croix, Ed was piloting a Cirrus SR22 with his friend, Dan Tucker, when a drop in oil pressure and subsequent engine failure forced them to pull the plane’s parachute and land in the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, a Coast Guard HC-144, led by Lt. Jillian Harner, heard the distress call and began the search and rescue mission. To see video and photos from this story, click here.

Imagine pulling up a chair in a virtual hangar, surrounded by pilots swapping their most gripping stories. That’s the feeling at the heart of "There I was..." An Aviation Podcast. Produced by the AOPA Air Safety Institute, each episode is a direct flight into real-world cockpit experiences, where seasoned aviators recount moments when weather, mechanics, or sheer chance threw them a curveball. You’ll hear the subtle tension in their voices as they describe navigating a sudden system failure or an unforecast storm, followed by the clear-headed decisions that led to a safe landing. This isn’t about sensationalism; it’s about the nuanced application of skill and training under pressure. The entire podcast is built on aviation’s rich tradition of “hangar flying”-that invaluable, informal passing of wisdom from one pilot to another. By listening, you gain access to a collective library of hard-won lessons, a resource that deepens your understanding of what it truly means to fly safely. Whether you’re a student pilot, a seasoned captain, or simply fascinated by the realities of flight, these narratives offer a profound and practical education, one compelling story at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 95

"There I was..." An Aviation Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Episode 35: John Lancaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:57
Former Washington Post reporter John Lancaster shares the story of flying across the U.S. in his Flight Design CTLSi light-sport aircraft, for a book he is writing about the 1919 Transcontinental Air Race. While tracing…
Episode 34: Craig Beles and Truman O'Brien [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:52
On an IFR flight from Bend, Oregon to Vashon Island, WA, Craig Beles and his friend and CFI Truman O’Brien experienced an engine failure in their PA-28 Cherokee 140. Over vast wilderness with no ideal landing options, th…
Episode 33: John "Pappy" Mazza [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:52
Warbird pilot and former aircraft racer John “Pappy” Mazza shares an engine failure experience while flying a Grumman FM-2 Wildcat.
Episode 32: Doug Rozendaal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:44
Longtime GA pilot, warbird trainer and DPE Doug Rozendaal tells us a story about piloting a Beech 18 during his years of flying freight, when he experienced an electrical failure at night in low IMC.
Episode 31: Kelly Keller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:27
In this episode, we talk to GA pilot Kelly Keller, who was flying back from a fishing resort in Arkansas with her husband while 7 months pregnant when she experienced an engine failure in a Cessna 172.
Episode 30: Terry Pretzloff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:13
GA pilot and Cirrus Training Center Instructor Terry Pretzloff tells us about a flight from Chicago Midway to Rochester, Minnesota in a Cirrus SR22. Despite thorough preflight planning, Terry encountered hazardous icing…
Episode 29: Dennis Martin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:04
Helicopter pilot Dennis Martin joins us to talk about an incident he had after departing the AOPA Fly-In at Carbondale, IL in 2018. While flying his Enstrom 480B from Carbondale to Chicago Executive Airport, Dennis exper…
Episode 28: Doug Stewart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:22
Master Certified Flight Instructor, DPE and general aviation icon Doug Stewart joins us to talk about an incident he had in a 1974 Cessna Cardinal at a small New Hampshire airport. While departing the 1,900 foot strip, D…
Episode 27: Todd Clark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:42
In this episode we talk to Todd Clark, a 700-hour pilot based in beautiful Kalispell, MT. Todd experienced a gear-up landing in his Mooney M20J, and he joins us to talk about the day’s events that led up to the incident.
Episode 26: Mirek Fatyga [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:18
Join us as we talk to Mirek Fatyga, a commercial-rated pilot based in Phoenix, AZ. Mirek tells the story of piloting a Tecnam light sport aircraft at night, when he flew through a tree while on approach to land at an air…