Greg Brown: Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet

Greg Brown, “the story-teller-poet-laureate of aviation”
  • 4.9 (15)
  • AVIATION

Greg Brown, “the story-teller-poet-laureate of aviation” Ride along with renowned aviator, writer, and photographer Greg Brown in his light airplane, the "Flying Carpet," as he searches behind clouds for the real America, experiencing countless aerial adventures along the way. A former National Flight Instructor of the Year, Greg is author of five books, a former Barnes & Noble Arizona Author of the Month, and longtime aviation adventure columnist for AOPA Flight Training magazine. Some reviewers have compared his book, "Flying Carpet: The Soul of an Airplane," to sixties road-trip classics like "On the Road," and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." Says aviation author and humorist Rod Machado: “Greg thinks with the mind of a pilot, questions with the curiosity of a philosopher, and sees with the eyes of a poet.” Observes Nina Bell Allen, former “Readers Digest” Asst. Managing Editor, "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in [his] Flying Carpet." So buckle in and join Greg for the ride! Website: GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com/podcast

  1. Best Landing Anyone Ever Made

    JAN 1

    Best Landing Anyone Ever Made

    Support the show Contact Greg with your comments and suggestions! GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com (Find all of Greg's links here.) Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet." -- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group Greg Brown's Student Pilot Pep Talk Facebook Group Greg Brown on Instagram https://www.facebook.com/GregBrownFlyingCarpet/ https://www.instagram.com/gregbrownflyingcarpet/

    17 min
  2. Lessons & Landmarks

    12/18/2025

    Lessons & Landmarks

    Lessons & Landmarks; Cross Country Odyssey During the ATC Strike During the recent longest ever US government shutdown, airline traffic was restricted at 14 major airports around the country. But you may not know that those same airports closed entirely to General Aviation ("GA") traffic, meaning non-airline private, and business aircraft. That aborted a plan to pick up friends at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.  The experience reminded me of how fortunate we GA pilots are to fly generally open skies. It also reminded me of two previous occasions when our piloting privileges were limited or taken away. Some pilot listeners will remember the pain following the 9/11 terrorist attacks when all general aviation traffic was grounded.  Well, an earlier historical event had a longer lasting effect on general aviation impacting my personal first ever West Coast piloting journey -- that's what this episode is about. Oh, and what a landing at the "Airport in the Sky!" Episode Photo by Chris Dejongh Support the show Contact Greg with your comments and suggestions! GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com (Find all of Greg's links here.) Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet." -- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group Greg Brown's Student Pilot Pep Talk Facebook Group Greg Brown on Instagram https://www.facebook.com/GregBrownFlyingCarpet/ https://www.instagram.com/gregbrownflyingcarpet/

    21 min
  3. Best "1st Flying Lesson" Ever!

    08/28/2025

    Best "1st Flying Lesson" Ever!

    Any pilot will tell you that learning to fly an airplane is a challenging endeavor. So when you fly with someone who demonstrates a natural knack for it, that's a special occasion.   Well, I recently experienced the best "first flying lesson" I've encountered in  thousands of hours as a flight instructor. Here is the inspiring story.  Sawyer's "Flagstaff Pulliam Airport Spotting Guide" VATSIM Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network Support the show Contact Greg with your comments and suggestions! GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com (Find all of Greg's links here.) Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet." -- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group Greg Brown's Student Pilot Pep Talk Facebook Group Greg Brown on Instagram https://www.facebook.com/GregBrownFlyingCarpet/ https://www.instagram.com/gregbrownflyingcarpet/

    26 min
  4. Runaway Autopilot!

    07/12/2025

    Runaway Autopilot!

    Runaway Autopilot! (Misadventures of a Corporate Pilot) Happily I've experienced only a handful of scares over decades of piloting. But this one was a biggie! So climb aboard my Flying Carpet, buckle up your seatbelt, and prepare for takeoff on today's episode, "Runaway Autopilot!" Support the show Contact Greg with your comments and suggestions! GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com (Find all of Greg's links here.) Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet." -- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group Greg Brown's Student Pilot Pep Talk Facebook Group Greg Brown on Instagram https://www.facebook.com/GregBrownFlyingCarpet/ https://www.instagram.com/gregbrownflyingcarpet/

    24 min
  5. Kentucky Belle

    05/19/2025

    Kentucky Belle

    "This might as well be Oz,"  I thought, upon clearing the clouds approaching Paducah, Kentucky. I wouldn’t have been surprised to experience supersaturated sunshine, and perhaps a golden brick runway.  Tales of faraway lands work magic on youthful minds, and although I’d never been here before, the stories of a special person from my youth had cast a spell on this Ohio River town as real as any bright-hued fairy tale. Photo: Period postcard of the Irvin Cobb Hotel, Paducah Kentucky Kentucky Belle Episode Webpage Support the show Contact Greg with your comments and suggestions! GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com (Find all of Greg's links here.) Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet." -- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group Greg Brown's Student Pilot Pep Talk Facebook Group Greg Brown on Instagram https://www.facebook.com/GregBrownFlyingCarpet/ https://www.instagram.com/gregbrownflyingcarpet/

    13 min
  6. Bowling Alley Hot Dogs

    04/03/2025

    Bowling Alley Hot Dogs

    Flight instructing offers some of the most rewarding flying there is. We experience the joy of fulfilling our students’ dreams of flight, become better pilots ourselves in the process, and develop lifelong friendships with many of those we teach.  But among hours and hours of routine teaching and flying, there are occasional hard lessons, too, most often unanticipated. And those hard lessons are generally even more eye-opening and profound for us instructors than for our students.  Above all, we learn that while maintaining a relaxed cockpit learning environment, we must never become complacent.  Okay, everyone, hop aboard my Flying Carpet, buckle into the pilot’s seat, and prepare for takeoff on Flight Number 36, “Bowling Alley Hot Dogs.” Support the show Contact Greg with your comments and suggestions! GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com (Find all of Greg's links here.) Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet." -- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group Greg Brown's Student Pilot Pep Talk Facebook Group Greg Brown on Instagram https://www.facebook.com/GregBrownFlyingCarpet/ https://www.instagram.com/gregbrownflyingcarpet/

    19 min
  7. Flying Saucer!

    12/15/2024

    Flying Saucer!

    There's been lots of news lately about possible extraterrestrial visits from other planets, other galaxies. And whether the government has been covering it up. In particular, many reports have revealed sightings from airplane cockpits. So when a friend messaged the other day asking whether I’d ever experienced UFOs or extraterrestrials in the course of flight, I was reminded of an incident Jean and I experienced years ago in the Flying Carpet. You might call it “Flying Carpet Meets Flying Saucer.” So climb into the Flying Carpet. Buckle up your seat belts. And prepare for takeoff on Flying Carpet Podcast Flight #35. “Flying Saucer!” Greg Support the show Contact Greg with your comments and suggestions! GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com (Find all of Greg's links here.) Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet." -- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group Greg Brown's Student Pilot Pep Talk Facebook Group Greg Brown on Instagram https://www.facebook.com/GregBrownFlyingCarpet/ https://www.instagram.com/gregbrownflyingcarpet/

    13 min
  8. The Day GPS Went Away!

    10/02/2024

    The Day GPS Went Away!

    How many pilots have seriously considered the safety implications of unexpectedly losing GPS navigation in flight?  Well it happened to us, in clouds over remote and rugged terrain, and as you'll hear, the risks are thought-provoking at best, and potentially deadly without forethought, positional awareness, and preparation... This episode could save your life! Greg Support the show Contact Greg with your comments and suggestions! GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com (Find all of Greg's links here.) Greg Brown's Cockpit Adventures from the Flying Carpet Podcast Greg's Book, Flying Carpet; The Soul of An Airplane "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in Flying Carpet." -- Nina Bell Allen, Former Asst. Managing Editor, Readers Digest Greg's Fine Art Metal Prints, Pilot Achievement Plaques, & Photo Wall Calendars Greg Brown's Flying Carpet Podcast Facebook Group Greg Brown's Student Pilot Pep Talk Facebook Group Greg Brown on Instagram https://www.facebook.com/GregBrownFlyingCarpet/ https://www.instagram.com/gregbrownflyingcarpet/

    25 min
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4.9
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Greg Brown, “the story-teller-poet-laureate of aviation” Ride along with renowned aviator, writer, and photographer Greg Brown in his light airplane, the "Flying Carpet," as he searches behind clouds for the real America, experiencing countless aerial adventures along the way. A former National Flight Instructor of the Year, Greg is author of five books, a former Barnes & Noble Arizona Author of the Month, and longtime aviation adventure columnist for AOPA Flight Training magazine. Some reviewers have compared his book, "Flying Carpet: The Soul of an Airplane," to sixties road-trip classics like "On the Road," and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." Says aviation author and humorist Rod Machado: “Greg thinks with the mind of a pilot, questions with the curiosity of a philosopher, and sees with the eyes of a poet.” Observes Nina Bell Allen, former “Readers Digest” Asst. Managing Editor, "You don't have to be a pilot, or even a frequent flyer, to soar with Greg Brown in [his] Flying Carpet." So buckle in and join Greg for the ride! Website: GregBrownFlyingCarpet.com/podcast

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