127. The Blue Button Lifesaver

In this episode of I Learned About Flying From That, host Carl Valeri sits down with pilot David Segel to discuss a seemingly routine night flight that quickly turned into a harrowing lesson in survival.

While attempting to regain his night currency at Alpine Airpark in Wyoming, David took off expecting a bright, full-moon lit sky to safely illuminate the surrounding 10,000-foot peaks. Instead, moments after leaving the runway, he was met with pitch-black darkness caused by an unexpected lunar eclipse. As severe spatial disorientation set in and his autopilot began blaring "Terrain! Pull Up!" warnings, David had to fight his own senses and rely on a critical piece of technology—the Garmin autopilot's "blue button"—to navigate his way out of danger.

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