Definition
An informal style of group discussion used in flight training where participants take turns recounting personal flying experiences — typically a difficult, unusual, or instructive situation they encountered — so the group can analyze the event, the decisions made, and the lessons learned. It is used as a teaching method to share practical judgment and decision-making lessons that are hard to convey through lectures alone.
Plain English
It's a storytelling-based learning session. Pilots tell real stories from their own flying — usually starting with the phrase 'there I was' — and the group talks through what happened, what was done, and what could be learned from it.
Context Anchor
Seen in instructor communication, especially during ground lessons, preflight briefings, postflight reviews, or any time an instructor uses a personal experience as an example.
Derivation
The name comes from the classic opening line pilots use when launching into a flying story: 'There I was, at 8,000 feet, when…' The phrase has become so well-known in aviation culture that it's now the recognized label for this style of discussion.
Why Pilots Care
Provides relatable examples that help students understand concepts through real situations rather than abstract rules alone.
Intuition Check
Do not assume a there I was discussion is automatically good instruction just because it comes from real experience. It helps only when the story supports the lesson and the student can see the point.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor opened the ground session with a there I was discussion about a student who flew into deteriorating weather, then asked the class what decision points they would have handled differently.
Example Sentence 2
During the debrief the student pilot shared a there I was discussion about recovering from an unexpected stall.