The Captain Who Had to Start From the Ground Up - AA Speaker - Lyle P.
The Captain Who Had to Start From the Ground Up - AA Speaker - Lyle P.  
Podcast: Sober Sunrise - AA Speaker Podcast
Published On: Thu Aug 06 2026
Description: Lyle’s last drunk became national news, but the more remarkable AA story is what followed: treatment, federal prison, a repaired family, and an impossible return to the cockpit. ☀️ Sober Sunrise App Listen to Sober Sunrise AA speaker talks anytime, track your sober time, take a daily pledge, and keep recovery support close throughout the day. 📱 https://sober-sunrise.com/app If you enjoy the app or find it useful in your recovery, a quick rating or review on the App Store would mean a lot and helps more people find Sober Sunrise. ☀️ Sober Sunrise Episode Archive Hundreds of AA speaker tapes and recovery stories: https://sober-sunrise.com/episodes 🧡 Sober Sunrise Merch https://sober-sunrise.com/merch 🌴 Sober Sunrise Newsletter https://sober-sunrise.com/newsletter Lyle grew up Irish and Comanche in an alcoholic home, determined never to become like his parents. He built a distinguished career as a Marine Corps aviator and airline captain, but in March 1990 an alcohol-related flight ended with his arrest, national headlines, termination, revoked licenses, a federal conviction, and 424 days in prison. Treatment also forced Lyle to confront the pain hidden beneath years of anger, especially the rage that had separated him from his daughter and son. Through honesty, willingness, reconciliation, and the practical discipline of Alcoholics Anonymous, he began putting his family back together before facing prison one day at a time. After his release, Lyle started with a private pilot’s license and rebuilt every qualification from the ground up. He was eventually reinstated with full seniority, completed his career as a Boeing 747 captain, received a presidential pardon, and learned that his recovery story had been selected for the Big Book. This is an exceptional AA talk about accountability, acceptance, and watching the impossible become possible one step at a time. Lyle P. from Conyers, GA speaking at the 19th Annual Man-to-Man Conference in Lake Brownwood, TX - May 18th 2002 Lyle is the author of “Grounded” on page 522 of the Fourth Edition of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Music: Deep by KaizanBlu