Pilots Say What?

Episodios

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  Ep. 130: Why Airline Pilots Should Learn Aerobatics 02.10.2026 53m

  In this episode of Pilots Say What?, we sit down with aerobatic national champion and Thrust Flight aerobatic instructor Kurt Richmond to talk about what aerobatic flying can actually teach a pilot.
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  Ep. 129: The Hardest Part of Becoming a Flight Instructor Isn’t Flying 25.09.2026 42m

  Becoming a CFI requires a completely different mindset than being a flight student. In this episode, we sit down with a Thrust Flight student who recently completed her CFI training to talk about learning to fly from the right seat, preparing for the CFI checkride, and making the transition from student to instructor.
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  Ep. 128: I Put College on Hold to Finish Flight Training Faster 18.09.2026 40m

  Landon Haynes started flight training part-time while finishing high school and beginning college. After spending about nine months earning his Private Pilot License, he realized he wanted to take aviation seriously and move through his ratings faster.
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  Ep. 127: Should I Have Started Flight Training Sooner? 11.09.2026 59m

  In this episode of Pilots Say What?, Ashley and Cheyenne look back on their paths into aviation and talk about why they didn’t start flying sooner. From college degrees and working as a flight attendant to finally taking the leap into flight training, they share why starting later may have actually helped them succeed.
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  Ep. 126: How to Use VA Benefits for Flight Training 04.09.2026 51m

  Can you use VA benefits for flight training? In this episode of Pilots Say What?, we sit down with Thrust Flight’s Tracy Copeland to break down how veterans may be able to use their benefits toward flight training.
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  Ep. 125: Part 61 Flight Training Wasn’t Working for Me 28.08.2026 44m

  Between aircraft availability, maintenance cancellations, instructor availability, finances, and inconsistent flying, nearly a year went by without earning his Private Pilot Certificate. In this episode of Pilots Say What?, Amin talks about why he eventually switched to Part 141 flight training, what changed once he had a structured training environment, and why he wishes he had made the move sooner.
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  Ep. 124: What It’s Like Falling Behind in Flight School 21.08.2026 1h 1m

  Falling behind in flight school can make you question whether you’re cut out for it at all. In this episode of Pilots Say What, Matthew talks about struggling through private pilot training, failing stage checks, watching classmates move ahead, and learning how to stop comparing his progress to everyone else.
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  Ep. 123: What Being a New CFI Is Actually Like 14.08.2026 40m

  Zach sits down with new Thrust Flight CFI Guy Bassett to talk about what actually changes when you go from being the student to being the instructor.Guy shares what surprised him most about teaching, the added responsibility of being the safety net in the airplane, how he manages different students, and what he’s learning during his first few weeks as a CFI. They also get into instrument training, multi-engine flying, and what it takes to keep improving after earning your instructor certificates.
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  Ep. 122: Why He Quit Apple to Become a Pilot 07.08.2026 49m

  Caleb went from working at Apple to completely changing careers and becoming a flight instructor at Thrust Flight.In this episode of Pilots Say What, Caleb talks about what pushed him toward aviation, completing his flight training in 13 months, getting hired as a CFI, and the challenges that come with accelerated flight training. He also shares advice on staying motivated, avoiding comparisons with other students, instrument training, paying for flight school, and what it really takes to work toward an airline career.
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  Ep. 121: How a Thrust Flight CFI Became an Airline Captain 31.07.2026 1h 4m

  Lan returned to aviation after spending 13 years away from flying, completed his CFI training at Thrust Flight, and later became a flight instructor at the school. Today, he is flying for SkyWest Airlines and making the transition from first officer to captain.In this episode, Lan shares what it takes to go from instructing in a Piper Archer to flying a regional jet, how he overcame checkride and airline training failures, and why community is so important throughout flight training. He also explains what future airline pilots should expect when moving from student to CFI, first officer, and eventually captain.
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  Ep. 120: The Flight Student Everyone Wanted on the Podcast 24.07.2026 1h 1m

  Brock went from working 90-hour weeks as a band director to completing his professional pilot training in roughly nine months. Along the way, he became the student other Thrust Flight students turned to for tutoring, encouragement, and help understanding difficult aviation concepts.
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  Ep. 119: How a Childhood Love of Aviation Became a Lifelong Career 17.07.2026 44m

  Melanie Hill joins us from Australia to discuss how Air Cadets helped launch her lifelong aviation journey, the wide range of careers available throughout the industry, and why exposing young people to aviation matters. She also shares how her experience inspired her middle-grade aviation novel, Jett Cooper, and what parents can do when their child begins showing an interest in flight.
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  Ep 118: What Your Flight Instructor Wants You To Know 10.07.2026 34m

  In this episode of Pilots Say What?, Halley Bowers is back, this time, we’re going beyond her story and getting into practical flight training advice from her first few months as a CFI. Halley shares what she has learned from teaching instrument and commercial students, why backseating can be one of the most underrated tools in flight training, how students can handle critiques without losing confidence, and what CFIs are really watching as students progress through their ratings.
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  Ep. 117: What Future Airline Pilots Should Do Long Before 1,500 Hours 02.07.2026 45m

  Julie Cable recently joined Thrust Flight as our Career Services Liaison, helping students and CFIs better understand what comes after flight training. In this episode of Pilots Say What?, Julie shares her experience from Delta, American Airlines, and airline hiring to explain what future airline pilots should be thinking about long before they hit 1,500 hours.
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  Ep. 116: Why Mesa AZ Is Built for Flight Training 26.06.2026 45m

  In this episode of Pilots Say What?, Zach sits down with Andrew Sowers at Thrust Flight’s Mesa location on Falcon Field Airport to talk about training in Arizona, the advantages of flying in the Phoenix area, and what it’s like going through an accelerated Zero Time to Airline program. Andrew shares why Arizona’s weather, terrain, and flying environment make Mesa such a unique place to train.
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  Ep 115: President-Nominated NTSB Member Reveals What Pilots Learn From Crashes 19.06.2026 53m

  In this episode of Pilots Say What?, we sit down with John Duluth, a board member at the National Transportation Safety Board, retired American Airlines pilot, former 787 captain, and former Air Force C-130 pilot. John explains what the NTSB really does, how it differs from the FAA, and why accident reports can be one of the most valuable learning tools for student pilots, CFIs, airline pilots, mechanics, and anyone pursuing a career in aviation.
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  Ep. 114: Flying the Embraer 175 as an Envoy First Officer 12.06.2026 51m

  Will Garrison started at Thrust Flight with zero time, worked his way through flight training, became a CFI, later became an Assistant Chief Instructor, joined the Envoy cadet program, and now flies the Embraer 175 as a First Officer at Envoy.
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  Ep. 113: The Part of Flight Training Nobody Warns You About 05.06.2026 1h 2m

  In this episode of Pilots Say What, Tim sits down with Zach to talk about what it was really like starting flight training from zero time, moving across the country, taking on the financial risk, and learning how to handle the pressure that comes with becoming a pilot.
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  Ep. 112: He Pushed Through Flight Training Setbacks 29.05.2026 46m

  In this episode of Pilots Say What, Zach sits down with Jackson, a brand-new CFI at Thrust Flight, to talk about his path from Part 61 training, medical delays, and the uncertainty of whether aviation would actually work out, all the way to finishing his ratings and becoming a flight instructor.
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  Ep. 111: American Airlines 777 Captain Joe Johnson Reveals What Pilots Get Wrong 22.05.2026 50m

  In this episode of Pilots Say What, we sit down with Joe Johnson, an active American Airlines 777 Captain, check airman, DPE, and founder of the Ashton Johnson Memorial CloudDancer Scholarship. Joe shares what he has learned from decades in aviation, including what student pilots often get wrong during checkrides, why nerves can lead to bad decisions, and how pilots should handle high-pressure moments in the airplane. He also breaks down the difference between reacting and acting, why “slow is accurate, accurate is fast,” and what check airmen are really looking for when evaluating pilots.