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PODCAST

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s

Sporty"s Pilot Shop

Pilot"s Discretion brings you authentic conversations with some of aviation"s most interesting people. From honest discussions about flight training to fascinating stories from airshow pilots, this podcast is for anyone who loves to fly. Stay tuned for our rapid-fire "ready to copy" segment at the end of every episode, where we go beyond the cliches to find out what each guest really thinks. Brought to you by Sporty"s Pilot Shop, training and equipping pilots worldwide since 1961. Have a comment

leisure aviation

All Episodes

00:47:07

100. Celebrating 100 podcast episodes, with John...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2025/03/25

In this special episode, we turn the tables on host John Zimmerman and put him in the guest chair to reflect on a Pilot’s Discretion milestone. Sporty’s Eric Radtke asks John about his favorite episodes, what he’s learned about the aviation community by talking to 99 pilots, and his predictions for the industry’s future. You’ll also learn about John’s background, including why he learned to fly in high school and why he thinks writing is so important. In the Ready to Copy segment, John talks about

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00:32:50

99. Pursuing excellence in aviation and business,...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2025/03/11

After building a billion-dollar music business, Chuck Surack is applying the lessons he learned to save an aviation icon. He talks about his passion for flying helicopters, why he decided to buy Enstrom, and the challenge of restarting production. Chuck also offers plenty of tips for growing a business and creating a culture of excellence, with some peeks behind the scenes at Sweetwater. In the Ready to Copy segment, Chuck shares his favorite place to land a helicopter, what he looks for when hiring

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00:42:40

98. From taildragger to Cirrus, with Shane Vande Voort

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2025/02/25

Whether it’s an open cockpit biplane or a brand new Cirrus, Shane Vande Voort says “good stick and rudder skills carry through into every airplane.” He explains why the Cirrus accident record has improved so much, how to teach modern avionics to new pilots, and why systems knowledge still matters. Shane also loves flying with family, so he talks about going up in an open cockpit biplane with his kids and taking a memorable flight to Kitty Hawk with his father in a Cessna 120. In the Ready to Copy

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00:52:44

97. DC-3s, warbird pilots, and the art of flying,...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2025/02/11

Few pilots have lived as interesting a life as Martha Lunken: from giving checkrides in DC-3s to teaching Neil Armstrong’s wife to fly, she has met some of aviation’s most colorful characters and flown some of aviation’s most iconic machines. She tells plenty of those fascinating stories in this episode—and shares some controversial opinions along the way. In the Ready to Copy section, Martha talks about what she would do as FAA administrator, flying the Lockheed Lodestar, and life as an accident

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00:34:18

96. What young pilots want, with Clay Simmons

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2025/01/28

Over 40% of active student pilots are under age 30 and Clay Simmons is one of them (he even built a Carbon Cub at age 22). He explains the unique expectations this new generation of pilots has, how the GA industry can be more successful in reaching out, and why mentors are so important. Clay is also an active backcountry pilot, so he shares advice for pilots who want to fly taildraggers and explore off-airport destinations. In the Ready to Copy segment, Clay talks about homebuilding tips, campfire

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00:38:00

95. How to be a good airline pilot, with Steve McNeilly

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2025/01/14

Not all airline careers are smooth, but veteran pilot Steve McNeilly says the rewards make the turbulence worthwhile. He talks about the value of building experience in piston twins, learning to land the Boeing 737, and what it means to be a professional pilot. Steve also built a full-scale Vulcan bomber simulator, so he talks about the process of building one-of-a-kind sims and explains why he’s so interested in jets from the 1950s. In the Ready to Copy segment, you’ll learn what it was like to fly

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00:39:08

94. Lessons learned from the T-38, with Matt Johnson

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/12/31

The legendary T-38 Talon has been the aerial classroom for generations of Air Force pilots, and Matt Johnson spent many hours teaching there. He shares what he learned from that time, including the benefits of standardization, the importance of pre-flight briefings, and when to let a student make a mistake. These days Matt flies a Citation and a Lancair IVP, so he talks about applying those Air Force lessons to GA operations, and some mistakes he’s made along the way. In the Ready to Copy segment

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00:40:58

93. Modern day hangar flying, with blancolirio's Juan...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/12/17

Juan Browne has flown everything from Air Force jets to vintage biplanes, but he’s best known for his accident analysis channel on YouTube, blancolirio. In this wide-ranging episode, he describes his unique approach to researching crashes and explains why he thinks all pilots can learn from others’ misfortunes. Juan also talks about his varied flying career, including fighting fires with the US Forest Service, flying C-141s all around the world, and life as an international airline pilot. In the

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00:35:35

92. Why new avionics require new skills, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/12/03

Advanced avionics are changing GA airplanes, but all that technology is useless if you don’t know how to use it. Jessica Koss, Garmin’s chief flight instructor, shares her time-tested tips for avionics mastery in this episode, from understanding integrated panels to managing autopilots. She also talks about the latest Garmin technology, like Emergency Autoland and touchscreen panels in jets. In the Ready to Copy segment, Jessica describes what it’s like to land with auto-throttles, explains how to

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00:48:07

91. Why owner-performed maintenance is essential,...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/11/19

A critical shortage of A&Ps means airplane owners have no choice but to get involved in maintenance. Mechanic, pilot, and writer Jeff Simon explains how to get started, how to find the right shop, and what the impact could be from proposed FAA rules on remote maintenance. Jeff is also the founder of SocialFlight, so he shares his tips for keeping flying fun and involving family in the adventure—including his “no magenta line” trip. In the Ready to Copy segment, Jeff talks about why you should

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00:38:51

90. How to abolish the 3rd class medical, with Brent...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/11/05

The success of BasicMed proves the third class medical is obsolete—that’s according to senior AME Brent Blue. He covers a wide range of medical topics in this episode, including how to fill out the FAA medical application, what the latest rules are on mental health treatment, and whether new drugs like Ozempic are safe for pilots. Dr. Blue is also a leading advocate for pulse oximeters and carbon monoxide detectors, and he shares his rules of thumb for using both in the cockpit. In the Ready to Copy

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00:42:44

89. The state of the homebuilt market, with Marc Cook

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/10/22

Experimental airplanes make up an increasingly large share of the general aviation market, and Marc Cook knows that world better than anyone. He traces the history of homebuilts, from the radical plans of the 1980s to the refined kits of today, and describes the current state of the industry. He also talks about the causes of Van’s recent bankruptcy ordeal, and shares why he’s very optimistic about the upcoming MOSAIC rule—but also why it won’t lead to $20,000 airplanes. In the Ready to Copy

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00:33:20

88. What’s new in flight simulators, with Evan Reiter

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/10/08

Home flight simulators can be valuable training tools, and they don’t necessarily teach bad flying habits. Evan Reiter, co-founder of the Flight Simulator Association, shares the data to back up those statements in this sim-centric episode. He also explains why virtual ATC services are so important for simulator pilots, and he offers a preview of the highly anticipated Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. In the Ready to Copy segment, Evan (who is also an airline pilot) talks about his favorite flight

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00:42:16

87. Preventing loss of control accidents, with Randy...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/09/24

New technology has made flying safer over the last two decades, but it hasn’t done much to prevent loss of control accidents. These are still the number one cause of fatalities in aviation, and according to upset prevention instructor Randy Brooks the only answer is better pilot training. He explains why upset training is different from aerobatics, why your first instinct should be to push, and why simulators aren’t a replacement for pulling Gs. Randy is also a longtime airshow pilot, so in the

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00:44:28

86. Airline industry predictions, with Courtney Miller

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/09/10

Is the post-pandemic boom over for the airlines? Industry analyst and former airline pilot Courtney Miller says the answer is both yes and no. He talks about which airlines are winning and losing in 2024, whether pilot salaries have overshot, and what to make of Boeing’s latest struggles. In the Ready to Copy segment, Courtney explains why oil prices don’t affect air fares, why the 737 MAX was not a mistake, and how to lie with statistics.LINKS: Visual Approach Analytics:

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00:34:29

85. Flying seaplanes in the Bahamas, with Paul Harding

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/08/27

Paul Harding bought a seaplane before he was even a pilot, but went on to log 14,000 hours flying on floats all around the Bahamas. In this fun episode, he shares the details of that fascinating career, with tips on flying seaplanes, learning to fly later in life, and exploring the Out Islands. In the Ready to Copy segment, Paul talks about flying with celebrities, how to determine wind direction without a windsock, and the best food to eat in the Bahamas.LINKS: Paul’s articles at Air Facts:

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00:47:44

84. Living the Cirrus Life, with Todd Simmons

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/08/13

A quarter of Cirrus customers are not pilots when they buy their airplane. Todd Simmons explains how the company succeeds with these non-pilots, including their focus on enabling a lifestyle instead of just selling specs, providing a complete ownership solution, and tackling safety head-on. Todd is also a passionate backcountry pilot, so he talks about the risks and rewards of that type of flying, including what he learned from being involved in a serious accident. In the Ready to Copy segment, Todd

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00:37:06

83. New flight control technology and helicopters,...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/07/30

Learning to fly is hard, but revolutionary new fly-by-wire technology just might change that. Matt Thurber, an experienced pilot and journalist, describes how Skyryse has modified a Robinson helicopter and why it could be big news for general aviation. Matt is well-placed to evaluate this new aircraft because he recently learned to fly helicopters, and he shares what that was like, including why rotary wing flight requires using all a pilot’s senses. In the Ready to Copy segment, Matt talks about

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00:39:05

82. Modern engine management, with Martin Pauly

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/07/16

Operating a piston engine lean of peak can save fuel and reduce engine temperatures, but the topic is shrouded in mystery and even controversy. Flight instructor and YouTube pilot Martin Pauly breaks it all down in this episode, including what the tradeoffs are, why engine monitors matter, and when to watch CHT. Martin is also an expert on modern autopilots like the Garmin GFC 600, so he shares tips for getting the most out of these impressive avionics. In the Ready to Copy segment, Martin talks

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00:35:22

81. Automation airmanship and Coast Guard flying,...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2024/07/02

Modern avionics like glass cockpits and sophisticated autopilots demand a new approach to pilot training, what airline pilot and author Chris Lutat calls “automation airmanship.” He explains what that means, why the distinction between pilot flying and pilot monitoring matters even for single pilot operations, and why humans have an essential role—especially in the age of AI. Chris’s flying career began in the Coast Guard, so he also shares lessons learned there and how he’s giving back now as a

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120 results

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