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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

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All Episodes

00:46:23

67. Year in review, with John Zimmerman and Rob Reider

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/12/19

In this special year-end episode, host John Zimmerman sits down with producer Rob Reider for a behind-the-scenes look at Pilot’s Discretion. They talk about what traits make for a good guest, the two rules for podcast hosts, and tips for getting better audio. You’ll also learn the most popular Pilot’s Discretion episodes of 2023, what John and Rob’s favorite episodes are, and what lessons they have learned about flying after 66 interviews. In the back-and-forth Ready to Copy segment, they share the

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00:38:25

66. Flying like a pro in a Boeing and a Bonanza, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/12/05

From F-16 to 737 to Citation to Bonanza, Don Wykoff has flown a lot of different airplanes in his 50-year flying career. In this episode he explains how he stayed safe by approaching every flight with professionalism, using checklists the right way, and building training into simple trips. He also talks about losing the engine in his F-16, why pilot rest rules matter, and how to transition back to GA after a career flying jets. In the Ready to Copy segment, Don explains why he doesn’t like the GUMPS

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00:39:03

65. Why learning to fly can be lonely, with Patrick...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/11/21

After a lifetime of riding on airplanes, economist Patrick Chovanec decided to learn how to fly them. In this episode, he explains how a combination of Covid-19 and Microsoft Flight Simulator started him on a path to earning his Private Pilot certificate, and what he learned along the way. He explains how flight training can be lonely, why modern flight simulators are much more than a game now, and why airplanes are so expensive. In the Ready to Copy segment, Patrick shares the biggest myth in

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00:41:24

64. Safety lessons learned at the NTSB, with Robert...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/11/07

The point of an accident investigation is “to find out what happened, so that we can prevent it from happening again,” says longtime airline pilot and former NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt. He shares what he's learned after decades of working this process, including: how pilots should read an NTSB report, why flight path monitoring matters, what professionalism means for GA pilots, and how flight data monitoring can improve safety. In the Ready to Copy segment, Robert talks about landmark

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00:32:54

63. Epic Cub videos and entitled airline pilots, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/11/03

Mist swirls as a yellow Cub touches down on a grass runway—Joe Costanza (better known as @Bananasssssssss on Instagram) is the man behind those viral videos, and in this episode he takes us behind the scenes. He explains why stick and rudder flying is a nice break from his day job flying an Airbus, how to have fun flying with kids (he has four), and the good parts of social media. He also shares his slightly controversial advice for new airline pilots and how training is changing to adapt to a new

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00:36:03

62. Why angle of attack is overrated, with Ed Wischmeyer

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/10/10

Loss of control accidents are a problem, but longtime pilot and engineer Ed Wischmeyer says there simply isn’t a miracle cure. He explains why angle of attack indicators, stabilized approaches, and energy management are all overrated—and the concept he teaches pilots instead. As he says, “You want pilots to have a large comfort zone, so that when they’re flying in normal operations they’re not anywhere near the boundaries of their comfort zone.” In the Ready to Copy segment, Ed talks about the most

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00:46:48

61. Safety theory and restoring a Cessna 172, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/09/26

As a professor, Sidney Dekker has spent his career studying safety processes in industries like healthcare and mining. As a pilot, both for an airline and in his Carbon Cub, he has put those theories into practice. In this thought-provoking episode, you'll hear what he's learned, including: how much risk pilots can actually quantify, why we should study what went right and not just what went wrong, and what it means to drift into failure. You'll also learn about the beat up Cessna 172 he

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00:53:50

60. Surviving a plane crash on a frozen lake, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/09/12

When the airplane engine quits over a remote part of Canada, your options are limited. For Tom Comet and his friend, this was just the start of an incredible adventure—one packed with lessons for all pilots. In this riveting episode, he shares how they reacted to their emergency, where they chose to land, and what survival gear made a difference during a long, cold night on a lake. As a UAS pilot and former circus performer, Tom also talks about flying $150,000 drones for TV and creating huge

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00:36:32

59. A reality check on eVTOL aircraft, with Elan Head

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/08/29

The headlines about eVTOL aircraft are optimistic right now, but veteran aviation reporter Elan Head says there’s a lot of work to be done: "the customers don't really exist." In this episode, she dives deep into the world of advanced air mobility, including the current state of the market, what military applications might look like, and what the drone industry can teach eVTOL companies about FAA certification. Elan is also an experienced helicopter instructor, so she talks about what

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00:42:39

58. What MOSAIC means for pilot training and airplane...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/08/15

More privileges for Sport pilots and more affordable light airplanes—that’s the promise of MOSAIC, a sweeping new proposal from the FAA this summer. Industry expert Dan Johnson has been tracking this reform for years, and he gives us a behind-the-scenes tour in this episode, including which legacy airplanes will now be available for Sport pilots and what new airplane designs might emerge. Dan also talks about timing for the final rule, the LSA safety record, and why ultralights are overlooked. In

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00:37:10

57. FAA medicals and flying as a Top Gun adversary...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/08/01

The FAA medical is just another check ride and pilots should prepare for it the same way. That's according to Dr. Keith Roxo, an aviation medical examiner and former Top Gun adversary pilot. He shares plenty of practical tips in this episode, including: what to do if you’re unsure of an answer on the application, why some pilots are stuck in medical limbo for over a year, what SODA and CACI mean, and how the FAA is handling mental health issues these days. Keith also talks about flying the

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00:44:31

56. Fuel management and flying the U-2, with Tim Decker

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/07/18

Tim Decker’s flying career includes almost every segment of aviation, including military, fractional, airline, and even airshows. He applies safety habits from each of these jobs to his flying in his Cirrus SR22, and shares some of those in this episode. He explains the difference between minimum fuel and emergency fuel, when it’s smart to declare an emergency, and why instructors must embrace scenario-based training. He also talks about the concept of factored landing distances and shares how to

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00:48:12

55. Why airplane accidents are not just stories, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/07/03

Pilots think about accidents all wrong, according to author and retired airline captain Steve Green. In this thought-provoking episode, he explains why you can't predict every accident, why protecting margins is the key to safe flying, and why pilots must have an overarching strategy beyond just following the checklist. He also argues for more detailed systems knowledge and for maintaining two situational awarenesses (one for the pilot and one for the automation). In the Ready to Copy segment,

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00:37:56

54. ATC for flight simulators and SimVenture, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/06/20

Flight simulators boomed in 2020 and have barely slowed down since, but many pilots don’t use all the available tools for flight training. Kevin from PilotEdge has watched it all unfold over the last decade and he explains what flight sims are good for (and what they aren't). He talks about how Microsoft changed the game, whether you can log simulator time, and how virtual ATC plug-ins can make training more realistic. Kevin also created SimVenture, and he describes how pilots can prepare to fly

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00:35:23

53. Airline myths and leadership lessons, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/06/06

You have to be both realistic and optimistic to run an airline - that's according to retired Alaska Airlines CEO Bill Ayer, an industry veteran and experienced GA pilot. He offers wisdom from his four decades in the airline business, including why safety must be a data-driven activity, where the real pilot shortage is, and how to manage the tradeoffs between efficiency and safety. He also shares leadership lessons, explaining why "hope is not a strategy" when you're running a

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00:38:40

52. Flight training trends and wing walking, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/05/23

Designated pilot examiner, kitplane owner, scuba diver, wing walker, world traveler, black belt in taekwondo - NAFI Chair Karen Kalishek has done it all, and she shares the lessons learned along the way in this wide-ranging episode. She explains the worrying trend she is seeing as a DPE, with a rising failure rate and a lack of systems knowledge among applicants. She also talks about the importance of the pilot in command mindset, how to find a good flight instructor, and learning to fly while

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00:47:01

51. Failed checkrides and flying the B-1 bomber, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/05/09

From flight instructor to airport planner to B-1 pilot, Tom Curran has seen a lot in his aviation career. In this special Learn to Fly Month episode, he explains what he learned along the way and shares some advice for new pilots. As he says, “It’s worth it, but expect it to have some challenges.” Tom talks about failing checkrides (he's done it), flying both the F-15 and the B-1 in the Air Force (he's done that too), and managing engine failures (yup, he's also done that). In the Ready

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00:42:31

50. Overcoming tragedy and flying in Africa, with...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/04/25

Pete Muntean grew up in an aviation family but suffered a terrible tragedy when his mother died in an airshow crash. In this inspiring episode he describes how he persevered in his aviation journey, including flying competition aerobatics and training pilots in Kenya with Patty Wagstaff. As a regular contributor for CNN, Pete spends a lot of time on TV reporting on aviation topics, so he also discusses recent airline runway incursions, his method for explaining complicated topics to the general

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00:45:30

49. Safety habits and aviation lobbying, with Jeb...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/04/11

“A well trained pilot flying a well maintained airplane with an instrument rating and with fuel in the tanks is the least possible risk in private aviation,” according to Aviation Safety magazine editor Jeb Burnside. That doesn't mean other types of flying are unsafe, though, and in this episode he explains what risks pilots should worry about, including weather, fuel exhaustion, and engine failures. Jeb also talks about his days on Capitol Hill, lobbying for general aviation interests, and the

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00:42:06

48. Learning from every flight, with Steve Thorne of...

Pilot"s Discretion from Sporty"s ·

2023/03/28

Steve Thorne (aka Flight Chops) is one of YouTube's original aviation stars, and he's learned a lot over the last decade—about flying and about himself. In this episode, he explains why a post-flight debrief matters, how to do a good one, and why he shares his videos with over 350,000 followers. He also talks about his weather decision-making process, especially on those "gray area" days like the one he encountered flying to Sporty's recently. In the "Ready to Copy" segment, Steve offers a tip for

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127 results

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