Episodes

  • Ep. 134: What Happens After Flight School? Your First Job as a Pilot
    Oct 30 2026

    What really changes when you go from student pilot to certified flight instructor (CFI)? Ian returns to Pilots Say What? to share his experience becoming a flight instructor at Thrust Flight and why teaching someone to fly is a completely different challenge from learning to fly yourself.

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    52 mins
  • Ep. 133: From Thrust Flight Student to Airline Captain: You Can Do It Too
    Oct 23 2026

    What does it actually take to go from flight school student to airline captain? Tanner shares his journey from starting flight training at Thrust Flight to becoming a professional airline pilot, including the challenges of earning his ratings, building flight hours, joining an airline cadet program, and transitioning from a CFI to flying commercial jets.

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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Ep. 132: Why Pilots Are Afraid to Talk About Mental Health
    Oct 16 2026

    Can pilots go to therapy without risking their FAA medical certificate? Mental health in aviation has been a difficult topic for years, and many pilots still hesitate to seek help. In Episode 132 of Pilots Say What?, Zach sits down with Dr. Abigail Powell, also known as The Aviation Therapist, to discuss mental health in aviation, FAA medical concerns, checkride anxiety, and the psychological challenges of becoming a professional pilot.

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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Ep. 131: I Used to Be Terrified of Flying… Now I’m a Pilot
    Oct 9 2026

    Can someone who's afraid of flying actually become a pilot? In this episode of Pilots Say What?, Zach sits down with Thrust Flight student Troy Kirk to talk about his unexpected journey into aviation. After pursuing hockey and graduating from Purdue University, Troy decided to follow a completely different career path.

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    50 mins
  • Ep. 130: Why Airline Pilots Should Learn Aerobatics
    Oct 2 2026

    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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    53 mins
  • Ep. 129: The Hardest Part of Becoming a Flight Instructor Isn’t Flying
    Sep 25 2026

    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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    42 mins
  • Ep. 128: I Put College on Hold to Finish Flight Training Faster
    Sep 18 2026

    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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    40 mins
  • Ep. 127: Should I Have Started Flight Training Sooner?
    Sep 11 2026

    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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    1 hr