Pilots Say What?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.