Today we talk about legacy, and legends of aviation. I recently found some old audio in the SPC archives from OSH 2011, and it brought me back, got me thinking about the legacy of some of the people we sometimes get to cross paths with. Some ar

SPC #65 – AFTA What?

Sep 20th, 2022 19m 43s

Welcome back, SPC listeners. I’m super happy to bring you a chat with Dan Justman from the airplane Owners and Pilots Association, or AOPA, about their program designed to help part 61 students and instructors with their training. AOPA is tryi

SPC #64 – Why Part Time?

Sep 12th, 2022 43m 49s

For this episode I got a chance to talk to Nick Smith from Part Time Pilot, an online private pilot ground school that packs a lot of personalized value into a rather inexpensive service. Learn about how he’s taking a more personal approach to

SPC #63 – OSH22 – The 700 Mile-Long Runway (Samaritan Aviation)

Sep 6th, 2022 22m 54s

This is the audio version of the Student Pilot Cast audio Episode 63. The video version of this can be found in the video feed of this podcast, or in highest resolution on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/-GhDPNoQcj4 In this episode I get to talk

SPC #62 – OSH22 – OK OAC

Sep 1st, 2022 12m 9s

The state of Oklahoma has gotten serious about aviation, STEM education, and the whole aeronautics industry. I talk here briefly with Grayson Ardies, Director of the Oklahoma Aeronautical Commision, about what the state is doing to further avia

SPC #61 – OSH22 – State of Oklahoma and the Aviation Teacher

Aug 24th, 2022 16m 33s

The state of Oklahoma has gotten serious about aviation, STEM education, and the whole aeronautics industry. I caught up with a High School teacher in Oklahoma, Chris Eckler, to talk about what he’s doing in his school district with regard to A

SPC #60 – OSH22 – Opener BlackFly

Aug 17th, 2022 17m 36s

In this episode I have an impromptu conversation with Celia Oakley of Opener. We had been hearing about their electric STOL aircraft but hadn’t planned on doing a feature on it until my crew took a spin in their 3D simulator and we found the ev

SPC #59 – OSH22 – Infinite Flight

Aug 11th, 2022 32m 17s

In this episode I catch up with Laura and Jay of Infinite Flight to talk about their flight simulator. We cover what it is, how it started, is it a tool or a game, and what’s coming next. This is a fun discussion about something I hadn’t really

SPC #58 – Fly High to Showlow

Jul 7th, 2022 43m 52s

We finally make it to Showlow the morning after our diversion to Payson. I categorized this flight as a grateful nod to aviation and I dive into how I was feeling at this point in my flying career. I hope you enjoy this flight.

SPC #57 – First Family Mission

Jun 29th, 2022 1h 4m

This one is awesome for me. I got to take my wife on our first mission together to the high country of Arizona for a weekend away with friends. Being the PIC on these flights was teaching me a lot, and on this day I had some weather decisions t

SPC #56 – Oshkosh Out and In, Part 2 (updated audio)

Jun 15th, 2022 45m 22s

CORRECTION and UPDATE: I had published the episode 55 audio as episode 56 in error. On July 6th, 2022, I realized the mistake, and have updated this episode release with the correct file. Sorry for the inconvenience. Episode Description: Back t

SPC #55 – Oshkosh Out and In, Part 1

Jun 9th, 2022 31m 15s

Back to a cockpit audio episode this week, but you may be asking what it is since I finished my primary training episodes. Well, this is an Oshkosh departure and next week we’ll do an arrival…and yes, in that order. More explanation when we get

SPC #54 – Zero Time to Airline

Jun 1st, 2022 1h 5m

This episode is an interview with Stu Stevenson, Co-Owner of Thrust Flight, an ab initio flight school in the Dallas area with additional locations on the horizon. Stu is also one of the co-hosts and the creator of A Pilot’s Journey Podcast, an

SPC #53 – Checking my Ride

May 25th, 2022 22m 30s

Welcome back SPC listeners. Big day today…time for my check ride. It’s finally here…and after all these years, we’ll finally figure out if I made it or not. Hope you enjoy Episode 53, “Checking my Ride.” Yup, the time had finally come to see

SPC #52 – Am I Ready Yet?

May 11th, 2022 48m 51s

Back to my training, we’ll be doing the second half of my makeup flight. This is the continuation of the flight from Episode 50. Enjoy episode 52, “Am I Ready Yet?” I was only a few days from me rescheduled check ride, and I was getting even

SPC #51 – A Sit Down with a New Pilot – Tim Omta

May 3rd, 2022 1h 13m

This week week’s episode is something a little different. We’ll get back to part two of my Instrument make-up flight next week, but I wanted to throw in the audio from a sit-down I had with an old friend and colleague, Tim Omta, when we recent

SPC #50 – Not Today, Baby!

Apr 27th, 2022 1h 3m

This is episode 50, where you may have been expecting an episode about my check ride, but alas, there was a bit of a snag, so you can get all of the information in this week’s episode. This episode will include part one of some makeup flying an

SPC #49 – Wait, it’s Tomorrow?

Apr 20th, 2022 36m 23s

In this episode we’ll cover a quick flight to get the additional .3 hours I needed to be ready for my check ride. The previous day I had 3 flights (see episodes 46, 47, and 48 for those). Today I would do this one flight, and be studying like c

SPC #48 - How About a Third

Apr 13th, 2022 44m 59s

For this episode we’ll be doing a dual flight with Lary, getting some of that hood time I needed, and practicing a takeoff under the hood. We’d be flying in N81658. Keep in mind this is now my 3rd training flight of the day and the fourth in th

SPC #47 – The Check of Stage IV

Apr 6th, 2022 54m 40s

In this episode I’ll be taking you along for my fourth and final stage check with one of the chief pilots. This stage check, if successfully completed, would mark the end of my primary training and I would then be ready for my check ride with a

SPC #46 – The Last Solo

Mar 29th, 2022 55m 29s

Welcome back SPC listeners…this flight was the day after my dual flight with Lary from the last episode, episode 45, and I would be some solo practice on the same things, short and soft takeoffs and landings. I’d be staying in the pattern for

SPC #45 – In the Pattern (or Chill, Dude)

Mar 22nd, 2022 48m 59s

In this episode, just three days after my last solo covered in episode 44, I was back in the cockpit with my instructor, Lary, and along for the ride on this one was my oldest Son who was around 10 at the time. We would stay in the pattern for.

SPC #44 – Alpha Delpha, or Second to Almost Done

Mar 15th, 2022 33m 35s

Today I’d be flying in 2148Y on a solo flight to practice ground reference maneuvers as well as practicing some short and soft field landings. In fact, according to my part 141 training curriculum, this would just be my second to last solo flig

SPC #43 – A Family Affair

Mar 8th, 2022 54m 40s

Dropping episode 43 today, where I take you a long on a dual flight with Lary, my instructor, but I have two small visitors today as well. This episode is a bit nostalgic for me as I had my two youngest kids with me; ages 8 and 6. Of course,...

SPC #42 – The Little Things

Mar 1st, 2022 47m 21s

Wow…what is this? Another episode of the Student Pilot Cast?!?! After all this time? Well, yes…let’s at least get through my primary training before another hiatus, shall we? Actually, I’ve got some plans even after that, so let’s see how it go