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Pilot to Pilot
by Justin Siems
Pilot to Pilot is the podcast for anyone who flies — or dreams about it. Host Justin Siems sits down with airline captains, bush pilots, CFIs, and everyone in between for honest conversations about the path to the cockpit, the grind of the career, and the love of flying that keeps us coming back. Whether you're a student pilot chasing your first solo or a captain with 20,000 hours, there's a seat for you here. New episodes weekly.
Episodes
I Threw Away Half My Airplane: Building a Zenith Kit Plane with Carson Stilson
22 Oct 2026 · 40 min
Carson Stilson built his own Zenith Super Duty kit plane in two and a half years and about 1,200 hours, then flew it to Oshkosh. He shares what building an experimental aircraft really takes. Carson never planned to build an airplane in his thirties. He did it anyway, while working full time and…
How to Pass Your Check-ride: A DPE's 5 Tips
19 Oct 2026 · 1 h 02
A Designated Pilot Examiner shares 5 tips to pass your checkride, plus the story of his engine failure and landing on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive at 3 PM on a Friday. Johnny Ginley, a young DPE and fellow Ohio State aviation alum, explains what examiners see from the other side of the table. The…
He Threw His Airline Uniform in the Trash | Steve Giordano | Ep. 370
22 Sept 2026 · 1 h 23
Steve Giordano left a senior captain seat at Allegiant to build Nomadic Aviation Group, one of the most trusted ferry operations in the business. He breaks down how a ferry flight actually gets quoted and flown — lessors, permits, DARs, tankering fuel at $18 a gallon — what trips really cost, the…
How to get hired at an airline with Nik Fialka
8 Sept 2026 · 1 h 03
Nik Fialka has watched pilots lose the job before they ever sat down. The Spitfire Elite coach and Ready 4 Pushback host joins us to walk through his ten rules for the airline interview — five things to do, five things that'll sink you. The first one starts tonight, not the week your application…
I flew around the world and built a plane w/ JP Schulze E368
25 Aug 2026 · 1 h 32
In 1999, a handful of people gathered at a dusty Namibian airfield to meet two men flying weight-shift microlights around the world. One of them was Mike Blyth. Watching from the crowd was a boy who had never left the country, whose family couldn't afford much flying, and who had no real concept…
He's Owned 12 Airplanes in 25 Years. Here's How to Buy the Right One | Mark Woglom E367
18 Aug 2026 · 58 min
Mark Woglom has bought and sold roughly a dozen airplanes in twenty-five years — a new Cessna 182 he learned to fly in, a Baron he never got comfortable in, a pressurized 414, a Cheyenne II XL, four separate Cirrus SR22s, a Vision Jet, a TBM 960, a Citation M2, and the CJ3+ he flies today. Six…
E366: F-15, F-16, F/A-18: A Fighter Pilot's Rules for a Life Worth Flying
11 Aug 2026 · 1 h 13
Pilot to Pilot Magazine — Volume 003 is out now. Get yours at pilottopilothq.com/mag Sponsors — please support the people who support the show: • Textron Aviation — The Pipistrel Voyager is perfect answer for high utilization flight training, easy ownership and broader access to aviation • Avemco…
E365: Pete Stavrides: From Watching Challenger Explode to Flying Super Hornets
28 Jul 2026 · 1 h 04
Pilot to Pilot Magazine — Volume 003 is out now. Get yours at pilottopilothq.com/mag Sponsors — please support the people who support the show: • Textron Aviation — The Pipistrel Voyager is perfect answer for high utilization flight training, easy ownership and broader access to aviation • Avemco…
E364: Stepping up with Jason Rhode and why he loves the Citation CJ3+
14 Jul 2026 · 59 min
Pilot to Pilot Magazine — Volume 003 is at the printers. Get yours at pilottopilothq.com/mag GIVEAWAY - Complete the survey to be entered to win a Pilot to Pilot hat and Magazine subscriptions Big thanks to Textron Aviation for sponsoring this week's episode of Pilot to Pilot! This week I'm joined…
363: Fighter Pilot. Snowbird Team Leader. Filmmaker. Rob “Scratch” Mitchell on Leading Through Loss, Chasing Excellence, and Finding a New Sky
24 Jun 2026 · 1 h 24
Pilot to Pilot Magazine — Volume 002 is out now. Get yours at pilottopilothq.com/mag Sponsors — please support the people who support the show: • Avemco Insurance — Save 5% as a Pilot to Pilot listener. Call (888) 635-4297 or visit avemco.com/4297-owner (owners) or avemco.com/4297-non-owner…
E362: A Career Changer's Road from Orchestra Halls to the Airlines
10 Jun 2026 · 1 h 13
Pilot to Pilot Magazine — Volume 002 is out now. Get yours at pilottopilothq.com/mag Sponsors — please support the people who support the show: • Avemco Insurance — Save 5% as a Pilot to Pilot listener. Call (888) 635-4297 or visit avemco.com/4297-owner (owners) or avemco.com/4297-non-owner…
E361: Electric Planes, Forest Fires & Vancouver Island: A Canadian Pilot's Unconventional Path
28 May 2026 · 1 h 04
Pilot to Pilot Magazine — Volume 002 is out now. Get yours at pilottopilothq.com/mag Sponsors — please support the people who support the show: • Avemco Insurance — Save 5% as a Pilot to Pilot listener. Call (888) 635-4297 or visit avemco.com/4297-owner (owners) or avemco.com/4297-non-owner…
E360: No Pilot's License, No Problem: How Marci Veronie Climbed to the Top of Aviation Without Ever Leaving the Ground
19 May 2026 · 53 min
Pilot to Pilot Magazine — Volume 002 is out now. Get yours at pilottopilothq.com/mag Sponsors — please support the people who support the show: • Avemco Insurance — Save 5% as a Pilot to Pilot listener. Call (888) 635-4297 or visit avemco.com/4297-owner (owners) or avemco.com/4297-non-owner…
E359: The End of Spirit Airlines: What Happened, What's Next, and What It Means for Pilots
7 May 2026 · 51 min
Spirit Airlines officially ceased operations on May 2 at 3am, and in this episode Justin sits down with Jim Higgins, Professor of Aviation at the University of North Dakota, to unpack what happened and what comes next. They dig into the chain of events that brought one of the country's most…
E358: Spirit Going Under? United-American Rumors & 2026 Pilot Hiring Forecast — Jim Higgins Returns
28 Apr 2026 · 1 h 05
🎙️ Pilot to Pilot Magazine — Volume 002 is out now. Get yours at pilottopilothq.com/mag Sponsors — please support the people who support the show: • Avemco Insurance — Save 5% as a Pilot to Pilot listener. Call (888) 635-4297 or visit avemco.com/4297-owner (owners) or avemco.com/4297-non-owner…
E357: Evan Davis - How Flying Saved My Life
23 Apr 2026 · 1 h 27
NEW SPONSOR ALERT!! Truly honored to have Avemco as new sponsor for the podcast. save 5% on your aircraft insurance by with Avemco. Call (888) 635-4297 or visit www.avemco.com/4297-owner - www.avemco.com/4297-nonowner ! Subscribe to the Pilot to Pilot Magazine This is one of the most raw, honest,…
E356: From SWAT to Corporate Jet Pilot - How Josh Changed Careers and Built a Life in Aviation
14 Apr 2026 · 1 h 13
NEW SPONSOR ALERT!! Truly honored to have Avemco as new sponsor for the podcast. save 5% on your aircraft insurance by with Avemco. Call (888) 635-4297 or visit www.avemco.com/4297-owner - www.avemco.com/4297-nonowner ! What does it take to walk away from a two-decade law enforcement career —…
E355: From 9/11 to Special Ops: Flying Secret Missions
3 Mar 2026 · 1 h 09
Most pilots dream of smooth 10,000-foot runways. Tyler Flagg trained to land a 30,000-pound aircraft on a 25-foot dirt strip… in total darkness. After 9/11 changed his life trajectory, Tyler went from zero aviation background to flying Special Operations missions around the globe. With minimal…
Ep. 354: Trent Palmer | FAA Called On Me Twice, Lost My License, and Almost Quit Flying
24 Feb 2026 · 1 h 26
He's the most-requested guest in Pilot to Pilot history — and the wait was worth it. Trent Palmer, recreational bush pilot and one of aviation's most recognized YouTube creators, finally sits down with Justin for a raw, unfiltered conversation about the highs and lows of a life built around flying…
Flying the San Diego Coastline at 15 Knots | Chancy Arnold
11 Feb 2026 · 43 min
Ever wonder what it's like to fly slower than freeway traffic — on purpose? Chancy Arnold is a banner tow pilot flying a Super Cub up and down the San Diego beaches, and in this episode he breaks down everything about the job. From the dive-and-hook pickup technique to four-hour flights strapped…