Follow along as student pilot Jason (the Flying New Guy) gets his Private Certificate. Every week, CFIs Greg and Tom will do a mock checkride with him based on a specific topic. If you're a student pilot who wants to prepare for the checkride, or you've already passed and want to stay current - this podcast is for you!
Épisodes
Nobody Warned Me Stalls Would Feel Like This
20 sept. 2026 · 51 min
Jason is seven hours into his Private Pilot training, and this is the debrief from the flights where it got real. Slow flight, power off and power on stalls, a turning stall, and steep turns. Tom covers what to fix and why, including the spin recovery every pilot should be able to recite, the…
My CFI Is More Worried About My Radio Than My Flying
2 sept. 2026 · 22 min
Jason has five hours of flight time. In this video, CFI Tom grades his taxiing, radio calls, and his first shot at all three ground reference maneuvers. Free private pilot study sheet download 👉 https://bit.ly/free-study-sheet-1069
He Trained Only in a Simulator. Then We Gave Him a Real Airplane
13 août 2026 · 28 min
Jason spent months training in a flight simulator. Today, he flies a real airplane for the first time. CFI Tom takes Jason through his entire first lesson in the Diamond DA40: taxiing with differential braking, the before-takeoff checklist, a constant speed prop runup, his first takeoff, straight…
The Cheapest Way to Start Your Flight Training
11 août 2026 · 35 min
Jason completed an entire private pilot maneuver curriculum in a full-motion VR simulator before ever setting foot in an airplane. In this episode, he shares what worked, what surprised him, and whether sim-first training can make your flight training cheaper and faster. Next up: the real airplane…
PPL Checkride Prep: VFR Cross-Country Planning
4 mai 2026 · 45 min
Download the free VOR app used in this video: https://bit.ly/free-vor-app-0712 In this episode, Jason takes on his first full VFR cross-country plan, Prescott to Winslow in the Diamond, and Greg puts him through the kind of grilling you'd get from a checkride examiner. Seven hours of planning…
PPL Checkride Prep: Navigation Part 2 | How Does a VOR Work?
12 janv. 2026 · 23 min
Welcome to part two of our episode covering navigation! Today, Greg and Jason will discuss VORs, GPS, HSI vs. CDI, filing flight plans, and much more! Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dJrlah3ZKMI?si=EipSyU5d_MFlfq8F
PPL Checkride Prep: Navigation Part 1
19 déc. 2025 · 18 min
Today, we're going to dive into navigation, including everything you need to know, including time zones, winds, ground navigation, VFR regulations, magnetic deviation/variation, and much more! Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5sxDDQfilYc?si=r6e-4jT6F8WpYLia
We Took an Actual FAA Written Exam
18 août 2025 · 17 min
For the past few months, Jason’s been working hard toward his private pilot certificate. And he just reached his first big milestone - the FAA written test. To talk about what it was like - and how he got ready for the big day - Jason’s here with us in the studio. Prefer video? Watch this episode…
Airspace & Charts Made Easy | PPL Checkride Prep
4 août 2025 · 41 min
Check out Private Pilot Made Easy: https://bit.ly/private-pilot-made-easy-0557 On today’s episode, we’ll break down VFR weather minimums, show you how to identify each class of airspace on your sectional, and decode the most important chart symbols.
PPL Checkride Prep: Mastering Airport Ops
25 juin 2025 · 52 min
Download the FREE checkride study sheet here 👉 https://bit.ly/free-private-pilot-study-sheet-0399 Today, we’re going to be talking about something that every pilot deals with on every single flight: airport operations.
PPL Checkride Prep: Weather Reports
20 avr. 2025 · 16 min
Join student pilot Jason and CFI Greg as they tackle how to decode weather reports. If you prefer to see the weather reports Jason and Greg are talking about, watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n-OO3jfBWvc
PPL Checkride Prep: Mastering Weather
28 mars 2025 · 31 min
Weather is a big topic of conversation for pilots, but some don’t take their knowledge of it seriously enough. In this episode, Greg and student pilot Jason tackle one of the largest contributors to aviation accidents: weather. Check out the class Jason is using to get his license:…
How to Make Better Decisions as a Pilot
17 mars 2025 · 37 min
As pilots, we make critical decisions every day. Without a proper way to make those decisions, we might as well flip a coin. In this video, we'll cover the Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) frameworks you can use to make better decisions as a pilot. Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube:…
Medical Information You NEED to Know as a Pilot
19 févr. 2025 · 54 min
Student pilot Jason is in the hot seat again! Knowing how your body works is vital to becoming a pilot. In this episode, we explore life-saving knowledge about aeromedical factors. Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrL-kk93AQ8
Can You Name These Flying Laws?
24 déc. 2024 · 48 min
In this mock checkride oral, you will learn the most important regulations you need to memorize. Think you can answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OeQy9iZrmHc
Weight and Balance Explained
23 oct. 2024 · 25 min
In this mock checkride oral, you will learn how CG works, why it's important, and much more. Think you can answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NCHsgj8EP68
How Does Lift Work?
8 août 2024 · 20 min
In this mock checkride oral, you will learn how induced drag works, what ground effect is, why flaps exist, and much more. Think you can answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NCHsgj8EP68
What’s the Difference between Pressure and Density Altitude?
29 juin 2024 · 41 min
These are the questions DPEs love to ask. In this episode we'll explore instruments, covering everything from types of airspeed to altimeter errors. Think you can answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vIK2woFEpps?si=kYrJsAe_J9mMW1-1
Is Losing Your Heading Indicator an Emergency? Aircraft Systems: Part 2
29 juin 2024 · 35 min
In this episode we'll dive into the veins of an aircraft: its electrical system. Think you can answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BW7DhcU4HMA?si=OuzWTjWgAoCMy42K
How Does a Prop Governor Work? Aircraft Systems: Part 1
29 juin 2024 · 34 min
In this episode we'll explore aircraft systems, starting with the heart of an airplane: its engine. Can you answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NLT2GzgGWGQ?si=7YvKwghGH6pVhlo3