The Pilot Life

Phil Wiltse / Horizon Air Captain (ret)

This Great conversation with Captain Phil Wiltse reflecting on his 35 year flying career with Horizon Air. He has witnessed nearly the entire 45 years of Horizon Air from

Mark Drake / B787 Captain / Hawaiian Airlines

Incredible conversation with Captain Mark covering his nearly 5 decades in the aviation industry, with a remarkable 39 years at Hawaiian Airlines. From the early days fly

Max Lyons / Hillsboro Aviation

Pull up a chair and sit down for a great conversation with Max. A 4th generation logger and world traveler, his career path changed when he ventured out on a solo trip th

Captain Yokko Okamura / Horizon Air

"I was not trying to become a first, I just wanted to be an airline pilot".  Captain Yokko's drive to become an airline pilot was truly remarkable, overcoming vast

Learn to fly in 2026

Terry Shaffer / Flying the F8 in Vietnam

Great conversation with Captain Terry Shaffer, retired airline captain, former fighter pilot, and all around great guy! From his early dreams of Hollywood stardom to flyi

Kali Retzler / Part 135 Captain

Great conversation with Captain Kali about her journey to the pilot seat of a Cessna Grand Caravan and the challenges overcome along the way. She has a ton of great insig

Captain Ty Frisby / Aerobatics to Airlines

Great conversation with Captain Ty about his aviation journey from Aerobatics to the Airlines. He shares a lot of great instructional content on his podcast as well as in

Greg Wooldridge / 3-Time Blue Angel Flight Leader

In this episode, we sit down with Captain Greg “Boss” Wooldridge, a respected leader in naval aviation history. Greg is the only pilot to have led the Blue Angels three

Mike Swanigan / Alaska National Guard / Airline Captain (ret)

A full circle moment to sit down and chat with Captain Mike Swanigan aka "Swani" about his amazing journey to the flight deck. His dreams of becoming a pilot as a young

Captain Ernie Meeks / Southwest Airlines

Awesome conversation with Captain Ernie Meeks aka "Big Ern" ( yes, we get the backstory on that call sign!) From early dreams of being a pilot to flying the C-5 Galaxy -

Arlette Donzey / Airline Pilot

The saying "the best things in life aren't easy" comes to mind when hearing Arlette's aviation story. From a young girl in Germany pursuing her dreams of flying

LaMar Haugaard / 40 YEAR Airline Pilot at Horizon Air

Such a privilege to sit down with LaMar, one of the longest tenured Horizon pilots where he also served as the chief pilot for 2 decades. Great conversation covering the

Steve Randall / Oceanic Ferry Pilot to Airline Captain

Sit down for a jolly good chat with Captain Steve Randall! From crossing the Atlantic Ocean in small, general aviation aircraft to flying the big iron for the airlines,

Bobby Nikkhoo / Pacific Flight Academy Co-Founder / Airline Pilot

Great conversation with Bobby ; Hawaiian Airline pilot and co-founder of the Honolulu based Pacific Flight Academy. We talk Career pivots, flying during Covid, starting a

Captain Ron Kirkland / F-14 Fighter Pilot

Captain Ron is one of the most experienced, and most humble pilots I have ever met. His story is simply incredible, from flying P-51 Mustangs, Mig-21s and F-14's to

Jessie Doros / B737 Pilot / Alaska Airlines

Excited to share my conversation with Jessie, a pilot and friend I've had the privilege of knowing for 25+ years.  She entered the airline industry during the  early

F-14 Pilot breaks down TopGun scenes

Huge thanks to Captain Ron "Rhino" Kirkland for indulging me in my breakdown of famous TopGun scenes. Awesome to be able to sit down with someone who flew the Tomcat and

Captain Kenny Williams / Alaska Airlines

An honor to sit down with a personal mentor and talk about Kenny's amazing aviation career.  From his first awe-inspiring experiences in small bush planes to becomin

John Swanson / U-2 Pilot

In this episode, we sit down with aviation legend, John Swanson, for a conversation that spans over five decades of flying experience. From piloting the iconic OV-10 to s