• Do Professional Pilots use ForeFlight? // #81
    May 16 2024

    Mike and Sean jump a little off the career path rails to discuss a technical topic involving the use the very popular ForeFlight aviation app from the point of view as a professional pilot. We also address the possible downsides of using this powerful application early on in your training especially working towards your Private Pilot Certificate.

    DON'T MISS THIS! Go to https://www.propilotplaybook.com and enter your email to get access to our list of "The Top 10 Flight School Rip-offs" and access to free lesson from our course.

    If you have a question you'd like us to answer, you can email us at: podcast@propilotplaybook.com

    CHAPTERS:

    00:00 Intro

    01:47 Sam's question

    05:02 What is ForeFlight?

    06:53 Not for primary Private Pilot training

    09:33 Sean's day-to-day using ForeFlight

    12:00 Fuel planning

    16:01 Back-up instruments

    18:55 Poor man's TCAS

    20:20 All charts are included

    21:46 Logbook function

    23:28 Runway analysis data

    25:45 Airlines using ForeFlight

    26:35 Other aviation apps

    28:38 Wrap up- TAKE ACTION!

    29:00 New products released on the Pro-Pilot Playbook site

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    29 mins
  • How to Make MAJOR Airline Money as a Corporate Pilot // #80
    Apr 30 2024

    Mike and Sean answer two viewers questions this week concerning how to become an ultra successful corporate pilot and earn a comparable salary of our major airline counterparts. Basically a step-by-step guide to start an aircraft management company.

    DON'T MISS THIS! Go to https://www.propilotplaybook.com and enter your email to get access to our list of "The Top 10 Flight School Rip-offs" and access to free lesson from our course.

    If you have a question you'd like us to answer, you can email us at: podcast@propilotplaybook.com

    CHAPTERS:

    00:00 Intro

    03:08 Bryan's video question

    05:55 Answering peoples email

    06:33 What is a contract pilot

    11:19 Using Facebook groups to find contract pilot jobs

    12:40 Buying a type rating to do contract pilot work

    15:04 Adam's email question

    17:55 How to start an aircraft management company

    22:07 How to be a good contract pilot

    24:00 It all comes back to networking

    26:30 First steps as a low time pilot

    30:12 New products released on the Pro-Pilot Playbook site

    30:45 Take action!

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    31 mins
  • Bonus Episode: Pro-Pilot Playbook's Guest Appearance on Sporty's Pilot's Discretion Podcast
    Apr 27 2024

    Sean & Mike sit down with John Zimmerman from Sporty's Pilot's Discretion Podcast which is possibly the most downloaded aviation podcast in history.

    DON'T MISS THIS! Go to https://www.propilotplaybook.com and enter your email to get access to our list of "The Top 10 Flight School Rip-offs" and access to free lesson from our course.

    If you have a question you'd like us to answer, you can email us at: podcast@propilotplaybook.com

    Are the latest headlines about slowing airline pilot hiring just a temporary pause or the start of a downward trend? In this episode, aviation career mentors Mike Martin and Sean Richey explain what the real state of the industry is. They also talk about the right approach to flight training, how to build time, and whether airline interviews still matter. Mike and Sean have lots of experience as corporate pilots, so they share tips from the world of private jets, including the different skills required for that type of job. In the Ready to Copy segment, you’ll hear about tough checkrides, how to be a good copilot, and the best airports in America.

    QUOTES:

    - Current hiring trends: “There’s a difference between the hiring surge that we had and the true pilot shortage that’s going on in the background.”

    - Airline hiring 25 years ago: “Your first year you made like $22,000; you had to pay $18,000 back to them for your training.”

    - Where we are now: “There is no greater time in the history of man, since the Wright brothers first flew, to become a professional pilot.”

    - What type of flight school is best: “At the end of the day, you’re going to get the same certificates and ratings no matter what you do.”

    - Why waiting to start flight training can cost you: “For every year you wait, you gotta think about those big bucks on the back end of your career.”

    - Competition between employers: “This large airline hiring is sucking pilots out of the corporate world like a vacuum cleaner.”

    - Corporate jobs vs. airline jobs: “The actually volume of flying you is way less. There are many corporate pilots that fly as many hours annually as an airline pilot does in one month.”

    - How to break into corporate flying: “Be at the airport… you need to be at these airports and you need to see yourself seen and known.”

    - What makes a good copilot: “The ability to distinguish what’s important from what’s not important.”

    - Flying celebrities: “I had a perception before I did this… [that] money doesn’t buy happiness and all that. I actually think after years of doing this that that’s a coping mechanism that us poor people say.”

    SHOW LINKS:

    - Pro-Pilot Playbook: https://www.propilotplaybook.com

    - Boeing Pilot Outlook: https://www.boeing.com/commercial/mar...

    - Pilot Training+ Membership: https://www.sportys.com/sportys-pilot... Explore the podcast

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    44 mins
  • How to Get Your Instrument Rating in Just 10 DAYS // #79
    Apr 25 2024

    Sean & Mike talk with Daniel Smucker on how he was able to achieve his Instrument rating in just 10 days.

    DON'T MISS THIS! Go to https://www.propilotplaybook.com and enter your email to get access to our list of "The Top 10 Flight School Rip-offs" and access to free lesson from our course.

    If you have a question you'd like us to answer, you can email us at: podcast@propilotplaybook.com

    CHAPTERS:

    00:00 Intro

    03:10 Daniel's story

    11:02 How Daniel financed his training

    14:50 How he achieved Instrument rating in 10 days

    18:20 Accelerated commercial pilot license

    21:38 Hacks for sharing time via Face Book groups

    24:40 Owning a plane for training

    29:40 Borrowing an airplane for training

    33:04 Accelerated Multi-engine rating

    38:28 Flight training with brother as CFI

    42:20 Working on CFI and Networking

    46:11 Daniel idea for starting a flight school

    47:40 Is ATP flight school accelerated training?

    49:00 How did it all cost?

    52:00 Right seat in a jet

    54:30 Daniel's advice to aspiring pilots

    56:20 Networking at the airport

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    59 mins
  • Expert Advice on Buying a Type Rating on Your Own // #78
    Mar 27 2024

    Sean & Mike answer two listeners video questions on the pilot marketing softening and whether it's worth buying your own type rating in an aircraft.

    DON'T MISS THIS! Go to https://www.propilotplaybook.com and enter your email to get access to our list of "The Top 10 Flight School Rip-offs" and access to free lesson from our course.

    If you have a question you'd like us to answer, you can email us at: podcast@propilotplaybook.com

    CHAPTERS:

    00:00 Intro

    01:56 Steve's question

    09:02 Truckers becoming professional pilots

    10:53 Ground school before flight training

    14:25 Skipping the regional airlines

    14:58 Hiring slowing down at the airlines

    16:56 Buy your own type rating?

    22:32 Good companies want good people

    25:06 Expensive training on speculation

    25:51 Finance it and accelerate it

    27:00 Take action

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    28 mins
  • Learn How to Ace Your Checkride with Tips from Former FAA Examiner // #77
    Mar 14 2024

    Sean & Mike talk to Ben Roller, former FAA Operations Inspector and Designated Pilot Examiner, to get the inside hacks on passing your pilot checkride. We also discuss common mistakes pilot applicants make on checkrides and how or if discretion actually exists when it comes to your checkride.

    DON'T MISS THIS! Go to https://www.propilotplaybook.com and enter your email to get access to our list of "The Top 10 Flight School Rip-offs" and access to free lesson from our course.

    If you have a question you'd like us to answer, you can email us at: podcast@propilotplaybook.com

    CHAPTERS:

    00:00 Intro

    02:23 Ben's background

    08:30 Pilot hiring in early 2000's vs today

    19:10 Pilot job market up's and down's

    20:44 Shortage of designated pilot examiners

    24:41 Requirements to be a DPE

    26:35 Who's the DPE's DPE?

    28:38 Do pilot examiners have a pass/fail ratio quota to maintain?

    30:57 Examiners discretion on a pilot checkride

    34:42 Examiner knows in the first 5 mins of meeting applicant outcome of the checkride

    35:48 Ben's advice to private pilot applicants

    39:55 Common problem areas on pilot checkrides

    48:19 Checkride with highest fail rate?

    56:30 Take Action!

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    57 mins
  • How to Become a Professional Pilot with $0 // #76
    Mar 14 2024

    Sean & Mike talk to Jamal again as he updates us with his progress at ATP flight school where he was able to get his Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot Certificate, and Multi-Engine Rating in under 5 months. Jamal had also used the financial aid which means he started his training at ATP with no money being paid up front.

    Jamal's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Jahmalthepilot

    DON'T MISS THIS! Go to https://www.propilotplaybook.com and enter your email to get access to our list of "The Top 10 Flight School Rip-offs" and access to free lesson from our course.

    If you have a question you'd like us to answer, you can email us at: podcast@propilotplaybook.com

    CHAPTERS:

    00:00 Intro

    02:23 Recap on Jamal's story

    07:02 How long and how much

    12:05 Can you fail at ATP

    14:25 What are the Cons of ATP

    18:58 Jamal has a JOB!

    26:20 Companies paying students at ATP Flight School

    28:16 Ages of other student pilots and CFI's at ATP

    30:58 Mike & Sean on the road

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    32 mins
  • NEW COMPELLING THEORY on Fiery Naples Crash // #75
    Feb 10 2024

    Mike and Sean break down the crash of a Challenger 604 on approach into Naples, Florida (APF) airport that experienced a dual engine failure on final crashing on I-75 killing both pilots. We talk about operating the challenger and possible causes of the accident including introducing a new theory that doesn't include fuel starvation or birds.

    Here's some links to other YouTuber's videos on the Naples Challenger crash:

    https://youtu.be/EKAw1ioDcAE?si=7u9aJbwSSOwTmujH

    https://youtu.be/OfEl6clsW_M?si=CF2Uz3bsfq3vyL8W

    https://youtu.be/icKVGG9QiS0?si=F7LqLWJs8oLlPGbZ

    DON'T MISS THIS! Go to https://www.propilotplaybook.com and enter your email to get access to our list of "The Top 10 Flight School Rip-offs" and access to free lesson from our course.

    If you have a question you'd like us to answer, you can email us at: podcast@propilotplaybook.com

    CHAPTERS:

    00:00 Intro

    03:32 Facts surrounding Naples crash

    05:02 Challenger 604 business jet

    08:54 ATC audio

    10:37 Video of jet crash in Naples, Florida

    13:15 Dual engine flameout in jets

    19:52 Theories of what could have caused Naples crash

    26:07 Alternate theory for Naples Challenger crash

    34:07 Pilots of Naples, Florida crash heros

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    37 mins