The Pilots Pandemic

In this episode, we were joined by Veteran JTAC and Pilot, Shannon Cruz. Shannon has an impressive 3700 flight hours, multiple combat decorations, and 21 years of military service. Despite this, Shannon has been fighting to get back his medical and hard-earned pilot's licenses for over two years. Unfortunately, he is 1 of 5000 pilots involved in the VA record pull by the FAA. To help support and advocate for pilot mental health please visit www.pmhc.org. Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepilotspandemic/

We have returned from our break… but with very somber news.

This week’s guest is an honorary favorite of The Pilots Pandemic Podcast, Cargo Pilot, Fareed Guyot. Fareed has been an ardent supporter of mental health reform in aviation and shared our message of mental health advocacy on EAA radio at Osh Kosh last year as well as most recently on his local news network. Fareed has successfully navigated the Special Issuance process for generalized anxiety and will be joining us in Washington DC as part of the Pilot Mental Health Campaign to lobby our congressional leaders for change. Fareed shares about his career track to the airlines and what he went through during his journey to his Special Issuance medical. If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available. Dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SOCIAL LINKS- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/thepilotspandemic https://instagram.com/emneonicon https://Instagram.com/thefitaviatrix https://instagram.com/pilotmentalhealth Link for aeromedical reform petition: https://www.change.org/apilotspandemic WEBSITE: https://msha.ke/thepilotspandemic/ www.pmhc.org SPONSORS: www.avi-foods.com @avi_foods_co Code:pilotspandemic

We are solo this week and recapping all of our highlights after attending the NGPA winter warm up expo in Palm Springs, CA. From the cholla garden to the club and everything in between. Listen now to hear more… If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available. Dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SOCIAL LINKS- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/thepilotspandemic https://instagram.com/emneonicon https://Instagram.com/thefitaviatrix https://instagram.com/pilotmentalhealth Link for aeromedical reform petition: https://www.change.org/apilotspandemic WEBSITE: https://msha.ke/thepilotspandemic/ www.pmhc.org SPONSORS: www.avi-foods.com @avi_foods_co Code:pilotspandemic

Our guest this week is Zack Friedman. Zack is an incredibly outspoken aeromedical reform advocate who we connected with on LinkedIn. In 2022 after seeking his medical for flight training he hit a road block for disclosing treatment for anxiety and acne. Zack has been waiting to get back in left seat for almost 2 years. On this episode he walks us through his experience so far, which highlights the many inconsistencies and flaws with the FAA aeromedical system and mental health policies. Listen now to hear more… If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available. Dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SOCIAL LINKS- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/thepilotspandemic https://instagram.com/emneonicon https://Instagram.com/thefitaviatrix https://instagram.com/pilotmentalhealth Link for aeromedical reform petition: https://www.change.org/apilotspandemic WEBSITE: https://msha.ke/thepilotspandemic/ www.pmhc.org SPONSORS: www.avi-foods.com @avi_foods_co Code:pilotspandemic

TW: Suicide. This past week the aviation community lost two more pilots to suicide, one being our former guest and friend of the podcast… Jon Dvorak. We are absolutely heartbroken & devastated by this news and our deepest condolences go out to everyone involved. The very same day we learned about Jon we also found out about Logan Timothy James. The instrument rated Private Pilot in Paris, TX who took his own life in an airplane that same Thursday. This weeks episode is not an easy listen but we encourage you to tune in to not just this episode but Jon Dvoraks as well, episode #72. We are calling on all of you now more than ever to please join us at the Pilot Mental Health Campaign PMHC.org and sign the pilots pandemic aeromedical reform petition. If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available. Dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SOCIAL LINKS- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/thepilotspandemic https://instagram.com/emneonicon https://Instagram.com/thefitaviatrix https://instagram.com/pilotmentalhealth Link for aeromedical reform petition: https://www.change.org/apilotspandemic WEBSITE: https://msha.ke/thepilotspandemic/ www.pmhc.org

Our guest this week is Tony Stewart. Tony is a pilot, outdoor enthusiast, musician, and Coast Guard veteran. He is currently fighting to get his medical back after seeking mental health care through the VA. Tony’s story is a perfect example of the broken nature of the FAA’s aeromedical system and how it affects pilots and their wellbeing. Listen now to hear more… If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available. Dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SOCIAL LINKS- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/thepilotspandemic https://instagram.com/emneonicon https://Instagram.com/thefitaviatrix https://instagram.com/pilotmentalhealth Link for aeromedical reform petition: https://www.change.org/apilotspandemic WEBSITE: https://msha.ke/thepilotspandemic/ www.pmhc.org SPONSORS: www.avi-foods.com @avi_foods_co Code:pilotspandemic

Our guest this week is Laila Stein. Laila is a graduate of Western Michigan University, PMHC Board of Directors, and aviation researcher. She has published the groundbreaking study “Mental Health in Aviation: A Study of Aviation Students on Their Perceptions of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Rules Governing Mental Health” that was highlighted at the recent NTSB mental health roundtable. Laila believes many aviation safety and culture issues can be solved through data collection, analysis, and implementation. She currently works as a certified flight instructor and adjunct professor. As well as Board of Directors on the Pilot Mental Health Campaign. Join us and listen for more! If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available. Dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SOCIAL LINKS- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/thepilotspandemic https://instagram.com/emneonicon https://Instagram.com/thefitaviatrix https://instagram.com/pilotmentalhealth Link for aeromedical reform petition: https://www.change.org/apilotspandemic WEBSITE: https://msha.ke/thepilotspandemic/ www.pmhc.org SPONSORS: www.avi-foods.com @avi_foods_co Code:pilotspandemic

Solo dolo rolling in the New Year with some aviation news that’ll make you question the FAA’s very own decision making process. Maddie & Emma dive into the juicy details of Trevor Jacob’s license & medical; Trevor is the aviator who jumped from his plane for clout on social media. He has been sentenced to 6 months in prison. We also share our thoughts on the Boeing Max faulty door plug and put the cherry on top of our first episode of the year by reminiscing over Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Get in, buckle up, let’s take this wild ride into 2024 together. • https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-pilot-crashed-plane-for-views-allowed-fly-again-faa-2023-12%3Famp&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjc6v2oudaDAxW7nIQIHRBaCmAQFnoECBUQBQ&usg=AOvVaw2mirRkrhfKTKzPMp-tkiMq • https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/07/business/boeing-max-alaska-airlines-faa-investigation.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare • https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/18cbsos/trevor_jacob_gets_license_back/&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjc6v2oudaDAxW7nIQIHRBaCmAQFnoECBcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3vZcMaSmt1UEonxnjpHpyR • https://www.google.com/url?q=https://lamag.com/news/faa-allows-plane-crash-olympian-trevor-jacob-fly-again&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjc6v2oudaDAxW7nIQIHRBaCmAQFnoECCYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1YtTtQYuECR2UEReOZkMUe • If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available. Dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SOCIAL LINKS- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/thepilotspandemic https://instagram.com/emneonicon https://Instagram.com/thefitaviatrix https://instagram.com/pilotmentalhealth Link for aeromedical reform petition: https://www.change.org/apilotspandemic WEBSITE: https://msha.ke/thepilotspandemic/ www.pmhc.org SPONSORS: www.avi-foods.com @avi_foods_co Code:pilotspandemic

It’s our end of the year episode and we’re taking a reflective dive into our podcasting journey, celebrating the milestones and highlights of the past year. From our impactful experience at the NTSB Pilot Mental Health Summit to our achievement of being published in The Washington Post — we're sharing our most significant moments and insights. We owe immense gratitude to our dedicated supporters whose unwavering encouragement has propelled us forward on this incredible journey. Thank you all so much and cheers to a new year! If you or a loved one is struggling, help is available. Dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5aVmmm4Qt9Guugehg-WMyWmIcjoTQos6 https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/12/15/pilots-mental-health-faa-certification/ SOCIAL LINKS- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/thepilotspandemic https://instagram.com/emneonicon https://Instagram.com/thefitaviatrix https://instagram.com/pilotmentalhealth Link for aeromedical reform petition: https://www.change.org/apilotspandemic WEBSITE: https://msha.ke/thepilotspandemic/ www.pmhc.org SPONSORS: www.avi-foods.com @avi_foods_co Code:pilotspandemic