99. Pursuing excellence in aviation and business, with Chuck Surack

In this special episode, we turn the tables on host John Zimmerman and put him in the guest chair to reflect on a Pilot’s Discretion milestone. Sporty’s Eric Radtke asks John about his favorite episodes, what he’s learned about the aviation community by talking to 99 pilots, and his predictions for the industry’s future. You’ll also learn about John’s background, including why he learned to fly in high school and why he thinks writing is so important. In the Ready to Copy segment, John talks about live music, baseball rule changes, and his favorite aviation book.SHOW LINKS:* Pilot’s Discretion Archives: https://www.sportys.com/podcast* John’s articles at Air Facts: https://airfactsjournal.com/author/johnz/* Fast Five: http://sportys.com/fastfive

After building a billion-dollar music business, Chuck Surack is applying the lessons he learned to save an aviation icon. He talks about his passion for flying helicopters, why he decided to buy Enstrom, and the challenge of restarting production. Chuck also offers plenty of tips for growing a business and creating a culture of excellence, with some peeks behind the scenes at Sweetwater. In the Ready to Copy segment, Chuck shares his favorite place to land a helicopter, what he looks for when hiring an employee, and what it was like to work with Stevie Wonder.SHOW LINKS: Enstrom Helicopter: https://enstromhelicopter.com/ Sweetwater: https://www.sweetwater.com/ PilotWorkshops Mastery: https://pilotworkshop.com/products/vfr-mastery/

Whether it’s an open cockpit biplane or a brand new Cirrus, Shane Vande Voort says “good stick and rudder skills carry through into every airplane.” He explains why the Cirrus accident record has improved so much, how to teach modern avionics to new pilots, and why systems knowledge still matters. Shane also loves flying with family, so he talks about going up in an open cockpit biplane with his kids and taking a memorable flight to Kitty Hawk with his father in a Cessna 120. In the Ready to Copy segment, Shane shares his advice for taking checkrides, how taildragger flying helps jet pilots, and whether shock cooling is a myth.SHOW LINKS Shane’s articles on Air Facts: https://airfactsjournal.com/author/shanevandevoort/ Shane’s flight school: https://flyclassicaviation.com PilotWorkshops Mastery: https://pilotworkshop.com/products/vfr-mastery/

Few pilots have lived as interesting a life as Martha Lunken: from giving checkrides in DC-3s to teaching Neil Armstrong’s wife to fly, she has met some of aviation’s most colorful characters and flown some of aviation’s most iconic machines. She tells plenty of those fascinating stories in this episode—and shares some controversial opinions along the way. In the Ready to Copy section, Martha talks about what she would do as FAA administrator, flying the Lockheed Lodestar, and life as an accident investigator.SHOW LINKS:Martha on warbirds: https://www.flyingmag.com/pilots-places-pilots-adventures-more-unusual-attitudes-warbirds/Martha’s book: https://www.sportys.com/unusual-attitudes-by-martha-lunken-paperback.htmlPilotWorkshops: https://pilotworkshop.com/

Over 40% of active student pilots are under age 30 and Clay Simmons is one of them (he even built a Carbon Cub at age 22). He explains the unique expectations this new generation of pilots has, how the GA industry can be more successful in reaching out, and why mentors are so important. Clay is also an active backcountry pilot, so he shares advice for pilots who want to fly taildraggers and explore off-airport destinations. In the Ready to Copy segment, Clay talks about homebuilding tips, campfire cooking, and great architecture. SHOW LINKS: Richard Collins Writing for Young Pilots: https://airfactsjournal.com/2025/01/announcing-the-2025-richard-collins-writing-prize-for-young-pilots/ Clay’s winning article from 2024: https://airfactsjournal.com/2024/04/2024-collins-writing-prize-winner-blister-flight-six-pilots-and-an-angel/ Sporty’s 2025 Pilot Training Courses: http://sportys.com/discover

Not all airline careers are smooth, but veteran pilot Steve McNeilly says the rewards make the turbulence worthwhile. He talks about the value of building experience in piston twins, learning to land the Boeing 737, and what it means to be a professional pilot. Steve also built a full-scale Vulcan bomber simulator, so he talks about the process of building one-of-a-kind sims and explains why he’s so interested in jets from the 1950s. In the Ready to Copy segment, you’ll learn what it was like to fly the DC-8, why the A&P certificates are so hard to earn, and why playing music and flying airplanes are similar.  Show Links: Vulcan pictures: https://www.avtutorials.com/vulcan_simulator/ The O’Hare Comet story: https://youtu.be/NjkO-8OUMYQ Sporty’s 2025 Pilot Training Courses: http://sportys.com/discover

The legendary T-38 Talon has been the aerial classroom for generations of Air Force pilots, and Matt Johnson spent many hours teaching there. He shares what he learned from that time, including the benefits of standardization, the importance of pre-flight briefings, and when to let a student make a mistake. These days Matt flies a Citation and a Lancair IVP, so he talks about applying those Air Force lessons to GA operations, and some mistakes he’s made along the way. In the Ready to Copy segment you’ll learn how to give a good discovery flight, what SR-71 pilots called the airplane, how cold it really is in his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota. SHOW LINKS: Matt’s articles on Air Facts: https://airfactsjournal.com/author/mattjohnson/ Matt’s recent article at Aviation Safety: https://www.avweb.com/features/behind-the-airplane/ Sporty’s Pilot Training+ membership: https://sportys.com/pilottraining

Juan Browne has flown everything from Air Force jets to vintage biplanes, but he’s best known for his accident analysis channel on YouTube, blancolirio. In this wide-ranging episode, he describes his unique approach to researching crashes and explains why he thinks all pilots can learn from others’ misfortunes. Juan also talks about his varied flying career, including fighting fires with the US Forest Service, flying C-141s all around the world, and life as an international airline pilot. In the Ready to Copy segment, Juan tells us what he’s changed his mind about since starting his channel, flying the open-cockpit Waco, and the best place to eat in Sydney, Australia. SHOW LINKS: Blancolirio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blancolirio Juan Browne on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/787639 Sporty's Pilot Training+ membership: https://sportys.com/pilottraining

Advanced avionics are changing GA airplanes, but all that technology is useless if you don’t know how to use it. Jessica Koss, Garmin’s chief flight instructor, shares her time-tested tips for avionics mastery in this episode, from understanding integrated panels to managing autopilots. She also talks about the latest Garmin technology, like Emergency Autoland and touchscreen panels in jets. In the Ready to Copy segment, Jessica describes what it’s like to land with auto-throttles, explains how to teach better ground schools, and shares her pick for the best barbecue in Kansas City. SHOW LINKS: Garmin Aviation Training: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/aviation/training/ Garmin ESP: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/aviation/understanding-garmin-electronic-stability-protection-esp/ Sporty’s 2025 Pilot Training Courses: https://www.sportys.com/learntofly

A critical shortage of A&Ps means airplane owners have no choice but to get involved in maintenance. Mechanic, pilot, and writer Jeff Simon explains how to get started, how to find the right shop, and what the impact could be from proposed FAA rules on remote maintenance. Jeff is also the founder of SocialFlight, so he shares his tips for keeping flying fun and involving family in the adventure—including his “no magenta line” trip. In the Ready to Copy segment, Jeff talks about why you should never jump start a dead battery, why the compass is no longer needed, and his lessons learned from building an airplane in his living room. Remote maintenance rules: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2024/october/17/faa-puts-disruptive-determination-on-hold Five rules of engine monitoring: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2022/november/07/aircraft-maintenance-the-five-pillars-of-engine-health-monitoring SocialFlight on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SocialFlight Sporty’s 2025 Pilot Training Courses: https://www.sportys.com/learntofly