Michelle "Mace" Curran: Thunderbirdette

Fred North: Behind the Scenes Welcome to the season finale of the Forever on the Fly Podcast! What a journey the second season has been delving into the lives of some seriously awesome pilots and human beings…and of course we want to finish Season 2 strong with our next guest!He has accumulated over 18,000 flight hours over his 30+ year career. 15,000 of those were spent shooting for over 160 films and countless commercials making him one of the biggest names in aerial cinematography history. Additionally in 2002, he set the world record for altitude flown in a helicopter climbing to a whopping 42,000 feet in an AS350B2! 😳 Don’t try this at home kids…You’ve probably seen his videos on instagram, you’ve DEFINITELY have reaped the benefits of his aerial production in theaters, but were here to get to know the man behind the camera, and a behind the scenes look into what goes into the complicated aerial sequences he performs.We can’t wait to start recording SEASON 3! I will keep you posted on our next release date. If you enjoyed this season don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review on @applepodcast. As always we love to hear from you guys! **Any stories of stunts described, mentioned, or performed by our highly trained guest and safety teams are for entertainment and educational purposes only. Do not attempt to recreate, or push published altitude limitations on aircraft.**

What to say, what to say about our next guest. She was the very first African American female Black Hawk pilot for the North Carolina National Guard. But not only is she a trail blazer, she's someone that exudes her love for aviation in everything she does. She’s the definition of a leader through and through. Not only has she displayed immense courage and leadership commanding and coordinating helicopter rescue missions during multiple catastrophic hurricanes, but when she’s not out saving lives and serving our nation, she's bringing her leadership skills home by working as a personal trainer and accountability coach to the masses. We all know that being a pilot puts a strain on relationships. We typically have to uproot our lives every few years chasing those flight hours. Well, Lindsey puts her master's degree in Clinical Mental Health with a focus on couples and family counseling to work in her new book, Level Your Wings: A pilot’s guide to healthy relationships. She’s here to chat about her career in the National Guard, favorite fly ing stories, her new book, and stick around until the end of the episode where Lindsey will share her top 5 relationship nuggets from one aviator to another.  

Wow what to say about our next guest! He is an Aviation Hall of Famer and 4X Air Racing Gold Champion.  He's flown over 23,000 hours in more than 270 aircraft types, flight-tested over 685, and even built 3 of his own! He has been to every country in the world...except one! Listen in to find out which. He likes to live on the edge and is a living example of what it takes to be a true leader. Peter’s company, High Performance Aircraft Group, manages several corporate jets, provides his clients with custom-tailored, high-intensity world tours, and performs flight test services for several manufacturers, including the U.S. and foreign militaries.He is also the film producer of multiple Discovery Channel productions and starred in a lead role in the "Dangerous Flights" series. Additionally to being a producer, he is also a published author! His book “Relevant” is a "Behind The Curtain" Thriller inspired by true events that reveal eye-opening top-secret encounters and the greatest lessons in leadership.He is here to talk about his air racing career, leadership, stories of his global aviation adventures, and more. Stick around until the end of the episode where Jose and I give some at home pointers on how you can build your confidence in and out of the cockpit!

Have you ever wondered what your life would look like as a utility helicopter pilot flying in Alaska? What kind of a schedule could you have? What challenges you would face? What is it like to drop off a group of heli skiers on a snow covered mountain top? Well…you have come to the right episode my friends. Today we are bringing to you a pilot who found his path with Pathfinder, an Alaskan based helicopter company who flies various missions from exploratory drilling, heliski, firefighting and more…He is here to chat about his life as a utility pilot, stories of his most challenging and exhilarating flights, and the pros and cons to flying in the most remote regions in Alaska. 

What is up Av Nerdation! Welcome to Season 2 Episode 8 of the Forever on the Fly Podcast! Jose is back and joins in for a special interview with helicopter pilot Mike Tomlinson. Mikey goes way back with Jose and Diane to their Papillon days. He was their lead pilot and colleague who has now flies the AW109 in support of transporting Columbia River Bar boat Captains (otherwise known as bar pilots) out to cargo ships in the Astoria, Oregon area. Cape Disappointment is home to some of the most treacherous waters in the world, and sees about 2,552 hours of fog a year—the equivalent of 106 days—making it one of the foggiest places in the U.S.  Only a few of these types of operations exist in the world, so join us exploring the unique life and niche helicopter job that is being a Bar Pilot .... PILOT! Diane also recently returned from her first international helicopter ferry, so stick around until the end of the episode where she shares what to expect when crossing borders. Lessgo! 

John Gray and Jeff Ratkovich, hosts of the Hangar Z Podcast, join me for a brutally honest conversation about important subjects like mental health and how it is perceived in the aviation industry, the pros and cons of how some law enforcement agencies run their aviation departments as to raise awareness and hopefully spark a positive change in the industry. We also discuss the importance of Just Culture, and how companies should be held accountable and to a high standard when it comes to open door policies. Make sure you check out their podcast, Hangar Z Podcast, which is a fantastic show  dedicated to public safety aviation found on all major podcasting platforms. I am here for it! Lesssgo!

A million words come to mind when describing our next guest….leader, aviatrix, inspirer, maaaajorly awesome human being! With over 1500 hours in the F16, including 163 combat hours over Afghanistan in support of Operation Resolute Support and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, there’s no doubt that this woman is a true hero and patriot. She’s Currently flying her second season with the USAF’s Thunderbirds, paving the way  as Lead solo pilot flying the #5 jet out of Nellis AFB, and serves as the squadron’s chief of standardization and evaluation. In this episode we dive into the Major's journey through ROTC, the USAF, Thunderbird training, and her favorite aspects of being a Thunderbird. Stick around at the end of the episode we will discuss internal and external pressures and the art of proactive preflight procedures that will help you slow down to facilitate a safer flight!

Whaaaats up AV Nerds! I can't believe we are already on SEASON 2 EPISODE 5! Mind bloowwn away with so many amazing guests, and our next one is no exception. Are you a helicopter pilot? Are you thinking about making the switch to the airlines? Well this episode is for you! We're here to chat with Scott Gendron; USCG rescue swimmer veteran, former helicopter pilot, previous Skywest Captain,  and current 747 new hire at Kalitta Air. Have you ever wondered what your path could look like to transition into the airlines from a helicopter career? We're here to get you the scoop on what it was like for Scott, and how long it took him to go from helos to heavys. Later in the episode Diane and Scott reminisce on some crazy stories from the good old Coast Guard days. Stick around until the end of the episode for a summary of the Restricted ATP requirements that you will need if you are planning to change up your career. **Episode Rated PG13 for some adult language**

This week our guest joins us from Valdez, Alaska with her story! She has flown everything from Robbies, Hughes 500s , 412s, AS350s, to most recently her personal Bell 505. She’s here to share her journey from traveling the world as a pro snowboarder, to how she developed in the aviation world beginning in Hawaii to starting her own utility helicopter company based in Valdez, AK. In this episode we dive into bush flying in Alaska, and her journey in starting her own utility helicopter company in Alaska. Also...have you guys seen that Bell 505 that looks like a candy cane? Well that's Leigh! She just picked up her new heli and flew an epic cross country journey from Mirabel to the Bahamas, through the midwest, up the coast of Canada to finally reaching her home in Alaska——dang what a journey of inspiring people and bringing joy along the way. Oh and by the by,  she’s also a BA señorita Gravity  pilot getting ready to throw on her racing gear. You guys may know her as @Leighyogipilot on Instagram...handstanding her way around Alaska while spreading her inspiration around the world through her social media. Stay tuned at the end of the episode we are going to review required Aircraft and Pilot Documents and Maintenance Items! *Episode contains some material not suitable for children*

Full episode found only on IG @foreveronthefly !!