In this episode of Pilots Say What?, Zach sits down with Andrew Sowers at Thrust Flight’s Mesa location on Falcon Field Airport to talk about training in Arizona, the advantages of flying in the Phoenix area, and what it’s like going through an accelerated Zero Time to Airline program. Andrew shares why Arizona’s weather, terrain, and flying environment make Mesa such a unique place to train.

In this episode of Pilots Say What?, we sit down with John Duluth, a board member at the National Transportation Safety Board, retired American Airlines pilot, former 787 captain, and former Air Force C-130 pilot. John explains what the NTSB really does, how it differs from the FAA, and why accident reports can be one of the most valuable learning tools for student pilots, CFIs, airline pilots, mechanics, and anyone pursuing a career in aviation.

Will Garrison started at Thrust Flight with zero time, worked his way through flight training, became a CFI, later became an Assistant Chief Instructor, joined the Envoy cadet program, and now flies the Embraer 175 as a First Officer at Envoy.

In this episode of Pilots Say What, Tim sits down with Zach to talk about what it was really like starting flight training from zero time, moving across the country, taking on the financial risk, and learning how to handle the pressure that comes with becoming a pilot.

In this episode of Pilots Say What, Zach sits down with Jackson, a brand-new CFI at Thrust Flight, to talk about his path from Part 61 training, medical delays, and the uncertainty of whether aviation would actually work out, all the way to finishing his ratings and becoming a flight instructor.

In this episode of Pilots Say What, we sit down with Joe Johnson, an active American Airlines 777 Captain, check airman, DPE, and founder of the Ashton Johnson Memorial CloudDancer Scholarship. Joe shares what he has learned from decades in aviation, including what student pilots often get wrong during checkrides, why nerves can lead to bad decisions, and how pilots should handle high-pressure moments in the airplane. He also breaks down the difference between reacting and acting, why “slow is accurate, accurate is fast,” and what check airmen are really looking for when evaluating pilots.

Halley Bowers didn’t grow up around aviation. She was a first-generation pilot, originally pursuing college and marketing, until one discovery flight changed the direction of her life. In this episode of Pilots Say What, Halley shares how she went from testing the waters at a Part 61 flight school to moving seven hours away from home to continue her training at Thrust Flight. She talks about the transition into full-time flight training, what it was like switching from traditional six-pack instruments to G1000 avionics, and how she eventually became a Certified Flight Instructor.

Connor Emmett spent years chasing baseball at a high level, playing through college and eventually professionally in Detroit, Missoula, Montana, and Colorado Springs. But after stepping away from pro baseball, he realized he was still looking for a new challenge, a stronger sense of purpose, and a career path that pushed him to grow. In this episode of Pilots Say What?, Connor shares how he went from professional baseball to flight training, what drew him to aviation, and why becoming a pilot felt like an investment in himself.

Nick Bowman started out working as a welder in the Texas heat. After years in blue collar construction, he realized he wanted a different future and decided to give aviation a chance. In this episode of Pilots Say What, Nick returns to the podcast as a brand-new CFI at Thrust Flight. He talks about what it was like transitioning from student to instructor, why he switched flight schools during his training, how he finished the rest of his ratings at Thrust Flight, and what it feels like to now teach the next generation of pilots.

In this episode of Pilots Say What, Zach talks with Jackson Howard about becoming a CFI at just 20 years old, what the transition from student to instructor was really like, and how he navigated the competitive CFI job market after training. Jackson shares what made private pilot training the hardest rating for him, why he failed his first commercial checkride, what he learned from instructing outside of Thrust, and the advice he would give to anyone trying to land their first CFI job.