A tragic Challenger accident in Maine puts winter flying under the microscope on this week’s VIP Seat. Jessie Naor and Preston Holland break down what private aviation gets wrong about de-icing—and why Part 91 and 135 operations don’t have the same guardrails as the airlines.

From holdover times and fluid limitations to the uncomfortable reality of passenger pressure in the cockpit, this episode explains why snow isn’t the real danger—human factors are. Jessie shares hard-earned insights on operational control, assertiveness, and why trusting your pilot sometimes means accepting an overnight delay.

Then things pivot to Mile High Madness: jet-set Pilates, aviation influencer chaos, and some well-earned side-eye. The episode also covers major industry news, including the Flexjet–Honeywell settlement, FAA funding on the brink amid shutdown threats, Wheels Up’s latest layoffs and sale-leasebacks, and a jaw-dropping case of fake airline credentials used to score hundreds of free flights.

Serious safety lessons, industry tea, and just enough humor to keep it real—welcome back to The VIP Seat.