A native of the Swiss Alps, Simon Wittinger is the author of The Mountain Flying Handbook. First published in 2020, the book is a comprehensive guide to operating at high altitude. It’s been praised by the helicopter community at large, and even been endorsed by EASA. 

In this conversation, I’ll speak with Simon about the process of writing the book. He’ll take us inside his experience as a mountain pilot, explain some common errors people make when flying in the mountains, and much more.

Access to the mountain flying handbook: https://manual.sha-swiss.ch/en/mountain-handbook-reading-sample/inhaltsverzeichnis

Website Swiss Helicopter Association: https://www.sha-swiss.ch/de/index.html

Since 1998, Maurice Sabourin has been a part of an elite team specializing in the repair of aircraft blades at Airbus. Their work falls somewhere between the skill of a mechanic and the finesse of an artist.

In this episode, Maurice will give us an inside look at the work of a blade tech. We’ll follow the process of blade repair, from it’s initial damage to it’s return to service. We’ll learn technical insight, like the difference between working on a metal blade vs a composite blade. And finally, Maurice will give his advice on how to better maintain our blades as aviators. 

From lead-acid, to NICAD, and lithium-ion, the evolution of aircraft batteries has always been a balancing act of weight, power and reliability. Getting that balance right is essential.

Today, I’m speaking with Chris Holder of Concorde Battery about the work their company is doing to provide dependable power to the industry.  We’ll look at the development of aircraft batteries over time, common misconceptions about batteries, the future of power in aviation, and much more.

Dwight Robinson is the deputy chief pilot of flight testing at Airbus. Last year, his flying career was almost cut short when he was hospitalized with Atrial Fibrillation. But despite losing his medical, and battling the effects of his condition, Dwight made a decision. One way or another, he told himself, he was going to fly again. 

Against all odds, he did just that. In roughly a year, Dwight was back to flying, with no further heart complications. His story exemplifies a spirit of of perseverance and self-advocacy from which we can learn.

Last March, the US Helicopter Safety Team launched their Peer Pilot Program — an online resource for pilots to seek help with the inner turbulence they might face. Through the program, users can speak with a trained industry “peer” who will listen to the user, and guide them through their concern — personal, professional, and otherwise. These sessions are free, and completely confidential. 

In this episode, I’m speaking with Chris Baur — industry co-chair of the USHST — about launching the new program, and why mental health might be the most urgent, yet overlooked, issue in aviation.

Dr. Ivan Pupulidy is an expert on safety in complex systems and high risk environments. He’s been a featured speaker for TEDx, and his new book “Human Organization And Potential” has been called “a roadmap toward a new era in workplace safety.”

In this conversation, I’ll speak with Dr. Pupulidy about aviation safety reform; how we can can discard the ideas that have been holding us back, and empower pilots with the skills to think on their feet. 

Carl Ockier is the senior expert for flight test engineering at Airbus. Over the last 25 years, Carl has been instrumental in developing some of the most iconic Airbus helicopters, including the H145 and H135.

In this conversation, I’ll speak with Carl about his work engineering aircraft; from the nitty-gritty technical details, to his larger ideas about humans and our relationship to the machines we fly. 

Nick Sinopoli is the creator ICARUS, a smart view limiting device that is revolutionizing IFR training. With a screen visor mounted to a hat or helmet, ICARUS allows its user to seamlessly move between levels of visibility, with a peripheral range not possible with earlier training tools.

I spoke with Nick about ICARUS, and why it’s making such an impact in the industry…but I was just as interested in his story — how a pilot at his lowest point channeled frustration into innovation. 

Unintended flight into IMC is one of the most severe risks we face as pilots. If you haven't been there, it's a hard thing to fathom — flying into the clouds, quickly losing all orientation. 

Our guest today is John Roberts. John is the Senior Training Manager at the Transportation Safety Institute. In a previous career, John flew helicopters in the army, where he retired with the rank of CW 5. 

In this episode, John will tell the story of a UIMC event he survived while flying in the army. What was his thought process as he entered the clouds? And what decisions were key to his survival? 

Also — we'll speak with John about his current work at TSI, the evolution of UIMC training equipment, and much more. 

This is the fourth and final episode of our mini-series on Daniel Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow. In it, we focus on his insights into human behavior and how we can apply them to aviation. We'll discuss anchoring and "the possibility effect" — how we undervalue likely outcomes while overvaluing unlikely ones.