Talking Flight

Talking Flight episodes:

• 04.27.2024

  Episode 63: Captain Joe Kohler

  Captain Joe Kohler is a former Naval Aviator who went to work for Northwest Airlines after leaving the U.S. Navy. Northwest Airlines later merged with Delta Airlines, where he finished his amazing flying career. We have a wide-ranging conversation with...

  
• 03.11.2024

  Episode 62: US Army Chief Warrant Officer Ron Warren (retired)

  Welcome to Season 2 of Talking Flight.   Our guest today is Chief Warrant Officer Ron Warren. He is a distinguished Army veteran with a career that has taken him from the Utah Army National Guard where he served as...

  
• 05.25.2023

  Episode 61: Alaska Airlines Captain Gary Ellington

  Captain Gary "Duke" Ellington is a veteran Captain for Alaska Airlines. Gary went from being a high school football player to a pilot for the US Navy. After the Navy, Gary was hired by Alaska Airlines and has been there...

  
• 12.01.2022

  Episode 60. Mr. Paul Salerno, CEO of OmniSMS

  Paul Salerno and his brother Bruce started SalAir, a cargo airline in 1980 that served the salmon industry in Alaska. The company grew into to regional cargo airline that provided feeder air service to the major cargo airlines during the...

  
• 06.30.2022

  Episode 59: Frontier Airlines Captain Michael Pittman

  Michael Pittman is a Captain for Frontier Airlines. He is presently serving the company as a Line Check Airman and he lives in Mesa, Arizona. Captain Pittman graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Aviation Management, where he...

  
• 06.06.2022

  Episode 58: Captain Mike Baumgartner

  We sit down with my long-time friend, Captain Mike Baumgartner. We met as classmates while attending Alaska Airlines 737-200 initial training in 1984. Captain Baumgartner's dream of becoming a pilot began when he was a young child traveling from Seattle...

  
• 03.05.2022

  Episode 57: Mr. Ross Belfiore, Aviation Maintenance Instructor

  Ross Belfiore is a 20-year veteran Aircraft Maintenance Technician at Alaska Airlines. He tells us what it takes to earn the proper FAA credentials to enter the Aircraft Maintenance Field and how he was able to achieve early seniority at...

  
• 02.18.2022

  Episode 55: Flight to Russia

  Captain Mike Swanigan tells us the story of the most memorable trip of his career.  In June of 1991, Alaska Airlines started service from Anchorage, Alaska to the former USSR (Russia) flying a specially-equipped Boeing 727-200.  Mike was selected to...

  
• 02.07.2022

  Episode 55: Alaska Airlines First Officer Chazmin Peters

  Chazmin "Chaz" Peters joins us on the podcast to tell about her transformation from a very shy little girl in elementary school to her present status as an experienced Airline Pilot. We recorded this interview just a couple of days...

  
• 12.29.2021

  Episode 54: Captain David Glick

  Captain David Glick is one of the most respected Pilots at Alaska Airlines. David tells us about the mindset it took for him to earn an Engineering Degree and graduate from USAF Pilot Training (UPT) near the top of his...

  
• 09.02.2021

  Episode 53: Horizon Seattle Base Chief Pilot Captain Kisa Wiley

  Captain Kisa Wiley is the Chief Pilot at the Seattle Base of Horizon Air. Horizon Air is a subsidiary of the Alaska Air Group, and the airline coordinates its schedules and traffic feed with Alaska Airlines. Captain Wiley is a...

  
• 07.26.2021

  Episode 52: Pilot Hiring Boards

  Getting hired by a Major or Regional Airline is often a difficult and drawn-out process. The most intimidating part is facing a Pilot Hiring Board (Sometimes called a Captains Board). Mike Swanigan asked Captains Mike Dibello, George Boslinski, and Michael...

  
• 06.21.2021

  Episode 51: Alaska Airlines Captain Millison "Mill" Fambles

  Alaska Airlines Captain Millison Fambles joins us on this episode of Talking Flight. Millison is from Longview, Texas and he was awarded a college scholarship from the Lady Bird Johnson Foundation. Lady Bird was the wife of President Lyndon Johnson,...

  
• 04.24.2021

  Episode 50: Retired Alaska Airlines Captain David "D.R." Smith

  Captain David “D.R.” Smith is the second guest on our podcast named David Smith. There were two pilots named David Smith at Alaska Airlines, so we called this particular David Smith “D.R.” to minimize the confusion of which David Smith...

  
• 04.08.2021

  Episode 9: Alaska Airlines Captain Blake Gibson

  This is one of my favorite Talking Flight Episodes. It was released in 2013, but it was lost due to storage problems on my podcast platform. We are thrilled to rerelease it to share with our listeners who may not...

  
• 02.11.2021

  Episode 49: Retired Alaska Airlines Captain Michael DiBello

  Talking Flight is proud to present this interview with Retired Alaska Airlines Captain Michael (Dibs) Dibello. Mike is a former Navy Squadron Commander, and he later served as the Boeing 737 Fleet Captain at Alaska Airlines. His first exposure to...

  
• 12.03.2020

  Episode 48: Retired Alaska Airlines Captain David J. Smith

  Our guest on this episode is Retired Alaska Airlines Captain David J. Smith. I first met David Back in 1983, when he began training as a newly hired pilot at Alaska Airlines. That meeting resulted in David becoming my longtime...

  
• 11.14.2020

  Episode 47: Captain Michael Hendrix Returns to Talking Flight

  Captain Michael Hendrix joins us on this edition of Talking Flight. He was our very first guest when we started the podcast. At the time, he was a First Officer at Alaska Airlines. He subsequently upgraded to Captain on the...

  
• 06.17.2020

  Episode 46: Air Wisconsin First Officer Hunter Bevis

  Our guest today is Air Wisconsin First Officer Hunter Bevis. Hunter is the son of one of our previous guests, Mr. Bob Bonkukian, former Director of Flight Control at Alaska Airlines. Even though he grew up in an airline family,...

  
• 04.16.2020

  Episode 45: Mr. Stefan Holt, WNBC Anchor and Private Pilot

  Stefan Holt is one of the  News Anchors at WNBC Television in New York City. He is also a Private Pilot with an Instrument Rating.  Stefan tells us about his lifelong interest in aviation, and how he worked as a...

  
• 02.06.2020

  Episode 44: Alaska Airlines Captain Elliot Wilson

  Our guest on this show is my long time friend, Alaska Airlines Captain Elliot Wilson. I have known Elliot since he was a young child, and he has always had the goal of flying jets for Alaska Airlines. His father...

  
• 02.02.2020

  Episode 43: Mr. Tom Clark, General Aviation Pilot

  Mike sits down with his long time friend, Tom Clark, to talk about his passion for flying airplanes. Tom has had an amazing broadcast career and he is presently working as the Film Commissioner for the State of South Carolina....

  
• 12.31.2019

  Episode 42: Retired Alaska Airlines Captain Mike Swanigan

  Mike Swanigan is his own guest on Talking Flight. His longtime friend, Tom Clark, interviews him on this podcast. Tom is a veteran broadcaster and he is the voice on the intro to Talking Flight. He is presently serving as...

  
• 11.07.2019

  Episode 41: Alaska Airlines Captain Kevin Kay

  Captain Kevin Kay is the first former Fighter Pilot to join us on Talking Flight. Kevin took an unusual path to become a USAF pilot. He was accepted to Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) after applying through the Air...

  
• 09.30.2019

  Episode 40: Beth Ruggiero York Tells Us About Her Book, Flying Alone

  We sit down with writer Beth Ruggiero York and talk about her new book Flying Alone, a memoir. Beth's aviation journey begins in the mid-1980s when she started taking flying lessons and started a job as a line person at...

  
• 08.29.2019

  Episode 39: Alaska Airlines Captain Ron Limes

  Today's episode is an interview with Alaska Airlines Captain Ron Limes. He is one of the two Chief Pilots at the Seattle Pilot Base. Captain Lines shares his story about growing up in New York City, and how his 5th...

  
• 07.24.2019

  Episode 38: Nigel Sargent, Alaska Airlines Director/Flight Simulation

  Mr. Nigel Sargent is the Director/Flight Simulation at Alaska Airlines. He is considered to be one of the foremost experts in the field of Flight Simulation. Mr. Sargent grew up in England and worked on Simulators all over the world...

  
• 06.10.2019

  Episode 37 Retired Alaska Captain Phil Pope

  Captain Phil Pope joined Alaska Airlines in 1964. He started in Ground Operations and worked his way into becoming a Flight Engineer on the Lockheed Super Constellation. He later flew the Lockheed C-130, the Boeing 727 and the Boeing 737. ...

  
• 04.18.2019

  Voice Blog 2: Do Next

  Captain Mike Swanigan talks about how he helped his Niece get through a stressful day. He would sometimes use the same strategy near the end of a long day of flying.

  
• 04.05.2019

  Episode 36: Alasska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden

  We sit down for a long-form conversation with Mr. Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines. Brad tells us about his life journey that eventually lead to him to become the Chief Executive Officer at Alaska Airlines. We learn about how Brad...

  
• 03.20.2019

  Episode 7: Captain Phil Parrish

  Captain Phil Parrish tells us about his amazing journey to become Captain for Alaska Airlines.  (Previously released in 2014).

  
• 03.11.2019

  Episode 35: Alaska Airlines Seattle Base Chief Pilot Captain Dave Mets

  Captain David Mets is presently one of the two Seattle Base Chief Pilots for Alaska Airlines.   David tells us about his career as a USAF Pilot and about his transition to a Pilot career at Alaska Airlines. We also learn...

  
• 02.22.2019

  Mike Swanigan Voice Blog 1: Tire Rotation

  This is this first in a series of short Voice Blogs from Mike Swanigan. Don't worry, we will still feature our usual long-form interviews. This is an added feature to our Talking Flight Podcasts. A lot of people gave me some...

  
• 02.18.2019

  Episode 34: Horizon Air Captain Kevin Nigbur

  Captain Kevin Nigbur is the first Horizon Air Pilot to appear on Talking Flight. He is currently flying the Embraer 175 Regional Jet on Horizon's route system. Kevin earned an Aviation Degree in College, but he had to put his...

  
• 01.09.2019

  Episode 33: Ms. Trish Barney, Duty Manager Pilot Scheduling

  One of the most complex pieces of running an airline is making sure that that qualified and rested pilots are available to fly the airplanes.  We rarely hear about the men and women who are behind the scenes working to...

  
• 10.15.2018

  Episode 32: Alaska Airlines Captain James "JP" Wilson

  Our Guest today is Alaska Airlines Captain JP Wilson. He flies the Boeing 737 out of Alaska's Portland Oregon pilot crew base.  In addition to his Captain duties at Alaska Airlines, JP is now the Manager of Pilot Development at Alaska's...

  
• 08.18.2018

  Episode 31: Retired Alaska Airlines Captain Tom Crank

  Captain Tom Crank tells us about his life as a Military and Commercial Aviator. Tom tells us about his struggles at the USAF Academy, and how he unexpectedly became an Air Force Pilot. Captain Crank began his airline career at...

  
• 08.01.2018

  Episode 30: Doctor Larry Greenblatt, Senior Aviation Medical Examiner

  One of the most feared aspects of being a pilot is the requirement to pass an FAA Physical exam to keep your license active.  Doc Greenblatt is a Senior FAA Aeromedical Examiner, and he has conducted thousands of medical exams on pilots. He...

  
• 07.30.2018

  EPISODE 29: Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Mary Kesselring

  Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Mary Kesselring joins Captain Mike Swanigan to tell our audience about her 34-year career with the Airline. Mary grew up in an Airline family. Her dad was a Veteran Captain and Check Airman for United Airlines....

  
• 05.31.2018

  Episode 28: Captain Debbie Waingrow

  We sat down with Captain Debbie Waingrow two days before her retirement flight at Alaska Airlines. Captain Waingrow made history at Alaska Airlines by becoming the first Woman to be selected as a Check Captain to train, evaluate, and certify...

  
• 02.19.2018

  Episode 27: Captain Rick Jones, Corporate Pilot

  Captain Rick Jones is the first Corporate Pilot to appear on Talking Flight.  I first met Rick when I was working as a Flight Engineer Instructor for Alaska Airlines. We were in Vancouver, British Columbia, and we were using the...

  
• 02.02.2018

  Episode 26: American Airlines Captain Greg Jones

    Our Guest today is Retired American Airlines Captain Greg Jones. He is the first pilot from American Airlines to join us on Talking Flight.  Greg's interest in aviation began when he flew with his family on a Martin 404...

  
• 12.15.2017

  Episode 25: Retired Alaska Airlines Captain Barry Copeland

  Today we are visiting with my longtime friend, Captain Barry Copeland. Barry and I were hired into the same Alaska Airlines Pilot Class in April of 1980. It was the beginning of a long friendship as we both progressed through...

  
• 08.29.2017

  Episode 24: Private Pilot Alberto Arroyo

  Today's program is an interview with Alberto Arroyo. He is a Senior Program manager for Microsoft and has had a long and distinguished career in the Software Business. A couple of years ago, Alberto was inspired to persue his Private...

  
• 04.07.2017

  Episode 23: Captain David Crawley, MD

  Our guest today is Retired Alaska Airlines Captain David Crawley, MD. David folllowed his mother's advice and spent years in school preparing to be a Doctor. He finished school and started his working career as a Medical Doctor, practicing Emergency Medicine and...

  
• 02.05.2017

  Episode 22: Mr Tom Lynch, Aircraft Dispatcher for Alaska Airlines

  One of the best kept secrets in the Airline Industry is the Aircraft Dispatcher career field. These are the men and women who do the preliminary work of planning your next airline flight. They go to work hours before flight time...

  
• 01.30.2017

  Episode 20: Captain John Steinnes

  John Steinnes almost flunked out of The University of Washington. His Dad was very worried. He encouraged John to enroll in the Air Force ROTC program that was offered by the University. He was hoping that the ROTC program would...

  
• 01.11.2017

  Retired American Airlines Vice President John McDonald

  We visit with Retired American Airlines Vice President/Corporate Communications John McDonald. His fascination with airplanes started when he was a boy spending summers with his family in Cape Cod. He hung around the airport watching airplanes come and go, while...

  
• 12.15.2016

  Episode 19: Alaska Airlines Captain Carlos Zendejas,

  Captain Mike Swanigan sits down with Captain Carlos Zendejas to talk about his life and his career. Carlos moved to the Untied States from Mexico with his family when he was a 5th grader. Spanish was his first language,but he...

  
• 11.22.2016

  Episode 18: How to Get Through Training

  It is just Captain Mike Swanigan on today's episode. He offers some training tips to help the beginning pilot. This Podcast is a close cousin to Ace Your Next Check Ride. That program was designed to help the advanced aviator...