Talking Flight

Dexter Cox is the author of one of my favorite aviation books. Dancing with the Devil is a wild ride chronicling Dexter’s long career as a general aviation pilot.

As a teenager entering the world of aviation, Dexter quickly realized the importance of learning from other people’s and his own mistakes. That mentality helped him to survive several close calls in the air and on the ground.

We shared a few great stories from his book, but there is much more to discover within its pages.

Retired Alaska Airlines Captain Michael Rinehart is our guest on today's edition of Talking Flight.

We have a great conversation about his childhood as an “Airline Brat,” including summers spent traveling with his dad, a Captain for Braniff International Airlines.

Mike started college at UNLV on a golf scholarship but later transferred to Arizona State University to enroll in their aviation degree program.

Michael shares his story of his rapid progression as a young pilot with Braniff Airlines, which unfortunately went out of business due to financial problems. After Braniff's collapse, Michael found a new opportunity with Alaska Airlines.

At Alaska, Mike became well known for his efforts in the late 1980s to launch the airline’s groundbreaking Crew Resource Management Program, helping it develop into a model that remains respected today throughout the industry.

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 Joe where he tells us about Navy Aircraft Carrier Operations and his experiences as a commercial airline pilot flying both Boeing and Airbus Airliners.

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 a Military Policeman, and later, he transferred to the Regular Army where he became a Dog Handler.

Ron and his dog were later assigned to a Special Forces team performing combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The team was transported and protected by superbly skilled and battle-hardened Army helicopter crews.

Ron was impressed by the skill and coolness of these pilots, and he had no idea that he would later join that elite group of aviators and lead other helicopter pilots into battle.

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 for over 20 years.

Duke describes how he overcame some of his college and Naval Flight Training struggles.

Captain Ellington is the recipient of the prestigious Alaska Airlines Legend Award in recognition of his exceptional service to his passengers and his fellow employees.

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 1980s and 1990s. They began by building a fleet of the iconic DC-3 aircraft and later added several Convair 440s to the airline. Mr. Salerno served as the airline's owner and chief pilot, and they went 15 years without a major accident. Unfortunately, in 1995 the carrier had three major accidents that resulted in four fatalities. 

After the tragic losses at SalAir, Paul took the lessons from those crashes and leaned into the discipline of Aviation Safety. He built a new company, OmniSMS, that develops safety systems and certification programs for companies serving the aerospace industry. The website is www.omnisms.aero

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 also obtained all of his flight ratings as part of his college education.

Michael's first job as a high school student was being a baseball umpire. At the time, He had no idea that the skills that he learned running an officiating crew would later be helpful in his aviation career.

Captain Pittman tells us what it takes to work your way into a successful career in aviation.

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 to Switzerland to visit his grandparents.

Mike used hard work to achieve his dream of becoming an airline pilot.

He tells us about flying the DC3 and making landings and take-offs on several beaches in Alaska to haul loads of fish to market.

Captain Mike flew his last flight for Alaska on the same route where his flying career started.

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 Alaska Airlines.

Whenever I had a maintenance problem in San Francisco, Ross was often the Technician who responded to fix the problem.

If Ross says that your jet is fixed and ready to fly, you know that one of the best people in the business has solved your problem.

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 be on the crew of the inaugural flight, and he learned that flying in the former Soviet Union (Russia) presented some unique challenges.