Ready For Takeoff - Turn Your Aviation Passion Into A Career

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RFT 042: F-4 Pilot POW Colonel Lee Ellis Aug 22, 2016

Show notes

Lee Ellis was on his first Air Force assignment, flying an F-4C aircraft out of Danang, South Vietnam, when he was forced to eject over Dong Hoi and captured. He endured 5 1/2 years as a Prisoner of War (POW) in the infamous Hoa Loa prison, nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton. It was during that incarceration, in the crucible of leadership, that he learned the lessons that guided him through the rest of his career and his life. After repatriation, he returned to flying, serving as a T-38 Instructor Pilot (IP), Stan-Eval Flight Examiner (SEFE), and Squadron Commander. His final assignment in the Air Force was Commander of the Air Force ROTC Program at the University of Georgia. He now travels and lectures extensively on Leadership, and has written four books.

RFT 041: Aviation Pioneer Wally Funk Aug 15, 2016

Show notes

Wally Funk started flying at age 16, obtained her Private Pilot certificate while at Stephens College, and obtained all her other ratings while a student at Oklahoma State University. After graduating, she taught primary flight students for the U.S. Army at Fort Sill. Then she heard about an astronaut screening program and was selected to participate. Along with twelve other women, they became known as the "Mercury 13". Political pressures forced the termination of the women's astronaut program. She became the first female FAA inspector, and the first female NTSB investigator, serving on over 400 accident boards. Wally was listed in Outstanding Young Women of America in 1965, Won the Pacific Air Race in 1975, and was inducted into the Aviation Womens Hall of Fame in 1995. She holds an honorary Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin, and has had awards, trophies, and even a song named after her. Wally still flight instructs, and has a reservation to fly into space next year with Virgin Galactic.

RFT 040: Pilot/Aviation Attorney Fred Tecce Aug 08, 2016

Show notes

Fred Tecce started flying when he was 21, and eventually earned all of his ratings. He had to take a brief hiatus while attending Law School full time, but quickly made up for the lost time by buying a Piper Arrow, which he owned until 1994, and then a Beech Duke, which he still owns. Fred specializes in Aviation Law and, more recently, Intellectual Property Law, and has frequently used his airplane for business. His public appearance career began with a local television show in Philadelphia, and grew into national appearances on all the major networks as an expert on legal and aviation issues.

RFT 039: B-52 Pilot/Airline Pilot Nick Hinch Aug 01, 2016

Show notes

Nick Hinch started his Aviation career as an Air Force navigator on the B-52, flying over Hanoi during Operation Linebacker II. He then went to pilot training and rose to B-52 Squadron Commander and Wing Assistant Director Of Operations. Following a 20-year Air Force career, he became an airline pilot with United Airlines, then went overseas to fly B777s for Air India.

RFT 038: Captain Chuck Nash Jul 25, 2016

Show notes

Chuck Nash spent 25 years as a Naval Aviator, rising to the rank of Captain. He has landed on 9 different aircraft carriers, amassing 965 carrier landings. He now serves as a Military Analyst.

RFT 037: Airline Pilot/Author Karlene Petitt Jul 18, 2016

Show notes

Karlene Petitt knew she wanted to be a pilot when she was a pre-teen, even though everyone told her "girls can't be pilots". She started flying when she was 16, and now, with eight airline uniforms in her closet, she's an international Captain with a major legacy carrier. She's also an author of five books, and working on her PhD.

RFT 036: Directed By Accident Jul 11, 2016

Show notes

Many of the equipment items and procedures used on air carrier aircraft today are the result of accident board recommendations from hull loss accidents. In this podcast we discuss some of these.

RFT 035: Pump Up Your Resume! Jul 04, 2016

Show notes

Your resume and application are what the airlines will see when deciding to select you for an interview. In this podcast, we discuss strategies to improve your chances to score that interview.

RFT 034: Airline Pilot/Author Erika Armstrong Jun 27, 2016

Show notes

Erika Armstrong accidentally entered aviation by working a desk at a local FBO to support herself in college. And THEN she became addicted to aviation. She worked her way up through the ranks, flying charters and Red Cross blood transport flights, and eventually ended up in the left seat of a B-727. Along the way, she encountered gender bias and sexual harassment, but she prevailed. She now writes aviation columns for numerous publications.

RFT 033: P-51 Pilot Lee Lauderback Jun 20, 2016

Show notes

Bad eyes kept Lee Lauderback from becoming an Air Force pilot, but he never lost his passion for flying. After graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with all of his ratings, he landed a job flying Learjets for golf legend Arnold Palmer. He flew all of Arnold Palmer's airplanes for 17 years, but branched out on his own after purchasing an old P-51D and returning it to service.

After completing a contract instructing in the airplane at the famed U.S. Navy Test Pilot School, Lee established his own school to train pilot-owners in the P-51. With 9,000 hours in the Mustang, Lee is the most experienced P-51 pilot in the world, and regularly flies aerobatic demonstration flights at airshows.

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