Talking Flight

Latest Episodes:

Episode 73: JSX First Officer Billy Kitchen Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

What does it take to go from college flight student to the flight deck of a jet? In this episode of Talking Flight, we sit down with First Officer Billy Kitchen, a 2024 graduate of Arizona State University's flight program who is now flying professionally with JSX. Billy gives us a firsthand look at what it's like to begin an aviation career in today's rapidly changing industry.

Billy takes us inside the ASU aviation program, sharing the challenges, expectations, and determination required to successfully complete both the academic and flight-training portions of the program. He talks candidly about some of the obstacles he faced, the mindset that helped him push through the difficult moments, and why he chose to give back by mentoring students coming up behind him.

We then follow Billy from the university environment into the cockpit at JSX. He explains what makes JSX different, how he made the transition from flight training to professional aviation, and what it was like to learn to fly a jet for the first time. For anyone considering a career as a professional pilot—or simply curious about how the next generation of airline pilots is being trained—Billy's story provides a timely and inspiring look at the journey from student pilot to First Officer.

Episode 72: Retired Alaska Airlines Captain Edward Robertson Jun 20, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of Talking Flight. Our guest today is Captain Ed Robertson, a retired Alaska Airlines Captain whose aviation journey spans military service, airline leadership, and a lifelong passion for flying.

It's a story of perseverance, service, opportunity, and leadership. Please join me in welcoming Captain Ed Robertson to Talking Flight.

Episode 71: Flight Situations May 02, 2026

Show notes

On this episode, Mike Swanigan brings together three highly experienced airline captains for a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to get the job done.

Frontier Airlines Captain Michael Pittman, retired Delta and Northwest Airlines Captain Heidi Porch, and retired Alaska Airlines Captain Michael Hendrix each share firsthand accounts of how they dealt with some of the unusual situations that they faced on one of their trips.

Episode 70: Alaska Airlines Captain and YouTube Creator Brendan ODonnell Nov 16, 2025

Show notes

Akaska Airlines Captain and YouTube creator Brendan ODonnell joins us on Talking Flight to share his story of growing up in Oregon and pursuing his dream of becoming an airline pilot. His path ito aviation took several unexpected turns, but he stayed focused and never gave up. It all paid off, and today Brendan his living that dream, flying Boeing 737s for Alaska Airlines.

Also, a video project that he started as a side gig to help with the family budget during the early part of his career has transformed into the popular YouTube series "The Pilot Life".

Episode 69: Captain Heidi Porch Jul 06, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Talking Flight, we sit down with retired Delta A330 Captain Heidi Porch. She began flying at 16 and quickly found herself ferrying small aircraft across the Pacific. One of those flights ended in a dramatic ocean ditching 500 miles off the coast of Hawaii — a harrowing experience she recounts in her gripping new book, Ditching the Sky.

Captain Porch shares the highs and lows of her journey from teenage pilot to the left seat of a wide-body jet, and what it truly takes to succeed in the airline world.

Episode 68: Captain Tad Santino Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

Retired Captain Tad Santino joins us on this episode of Talking Flight.

He shares the story of his journey from being a gate agent for a regional airline to becomming a Captain for Alaska Airlines.

Tad had many adventures along the way and tells us how hard work, solid relationships, and a positive attitude provided the fuel for a fantastic career.

Episode 67: USAF Academy Cadet Jaylen Palmer Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

We're excited to have US Air Force Academy Cadet Jaylen Palmer on Talking Flight to share his journey to earning admission to the prestigious Service Academy.

At just 20 years old, Jaylen is our youngest guest yet. His aviation career started early—before even graduating high school, he had already earned his Private Pilot's License, Instrument Rating, and Commercial Pilot's License.

Jaylen's story is a testament to what a motivated and focused young person can achieve, with the added support of an amazing family!

If you are a student who is interested in attending the Academy, Jaylen gives us some great advice on how to make it happen.

Episode 66: Podcaster and Corporate Pilot Captain Rick Jones Sep 23, 2024

Show notes

Mike Swanigan interviews Corporate Pilot and Podcaster Captain Rick Jones.

Rick pilots a Dassault 7X jet for a private owner and is also the host of "The RMFJ Podcast", currently trending on Spotify and other podcast platforms.

Rick was a guest on a previous episode of Talking Flight. If you missed it, check out episode 27, where we dive deep into the early days of his career.

In today's episode, Rick shares his journey toward his dream of flying for Alaska Airlines and the dedication it took to get there. However, the economic downturn of 2008 shifted his path, leading him to a second career, flying a private jet to destinations all over the world.

Episode 65: Mr. Dexter Cox, Author of "Dancing With The Devil, Memoirs of a Pilot" Jun 29, 2024

Show notes

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.

Episode 64: Captain Michael Rinehart Jun 01, 2024

Show notes

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.

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