This is a podcast for anyone interested in aviation. While it started as a podcast to follow Bill's primary training, it has evolved into a podcast about how all of us can continually improve our flying. This is the audio only feed. The audio podcasts are not necessarily the same content as the video podcasts, so if you want all the content, please check out both. The video feed is mostly available on Youtube, now (inlcuding the back catalog), and you can find it by searching for "Student Pilot…
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In episode 94 of the Student Pilot Cast, Bill recounts an unplanned start to AirVenture 2026 after the engine in his Jabiru quit over far southeastern Colorado on July 18, forcing an off-airport landing in a cornfield with his son Trey; both were unhurt and the airplane remains repairable with minor gear damage and an unresolved engine issue. Rather than a debrief, Bill focuses on gratitude for…
It's Thursday night at Camp Scholler, day four of days not mattering, and Kent and I sat down with one goal: be smart-asses about a few things we'd seen at AirVenture. So we get into it. Textron had us all convinced this was the year the Pipistrel Panthera would finally get certified under MOSAIC — and instead we got another two-seat trainer. The Camp Scholler bathhouse has quietly relocated the…
In Episode 92, we join Bill and Trey talking briefly about their upcoming trip to OSH in a light sport aircraft, Lil' Rue. B Get the free Go or No-Go guide: https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questions Get the Friday Flight Brief: https://studentpilotcast.com/flightbrief Links: Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at https://studentpilotcast.com . Please keep…
In Episode 91, Bill teaches a simple aeronautical decision-making framework for go/no-go and continue/divert decisions built around three simple questions: can the airplane do it? Can I do it? And is it legal? He breaks each question into three lenses—aircraft performance/envelopes/condition; pilot proficiency/physiology/capability under pressure; and legal airworthiness/mission-specific…
In Episode 90, Beyond the Checkride, Bill and Kent reflect on the 2009 Colgan Air 3407 crash near Buffalo and how it drove regulatory changes including the 1,500-hour rule and the FAA-required ATP Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP). They discuss what ATP-CTP is, how provider and instructor quality can vary, and what Kent experienced taking it independently (about $4,000) with nearly 3,000…
In Episode 89, we join Bill as he introduces everyone to his airplane, a 2008 Jabiru J230. Come along on a flight with him and he'll tell you all about the plane, but also dive into some of the interesting things from the flight. This is part of the Cockpit Series where we go on a flight together, learn what we can, and have a little fun. Get the free Go or No-Go guide:…
In Episode 88, Bill welcomes Jason Miller, two-time FAA Western Pacific CFI of the Year and founder of The Finer Points, to discuss how his platform evolved into an flight training app that models real-world lessons with briefings, flights, and debriefs across five courses. They talk about uneven student preparation, the 2015–2023 “explosive growth” period that left inexperienced CFIs training…
In Episode 87, we join Bill and Kent as they discuss forced induction in general aviation, contrasting normally aspirated engines with superchargers, turbochargers, and turbo-normalizers, and explaining how turbos use exhaust-driven turbines and wastegates (automatic, manual—separate or throttle-linked—and fixed) to manage boost. They cover turbocharged vs turbo-normalized manifold pressure, the…
In Episode 86, we join Bill as he relaunches the podcast. Four distinct series, a new look, and more bad puns. I do a Briefing Room episode to launch things back off, and explain how things are changing, how they're staying the same, and what we want to focus on. Get the free Go or No-Go guide: https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questions Get the Friday Flight Brief:…
In Episode 85, we join Bill and Kent as they talk about how to expand the envelope of your flying. In other words, how to fly good and not suck...or at least get better and reduce your personal minimums. Links: Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at https://studentpilotcast.com . Please keep the feedback coming. You can use the contact form on the website or…
