The Student Pilot Cast

MOSAIC took effect right in the middle of Oshkosh this year. A few months later, here's what actually showed up, what it costs, and what it means if you're learning to fly. This is my AirVenture 2026 industry report, the one I promised you back in Episode 94. I look at two big stories through one lens: what do they mean for a student pilot, for someone thinking about getting started, or for a pilo...

How do you record your flight lessons? Nick, a listener in Houston, asked me the same question I got in 2009, so I flew with six recorders running at once, then tested five cables on the ground to find out what actually works in 2026. We start with why it matters: in the moment you hear maybe a quarter of what your instructor says, and listening back is one of the best debrief tools there is. Then...

Your logbook knows you flew. It has no idea what you learned. In this Briefing Room episode: five questions to ask after every flight (Surprise, Workload, Skill, Decision, and Goal), where the self-debrief came from (FITS and learner-centered grading), and a simple system to capture your goal, bridge it into your next flight, and close the loop. Leave your answer to question five at studentpilotca...

At AirVenture 2026 I sat down with Adriana, founder of FlyORKA, expecting an app demo. I walked away with a line I haven't been able to shake: logging is not learning. Adriana spent her career as a flight test engineer, learning to fly airplanes nobody had flown before. That path led her into gliders, tailwheel, and aerobatics, a pile of soaring records, and years of ab initio instruction. Her who...

At AirVenture this year I sat down in the Cirrus compound with Eamon Powers, the Director of Cirrus Approach — the man who owns every piece of training content Cirrus produces, for pilots and for mechanics. Twelve or fourteen years ago the fatal accident rate in the Cirrus fleet was, being generous, unremarkable, and there was a real argument in this industry about whether the parachute was helpin...

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 th...

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 t...

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 regs/pape...

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 ho...

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: https://studentpilotcast.co...

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 new...

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 r...

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: https://studentpilotcast.com/f...

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...

In Episode 84, we join Bill and Kent again for another Beyond the Checkride segment. In this one we talk about getting out there on the proverbial open road, and going places with GA, in whatever airplane you have access to. Hope you enjoy our discussion on cross country flying and expanding your comfort zone a bit. Links: Video of this Episode - Video version of Episode of SPC #84. Hope you enjoy...

In Episode 83, we go back to the days of the Pilotcast. Due to the tragic events of the past weekend, we wanted to re-release a Pilotcast Episode from 2018 where Kent, Tiffany, and Bill interview Aerobatic Champion and Airshow start Rob Holland. Rob tragically was killed this in an aviation accident a few days ago and since the Pilotcast is no longer hosted anywhere, we wanted to get this content...

Welcome back SPC listeners and Merry Christmas! In this special Christmas day episode, hosts Bill and Kent delve into the pilot's lifeline – checklists. Episode 82 of the Student Pilot Cast titled 'Making a List and Checking it Twice...or Never' brings forth a comprehensive discussion on the importance of good checklist habits beyond the checkride. They debate the utility and design of checklists,...

In Episode 81 Bill goes on location to interview some of the guys who started a new flight school recently. Legion Air wants to teach people to be the best aviators they can be, so let's find out what makes them tick, what their approach is, and how to turn a large fortune into a small fortune in aviation. Links: Private Pilot ACS - Mentioned in the episode, this is the Airman Certification S...

In Episode 80 of the Student Pilot Cast we reunite with Nick Smith from Part Time Pilot to discuss the latest developments in his online ground school platform. We explore the addition of new features, such as an IFR ground school and a mobile app, and delve into the challenges of aviation training. Host Bill shares his journey to becoming a Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI), offering insights...

In Episode 79, we join Bill and guest host Tiffany Wolf as they navigate the flight path of AI with an interview with Alex List of FlyShirley.com. Fly Shirley is a tech startup dedicated to using AI for aviation. While we are in the infancy of this technology as it pertains to aviation, the conversation with Alex is very interesting as we dive into the possibilities, where they are currently at wi...

In Episode 78, we go back in time a bit. Back when Bill was a brand new pilot and was transitioning into a couple of new airplanes. The Cessna 182 has become one of my favorites and because it's coming up again for me right now, it got me thinking about my original transition into the 182 and my High Performance endorsement. I explain in the episode why, but I wanted to revisit that training durin...

Join us in this 'Beyond the Checkride' only episode of the Student Pilot Cast with hosts Kent Shook and Bill Williams as they delve into the intricacies of logging Pilot in Command (PIC) time. They discuss the nuances of FAA regulations, personal flying experiences, and scenarios like instructor flights, safety pilot roles, and questions around cross-country time. Learn how to navigate the complex...

In Episode 76 of The Student Pilot Cast, host Bill recounts a challenging instrument training flight under the guidance of instructor Eddie. The flight proved difficult due to busier-than-usual airport conditions, turbulence, and Bill's struggle to stay ahead of the airplane. Flying under the hood, Bill faced issues with altitude management and task saturation, emphasizing the importance of stayin...

In Episode 75, we join Bill as he does another instrument training flight, more instrument pattern flying for practice, and an all new Beyond the Checkride Segment about buttoning up the airplane when doing cross country flying, or even at home. Enjoy. Links: Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at  https://studentpilotcast.com . Please keep the feedback...