The Future in Flight Podcast

Summary Helicopters aren't supposed to fly upside down, but Aaron Fitzgerald flies one that way for a living. In this Story Stop episode from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Shawn visits the Lightspeed Aviation booth. Aaron, the Red Bull helicopter pilot, talks about sharing the aerobatic box with aviation legends, why airshow crowds matter, and the juggling skills he learned from his grade-school PE teac...

Summary What do noise-canceling headphones, the first Air Force One, and a brand-new aviation magazine have in common? Each started with someone who saw a problem and didn’t wait for someone else to fix it. Shawn first sits down with Dan Gauger, the Bose engineer who helped turn Dr. Amar Bose’s sketch on a Swissair flight into the first noise-canceling aviation headset. Then he tells the story of...

Episode Summary Day three of our Story Stop Tour at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 takes us to two booths with very different products and a surprisingly similar lesson. First, we visit ALSIM, a French company that has been building certified flight simulators since 1994. Suliman from ALSIM explains what separates a professional training simulator from the flight sim on your laptop. He covers how eng...

Summary Day two of the Story Stop Tour takes Jacob and Shawn straight into the action at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for three conversations that all circle the same idea: somebody has to build the thing before the next generation can use it. First, a stop at the SUN ‘n FUN booth to trace how the Aerospace Center for Excellence turns curious kids — like the members of the Lakeland Aero Club — into lice...

Summary The very first Story Stop Tour episode drops Shawn right into the action on Day One of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, tracking down two brands that flew with the "Runway to Oshkosh" delivery crew. First stop: Beringer Aero, where Shawn learns how a French racing-brake company became a leading name in general aviation wheels and brakes — and gets a plain-English lesson in braking physics and heat...

Episode Show Notes 📝 Summary In this episode, Shawn sits down with Rachelle Spector, founder of I HART Flying Foundation, a nonprofit scholarship organization dedicated to helping women advance, complete, and lead in aviation careers. Rachelle shares how a random Facebook message from a flight instructor in 2017 led to her first flight — and, less than a year later, to the launch of I HART Flying...

📝 Summary General aviation isn't just a way to get somewhere — it's a time machine. In this episode, Shawn sits down with Kirk Fryar, co-owner of Sarasota Avionics, to talk about how flying small turns a weekend into a real weekend (lunch with mom, a concert, and back home by Sunday), how international trips like Belize become surprisingly simple with the right handler, and why "get-there-itis" i...

Show Notes: "Live From AeroSummit 2026" — Part 2 The Future in Flight Podcast Episode Summary Shawn Staerker is back on the ground at AeroSummit 2026 in Miami for Part 2 of this field series, sitting down with three guests who are each closing gaps in aviation in their own way. First up, DeWuan Roberson of Bridge Air explains how a structured time-building program out of Glendale, Arizona is helpi...

Episode Summary What do a country music star, the world's greatest aviation celebration, and an AI-powered weather planning platform have in common? They all prove that aviation is about far more than airplanes—it's about people, purpose, and possibility. In this episode of The Future in Flight Podcast, Shawn Staerker sits down with Nick Hoffman—country music artist, television host, and passionat...

Summary In the first installment of our special three-part Live from AeroSummit 2026 series, host Shawn Staerker sits down with three aviation leaders who are tackling one of the most overlooked aspects of flight training and pilot development: the human element. Former A-10 pilot and mental performance coach Tammy Barlette explains why emotions, confidence, and self-awareness are critical aviatio...

📒 Episode Summary What happens when 12 airplanes fly wingtip-to-wingtip across the Florida sky? For one kid in the crowd, it might be the moment everything changes. In this special episode of The Future in Flight Podcast, host Shawn Staerker brings you three inspiring stories. First, field correspondent Vanzell Jenkins ("VanzAir") goes behind the scenes with the Full Throttle Formation Team at SU...

🎧 Episode Summary What happens when you gather some of aviation’s brightest minds, innovators, educators, and entrepreneurs under one roof? In this special episode of The Future in Flight Podcast, host Shawn Staerker takes listeners inside AeroSummit 2026 at the JW Marriott Turnberry in Aventura, Florida. Rather than focusing on a single guest, this episode serves as a preview of the upcoming Liv...

Episode Summary In this episode of The Future in Flight Podcast, host Shawn Staerker takes listeners on an unforgettable journey through aviation history, spaceflight logistics, and even the surprising origins of one of aviation’s favorite cockpit snacks. First, field reporter Brolin McKay goes inside the world of NASA’s legendary Super Guppy at SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo. One of the strangest airc...

🗒️ Summary What does it look like to build a life in aviation from the ground up — literally? In this episode, Shawn sits down with Josh Blair, founder of BlairCraft and a multi-rated A&P/IA with one of the most diverse resumes in general aviation. From soloing at 16 out of a small Southern Ohio FBO to hanging engines on Boeing 767s, running turbine R&D programs at the University of Notre...

📝 Summary What does it take to build a life in aviation when the path refuses to stay straight? This episode answers that question three different ways. We open with Josh Blair — founder of Blaircraft, A&P/IA mechanic, YouTube creator, and restorer of classic tube-and-fabric aircraft. Josh grew up in the Ohio River Valley, seven minutes from a small-town airport, and spent decades collecting...

🎧 Episode Summary Get ready for takeoff! This episode takes you from a 10-year-old's dream at a Florida air show to a global aviation career that spans continents. Host Shawn Staerker sits down with Kirk Fryer, President of Sarasota Avionics, who transforms aircraft around the world—from Bangladesh flight academies to Greek military helicopters. Plus, we meet inspiring young creators like Be Snap...

SUMMARY What does it take to fly a 1965 Cessna 150 across the country to compete against the best collegiate aviators in the nation — and do it with a smile on your face? Ask the California Aeronautical University Flight Team. In this episode, host Shawn Staerker sits down with Melissa Johnston, CAU's Director of Aviation Operations and flight team coach, along with team members Jackson Kaspar (Sa...

Episode Summary Shawn sits down with Nate Herbert, bush pilot and founder of Black Moose Outposts, a fly-in wilderness fishing and hunting operation based out of Red Lake, Ontario — the furthest northwest you can drive in the province. What started as a napkin sketch during COVID has grown into twelve camps and a fleet of nine aircraft, including de Havilland Beavers, Blackhawk Caravans, and a Pil...

🎧 Episode Summary Get ready for takeoff with Kirk Fryar, head of Sarasota Avionics and Maintenance, as he takes us behind the scenes of one of aviation's biggest events - SUN ‘n FUN! In this high-energy episode, Kirk shares what it's like to bring 30 team members to Florida's premier aviation showcase, complete with golf cart convoys and epic booth setups. From sponsoring aerobatic legends like P...

🎧 Episode Summary Ever heard the sound of a de Havilland Beaver buzzing over water at dawn? For most of us, that's pure adventure movie material. But for Nate Herbert, growing up in Red Lake, Ontario—once the world's second-busiest airport during the 1930s gold rush—that was just another Tuesday morning. In this incredible episode, we dive into the wild world of bush flying with one of Canada's m...

🎧 Episode Summary What happens when a single rule change unlocks an entirely new generation of aircraft—and new opportunities for people who dream of flying? In this episode, host Shawn Staerker explores one of the most important developments in modern general aviation: MOSAIC, often called Sport Pilot 2.0. You’ll learn how this long-awaited FAA modernization could allow aircraft to fly faster, c...

🎧 Episode Summary Sport Pilot 2.0 explained: What if one rule change could reshape the future of light sport aviation? In this episode of The Future in Flight Podcast, host Shawn Staerker sits down with Trey Murdaugh of TL Sport Aircraft to break down one of the most talked-about developments in general aviation today: MOSAIC, widely referred to as Sport Pilot 2.0. This conversation offers a clea...

🎧 Episode Summary This episode takes you on an incredible journey through aviation excellence and history. We kick things off rolling down the runway with California Aeronautical University's competitive flight team—a squad that’s climbed from 20th place at nationals in 2022 to seriously eyeing a top-10 finish. Along the way, they take to the skies cross-country in “Little Red,” a 1965 Cessna 150...

🎧 Episode Summary From a tiny corner of a Venice hangar to multiple locations across Florida, Sarasota Avionics has built something truly special in the aviation world. In this episode, we sit down with Zach Fryar and Mat Davis—two key team members—who share the incredible journey of how three guys fixing radios grew into one of aviation’s most beloved avionics companies. Their secret? Treating c...

 🎧 Episode Summary Ever wonder what makes those glass screens in airplane cockpits actually work? This episode takes you inside the world of avionics with Zach Fryar from Sarasota Avionics and lead technician Mat Davis. From a humble corner of a Venice, Florida hangar with three guys and broken radios, Sarasota Avionics has grown into one of the Southeast's most respected shops. But this isn't ju...