Passive Income Pilots

Are you unknowingly passing up five-figure tax savings available right now? Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson sit down with oil and gas expert Tim Pawul to reveal why minerals, royalties, and non-operated working interests have become one of the most powerful tools for cash flow and tax strategy. Get ready to understand the real reason hydrocarbons aren’t going anywhere, how minerals function like “unde...

Sleep becomes exciting, especially when it’s with Dr. Adam Shapiro. Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson sit down with this board-certified sleep specialist and ATP pilot to uncover what every aviator needs to know to protect their health and their medical. Get ready for practical guidance on staying sharp, staying healthy, and staying in the cockpit longer. Dr. Adam Shapiro is a board-certified sleep medi...

Taxes become more exciting, especially when it’s with Toby Mathis. Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson welcome back tax strategist and investor Toby Mathis for another powerhouse session on how to keep more of your money before year-end. From bonus depreciation and the short-term rental loophole to smarter charitable giving and donor-advised funds, Toby reveals how high-income earners can legally slash th...

What happens when a real estate investor decides to buy an airport? In this episode, host Tait and Ryan sit down with Robert DeLaurentis, the “Peace Pilot,” to unpack how he transformed a rundown airport into a thriving hub of aviation and community life. Robert shares how his decades in multifamily real estate funded his passion for flying, why legacy matters more than luxury, and how creative bu...

Where should you put your money right now?  Ryan Gibson and Tait Duryea sit down with economist Dr. Elliot Eisenberg to decode the markets, interest rates, and the economic forces shaping your portfolio. From AI layoffs to multifamily real estate, they break down how high-income earners, especially pilots, can build wealth intelligently amid uncertainty. Elliot reveals why the top 10% of earn...

What does true diversification look like when you’re building wealth as a pilot?  In this episode, Ryan Gibson sits down with his longtime colleague and friend, Ted Greene, to unpack how to define success with your spouse, avoid emotional investing, and create a portfolio that brings peace of mind. From surviving Wall Street lawsuits to building lasting wealth through real estate, Ted shares...

Why do so many high-earning pilots struggle to build real wealth? Hosts Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson get candid about the habits, mindset, and blind spots that keep aviators from achieving true financial independence. They reveal the five biggest mistakes pilots make, from lifestyle creep and tax traps to ego-driven investing, and how to replace them with smarter, more sustainable wealth strategies...

What do private placement memorandums really mean for you as an investor?  Hosts Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson sit down with attorney and real estate operator Seth Bradley to pull back the curtain on syndication documents, accreditation rules, and what truly protects investors. Seth shares his personal journey from med school to big law to entrepreneurship, and why his legal background gives hi...

How protected is your wealth if something goes wrong?  In this episode of Passive Income Pilots, Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson sit down with asset protection expert Adam Kintigh to share practical strategies every pilot and high-income professional should know. From real estate privacy trusts that cut transfer taxes to Wyoming LLCs that safeguard syndications, Adam explains how to structure you...

What separates pilots who want to invest from those who actually succeed?  In this episode, Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson share the real stories behind their first deals, the mistakes they made, and the lessons that still guide them today. From disastrous single-family rentals to managing multifamily properties, they explain why failure is often the best teacher and why no one should try to “lo...

Can oil and gas really be a smart play for high-income professionals? In this episode, Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson sit down with Mark Fleming, petroleum engineer and Turbine Capital’s oil & gas advisor, to break it down. From the basics of how drilling works to the tax advantages that can offset W2 income, you’ll learn the realities of this often-misunderstood industry. The conversation covers...

Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson welcome Mat Sorensen, CEO of Directed IRA, for a powerful discussion on how pilots and high-income professionals can unlock private investment opportunities through retirement accounts. From self-directed IRAs to Solo Ks, Mat explains the mechanics of rolling over old 401(k)s, navigating recent regulatory changes, and tapping into lucrative private markets that were onc...

Is now the right time to buy real estate or to hold cash?  In this episode, Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson sit down with Hunter Thompson, founder of Asym Capital and host of Cash Flow Connections, to unpack today’s real estate market. They cover cycles, debt structures, the COVID impact, rising interest rates, and why current distress is more about financing than fundamentals. Whether you’re an...

What if your life insurance could help you invest without selling a single asset? Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson welcome back Rod Zabriskie of Money Insights to demystify how whole life insurance can be used as a wealth-building tool. They break down the differences between term and whole life, how cash value grows, and why this strategy avoids risks like margin calls. You’ll hear how pilots are usin...

What if your first home turned into your first big win?  Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson welcome Brad Hilton and Aubrey Carlson, a powerhouse pilot couple who turned a VA loan into a cash-flowing real estate business. From renovating a dated beach house to designing destination-worthy cabins in Julian, CA, Brad and Aubrey break down how they scaled a short-term rental empire—without any formal tr...

What separates a solid real estate deal from a costly mistake? In this episode, hosts Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson welcome Derrick Harris, SVP at Spartan Investment Group, to walk us through the real-world process of evaluating markets, properties, and operational risks. With a portfolio that spans millions of square feet, Derrick shares what works, what doesn’t, and what every investor should know...

What if your rental property is a lawsuit away from costing you everything?  Tait Duryea connects with asset protection expert Adam Kintigh of Nevada Corporate Headquarters to break down what every investor should know about shielding wealth. From piercing the corporate veil to choosing between LLCs and real estate privacy trusts, this episode covers real risks, smarter structures, and how to...

Get ready to demystify the 2025 Tax Bill. Hosts Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson sit down with Nathan Sosa, tax strategist at Hall CPA, to uncover what this sweeping legislation really means for pilots and high-income earners. From the return of 100% bonus depreciation to new deductions for auto loans and overtime, Nathan breaks down exactly who benefits and how. Whether you're building passive income...

Ever wonder what happens when you invest in a syndication? In this episode, hosts Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson break down how real estate syndications work, from deal sourcing and underwriting to legal docs, fees, and investor returns. Learn how passive investors get access to large-scale deals, what to look for in a sponsor, and what happens after you wire the funds. If you're considering a syndic...

What could cost you your flying career? Not being prepared for your medical.  Hosts Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson welcome back Dan Monlux of Wingman Med to discuss how pilots can protect their FAA medical certificates. Dan breaks down what happens during a medical exam, the importance of primary care, and why early detection matters. This is a must-listen for pilots over 40 and anyone serious a...

Get ready to uncover the secrets of one of commercial real estate’s most resilient and misunderstood asset classes: self-storage. In this in-depth episode, Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson explore why self-storage continues to outperform in uncertain times, how millennials are transforming storage use, and what makes it such a powerful wealth vehicle for passive investors. They share personal stories,...

In this episode, hosts Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson sit down with attorney Amanda Wynalda from Anderson Advisors to unpack everything pilots and high-income earners need to know about trusts, wills, and asset protection. From revocable vs. irrevocable trusts to layering LLCs and avoiding the due-on-sale clause, this episode is a blueprint for protecting your wealth while staying legally compliant.&...

In this episode, hosts Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson talk with chief economist Dr. Peter Linneman to demystify interest rates, the national deficit, and how it all affects pilots, real estate investors, and entrepreneurs. Discover why U.S. debt may not be the threat it’s made out to be, how capital flows drive values, and what most people get wrong about inflation and treasury yields. They also unpa...

In this episode, Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson welcome CPA Thomas Castelli of Hall CPA to break down the latest tax developments affecting high-income earners. From the potential return of 100% bonus depreciation to how the real estate professional status works in practice, Tom shares key strategies to help you keep more of what you earn. Whether you're flying the line or growing your rental portfol...

Get ready to fast-track your financial freedom. In this power-packed solo episode, Tait Duryea and Ryan Gibson share the top strategies from over 110 episodes of Passive Income Pilots. From unlocking hidden cash in your 401(k) and home equity to leveraging life insurance and short-term rentals for major tax breaks, they distill years of pilot-specific investing wisdom into five key pillars. You’ll...