Stefan Holt is one of the News Anchors at WNBC Television in New York City. He is also a Private Pilot with an Instrument Rating. Stefan tells us about his lifelong interest in aviation, and how he worked as a busboy in New York City to earn money for his flying lessons. His experience as a pilot has helped him in his televisions news career to report on aviation stories with a higher level of insight and accuracy.

Our guest on this show is my long time friend, Alaska Airlines Captain Elliot Wilson. I have known Elliot since he was a young child, and he has always had the goal of flying jets for Alaska Airlines. His father was a close friend of mine, and sadly, he passed away several years ago. Elliot tells us about growing up with his Dad and about his journey to becoming a successful Airline Captain.

Mike sits down with his long time friend, Tom Clark, to talk about his passion for flying airplanes. Tom has had an amazing broadcast career and he is presently working as the Film Commissioner for the State of South Carolina. He has a Commercial Pilot Certificate and a Certified Flight Instructor License.  Tom does a lot of flying and he instructs pilots on how to fly vintage "Tail Dragger" airplanes.

Mike Swanigan is his own guest on Talking Flight. His longtime friend, Tom Clark, interviews him on this podcast. Tom is a veteran broadcaster and he is the voice on the intro to Talking Flight. He is presently serving as the Commissioner of the South Carolina Film Commission. Mike tells us how his aviation dream was almost derailed when he was a 16-year-old High School Student, and how he overcame many obstacles in his quest to become an airline pilot.

Captain Kevin Kay is the first former Fighter Pilot to join us on Talking Flight. Kevin took an unusual path to become a USAF pilot. He was accepted to Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) after applying through the Air National Guard.  Kevin tells us how he built a network of connections at Air National Guard units around the country to help him figure out what it took to be selected for the program. Kevin"s story is about what it takes to become an F-16 pilot.

We sit down with Aviation Author Beth Ruggiero York and talk about her new book Flying Alone, a memoir. Her book takes us on a wild ride that shows the exhilaration of flying airplanes and the dangers of having to work for a few unscrupulous aviation companies. This is a thrilling story of how a young woman struggled and did all of the hard work that it took to be hired as a pilot for a major airline.

Today's episode is an interview with Alaska Airlines Captain Ron Limes. He is one of the two Chief Pilots at the Seattle Pilot Base. Captain Lines shares his story about growing up in New York City, and how his 5th grade teacher got him interested in flying airplanes. It was his High School Guidance Counselor who told him how to get his aviation dreams off of the ground. Captain Limes also had a brilliant career in the USAF Reserves, ultimately commanding a C-17 squadron.

Nigel Sargent is the Director/Flight Simulation at Alaska Airlines. He is considered to be one of the foremost experts in the field of Flight Simulation. Mr. Sargent grew up in England and worked on Simulators all over the world before joining Alaska Airlines. He started his career right after high school when he landed an intern position with the British company, Redifon. Nigel tells us about his career and the exciting changes happening in the world of Simulators.

Captain Phil Pope joined Alaska Airlines in 1964. He started in Ground Operations and worked his way into becoming a Flight Engineer on the Lockheed Super Constellation. He later flew the Lockheed C-130, the Boeing 727 and the Boeing 737.  Phil tells us about his part in helping to build Alaska Airlines into the Major Carrier that it is today.

Mike Swanigan talks about how he helped his Niece get through a stressful day. He would sometimes use the same strategy near the end of a long day of flying.

We sit down for a long-form conversation with Mr. Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Airlines. Brad tells us about his life journey that eventually lead to him to become the Chief Executive Officer at Alaska Airlines. We learn about how Brad approaches leadership, and how his late Father still has a profound influence on how he solves problems that come up at the airline. Brad shares some excellent advice on how to be successful in business and life.

Alaska Airlines Captain Mike Swanigan interviews the interesting people he has met during his flying career.

Captain David Mets is presently one of the two Seattle Base Chief Pilots for Alaska Airlines. David tells us about his career as a USAF Pilot and his transition to a Pilot career at Alaska Airlines. We also learn that he had a three-year stint serving as Rocket Scientist at Cape Canaveral. Several events that initially appeared to be disappointments turned out to be some excellent opportunities for Captain Mets and his family.

This is this first in a series of short Voice Blogs from Mike Swanigan. Don't worry, we will still feature our usual long-form interviews. This is an added feature to our Talking Flight Podcasts. A lot of people gave me some great advice during my career. I am trying to pay it forward by recording these Voice Blogs. If it helps just one person, it will be well worth the effort. If you find any of this to be helpful, please pass it on. Be Excellent to Each other

Captain Kevin Nigbur is the first Horizon Air Pilot to appear on Talking Flight. He is currently flying the Embraer 175 Regional Jet on Horizon's route system. Kevin earned an Aviation Degree in college, but he had to put his flying dreams on the back burner when he was needed in his family business. Captain Nigbur tells us the amazing story of how he restarted his flying career after the age of 40. 

One of the most complex pieces of running an airline is making sure that that qualified and rested pilots are available to fly your airplane. We rarely hear about the men and women who are behind the scenes working to make sure that the right people will be flying your flight. On this episode, we sit down with Ms. Trish Barney, Duty Manager Pilot Scheduling for Alaska Airlines. We get a behind the scenes look at the world of Pilot Scheduling

Our Guest today is Alaska Airlines Captain JP Wilson. He flies the Boeing 737 out of Alaska's Portland Oregon pilot crew base.  In addition to his Captain duties at Alaska Airlines, JP is now the manager of pilot development at Alaska's sister airline, Horizon Air. He works with Colleges and Flight Schools on developing the next generation of airline pilots for Alaska and Horizon. JP tells us the story of how followed his dream to become a pilot for a major airline.

Captain Crank tells us about his struggles at the USAF Academy, and how he unexpectedly became an Air Force Pilot. Captain Crank began his airline career at Eastern Airlines, and he flew the Boeing 727 until the airline started to fail as a result of financial difficulties. After Eastern Airlines, Tom headed west and went to work for Alaska Airlines. Tom also tells us how he handled some of the leadership challenges that he had as a Captain. Tom's motto is "It's not the mistake, it is the...

One of the most feared aspects of being a pilot is the requirement to pass an FAA Physical exam to keep your license active. Doc Greenblatt is a Senior FAA Aeromedical Examiner, and he has conducted thousands of medical exams on pilots. He has a successful Family and Sports Medicine practice in Bellevue Washington. We discuss the FAA medical examination process, and we talk about some of the issues that can affect the status of a pilot's application for a medical certificate.

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Mary Kesselring joins Captain Mike Swanigan to tell our audience about her 34-year career with the Airline. This interview is a wide-ranging discussion about Mary's journey and the rewards and difficulties of being in the Flight Attendant field.

 We sat down with Captain Debbie Waingrow two days before her retirement flight at Alaska Airlines. Captain Waingrow made history at Alaska Airlines by becoming the first Woman to be selected as a Check Captain to train, evaluate, and certify her fellow pilots. Please join us as Captain Debbie Waingrow shares the story of her amazing career in aviation.

Captain Rick Jones is the first Corporate Pilot to appear on Talking Flight.  Rick tells us about his remarkable journey into aviation, and the lessons that he learned along the way. I know that you will enjoy his sense of humor as he tells us about his interesting adventures.

Captain Mike Swanigan interviews Retired American Airlines Captain Greg Jones. After graduating from The Ohio State University, Greg served in the USAF as a pilot. He later made the decision to leave the active Air Force to pursue his ultimate dream of becoming a Commercial Airline Pilot. Captain Jones tell us about his adventures flying the T-37 (Tweetie Bird), the T-38 Talon, the C-141 Starlifter, the Boeing 737, and The Boeing 757.

Captain Mike Swanigan Interviews Captain Barry Copeland about his career at Alaska Airlines.

Today's program is an interview with Alberto Arroyo. He is a Senior Program manager for Microsoft and has had a long and distinguished career in the Software Business. A couple of years ago, Alberto was inspired to persue his Private Pilot's license. Most people begin their flight training in a basic airplane like a Cessna 152. But he fell in love with the Cirrus SR20 and decided that he would start his training in that airplane. We learn about his adventures learning how to fly in the SR2o.