PODCAST · education
Aviation Mentors
by Brandon Martini & Carson Vasquez
🚀 We are The Aviation Mentors, a weekly podcast dedicated to creating an amazing space where we aviators can hang out and enjoy a wide range of conversations about anything aviation. We're aviators, we're mentors, and we're entrepreneurs. Whether you're a student pilot, professional pilot, general aviation enthusiast, or just an AV Geek like us, this is the podcast for you! 🌎 Join us every Friday as we share our passion for flying! Sponsored by Stratus Financial www.stratus.finance
Episodes
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Why Student Pilots Stall on FAA Regulations and How to Actually Learn Them with Caressa Bray
✈️ Excited to start flight training, then hit a wall of FAA regulations? You’re not the only one. This week on Aviation Mentors, Brandon Martini and Carson Vasquez sit down with Caressa Bray, founder of Aero Pathways, part of the E3 SkyPath ecosystem. Caressa explains why so many student pilots...
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Don't Change Your Fuel Plan Mid-Flight: Why I Regretted It Twice in One Weekend (Part 2)
⛽ What happens when everything's going right, so you skip the fuel stop you planned? In this episode, Brandon Martini and Carson Vasquez finish the story of Brandon's ferry flight in an ICP Savannah S light sport airplane from Texas to California. With the right tank still not feeding, Brandon...
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Fuel Planning in an Unfamiliar Airplane: Why the Owner's 5 GPH Estimate Was Wrong
⛽ What happens when the fuel burn you were promised isn't the fuel burn you get? In this episode, Brandon Martini and Carson Vasquez break down part one of Brandon's ferry flight in an ICP Savannah S, a light sport airplane he had never flown, from Georgetown, Texas toward California. Brandon…
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What Actually Happens in a 2-Year Flight Review, From Stalls to Steep Turns
✈️ Flight review coming up? Brandon walks through his 2-year flight review in a twin, from stalls to steep turns to one very human radio mistake. Co-host Carson Vasquez is out this week, so Brandon Martini takes the mic solo for an episode built around his own flight review. He covers what he...
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How Much Fuel Reserve Do You Actually Need?
Fuel starvation kills more pilots than mechanical failure ever will, so why do so many still skip the fuel stop? ⛽ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down real fuel exhaustion accidents pulled straight from recent aviation news, then share a personal story…
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Plan for the Unexpected: A Real-World Cross Country Flight in a New Light Sport Aircraft
✈️ What does it take to plan a cross-country flight when almost nothing is certain? In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon shares his in-progress cross-country trip to Austin, Texas to pick up a brand-new-to-him ICP Savannah light sport aircraft, flying it home to California…
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Flight School Rate Hikes, Checkride Delays & Crosswind Limits: Pilot Q&A
Should you switch flight schools if your rates just went up? Is 45 hours without a checkride sign-off normal, or a red flag? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson tackle four listener questions that hit close to home for every student pilot working through primary...
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From Glider Pilot to Flight Test Engineer: Adriana on Soaring Records, Gulfstream, and the FlyORKA App
✈️ What does it take to flight test a brand-new aircraft before it's ever earned its wings? In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson sit down with flight test engineer and glider champion Adriana, who holds 34 soaring records and built the FlyORKA app. She shares her…
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Can AI Get You Through Your Checkride?
Can an AI really get you through your checkride, or is it setting you up to fail? 🤖✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Carson flies solo to break down the fast-growing wave of AI tools built for checkride and ground school prep. He walks through what's actually useful, what's...
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When There's No Runway: Beaches, Golf Courses, and the Huntington Beach Mayday
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday — what really happens when the engine quits and there's no runway in sight? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down the real Huntington Beach beach landing that had pilots buzzing, then dig into aviation history to explain why golf...
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Buying or Selling a Plane? Here's the $50,000 Mistake to Watch For
Buying or selling a plane? There's a costly mistake hiding in the logbooks that most people never see coming. ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down the real process behind buying and selling an airplane, using Carson's recent sale of his Icon A5 as a…
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What It's Really Like to Fly Into Oshkosh and Camp Under Your Wing
What does it really cost to experience the biggest airshow in the world? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down everything pilots need to know about EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, from ticket and membership costs to what it's really like to fly in and camp…
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Part 107 Drone Rules Every Pilot Needs to Know in 2026
Flying a drone near an airport? The rules might surprise you. 🛸 In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down Part 107 and what every pilot, student, and CFI needs to know about sharing the airspace with drones. From personal drone stories to real FAA enforcement...
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You Failed Your Checkride. Now What?
🌍 Failed a checkride? You're not alone, and it's not the end of your aviation journey. ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down what a checkride failure or discontinuance actually means for student pilots, plus dig into the differences between Part 61 and...
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What Is the Pentagon's 1260H List and Why Is Cirrus On It?
A Chinese-owned aircraft maker just landed on the Pentagon's radar, and Cirrus pilots want to know what it means for them. In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down the news that Cirrus's parent company, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), has been...
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Cirrus Is a Chinese Company? Plus CO Risk and DPE Shortage
Is Cirrus secretly owned by a Chinese company, and could carbon monoxide be hiding in your training aircraft right now? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson tackle a stacked listener Q&A covering the biggest questions general aviation pilots are asking right now....
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The State of Flight Training in 2026: Hiring, Pipeline, and What the Data Actually Shows
Flight training in 2026 — is it still worth it, and what do the numbers actually say? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Carson delivers a data-driven state of the union for flight training in 2026. Real numbers pulled from FAA records, industry surveys, and airline hiring…
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Can You Fly Without Aviation Insurance? Skywatch Answers for Students, CFIs, and Flight Schools
Can you fly without aviation insurance and what happens if you do? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson sit down with Tomer Kashi, CEO and co-founder of Skywatch, and Stephanie Kleeberg, head of sales and customer service, to break down everything pilots need to...
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AeroSummit 2026 Recap: AI Caught the Instructor Breaking Planes and a $10,000 Scholarship Is Open Now
Putting all your squawks into Claude and comparing it with flight data and seeing who's breaking the planes. ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson just got back from AeroSummit 2025 in Miami and break down everything that happened, from a heated on-stage FAA…
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Why Student Pilots and CFIs Should Attend AeroSummit 2026
In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down everything you need to know about AeroSummit 2026, happening May 20 through 22 at the JW Marriott Turnberry in Aventura, Florida. From the session lineup to networking opportunities, here's what's in store: Dedicated...
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Runway Incursions and Airline Collapses: What Happens to Your Pilot Career?
Runway incursions, airline bankruptcies, and what it all means for your future in the cockpit. ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down the latest aviation headlines and what student pilots and aspiring airline professionals need to understand about a...
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Is an Aviation Degree Still Worth It? Plus Drones and Flight Fear
Do you really need a degree to fly for a major airline, or is that advice completely outdated? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson tackle a packed listener Q&A covering some of the most common questions student pilots are asking right now. From airline hiring...
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The Smelly Cockpit Problem
Hygiene in the cockpit — it's the conversation nobody wants to have, but every pilot, CFI, and flight school owner eventually faces. 🛩️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson tackle the awkward, hilarious, and surprisingly serious topic of cockpit hygiene — and it…
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War, Fuel Prices, and GPS Spoofing
War, fuel prices, and GPS threats—how is global conflict reshaping general aviation right now? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down the real-world impact of rising fuel costs and geopolitical conflict on pilots, flight training, and the GA community....
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Are Pilots AI-Proof? Answering Your Biggest Flight Training Questions
Are pilots truly safe from AI replacing their jobs — and how do you actually make flight training work in real life? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson tackle some of the most pressing questions student pilots are asking right now. From the debate over AI and...
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Pizza Delivery to Phenom 300: Shaun Dawson's Pilot Story
From delivering pizzas as a teenager to earning a Phenom 300 type rating — Shaun Dawson's pilot journey is one every GA pilot needs to hear. ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon sits down with San Diego-based software engineer, GA pilot, and NFlight owner Shaun Dawson to…
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Flight Training Is Hard: Here's How to Handle the Obstacles Most Students Face
Flight training costs, location choices, and bouncing back from bad lessons—your biggest questions, answered. ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson tackle a fresh round of listener questions for student pilots navigating the realities of flight training today.…
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Mayday in a Warzone: When ATC Can't Save You
Mayday calls, closed airspace, and no place to land — what do you do when ATC tells you "I don't know what to tell you"? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down a real-world airline crew's nightmare flight during the Middle East airspace crisis triggered…
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From $7,300 in 9 Months to $100K: The Real Airline Pilot Salary Story
From $7,300 in 9 months to breaking $100K. What does the real airline pilot career path actually look like? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon sits down with Chad Freeman, a major airline pilot with 7 type ratings and founder of MHP Investors, a mobile home park…
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The Real Reason 80% of Student Pilots Never Finish Training
Flight training is tough — but are student pilots set up to fail before they even start? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson tackle the most pressing student pilot concerns of 2026, answering real listener questions about the financial and practical challenges…
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Do You Actually Need an ATP to Fly Commercially? The Answer Might Surprise You
Do you actually need an ATP to fly commercially? The answer depends on how you're flying — and it might surprise you. ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down one of the most misunderstood regulatory questions in aviation after a real JSX flight from...
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Is the DPE Shortage a Myth? PilExOS CEO Adam Shimmens Reveals What's Really Happening
Is there really a DPE shortage, or is aviation facing an efficiency problem? And how is technology transforming flight training and check rides? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson sit down with Adam Shimmens, CEO of PilExOS and 20-year private pilot, to explore...
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You Know You're A CFI When... (Part 5)
Should CFIs stay silent or intervene? Paper charts or electronic flight bags? When's the right time for turning stalls? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson debate the most controversial topics in flight training. From stall techniques to tailwheel timing, the...
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Listener Questions (Part 13)
Should student pilots pay extra for glass cockpit trainers, or stick with steam gauges to save money? What about learning Class Bravo procedures early? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson answer critical listener questions that every student pilot and low-time...
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FAA Medical Certification with Dr. Daniel Monlux: What Every Student Pilot Needs to Know
FAA medical certification—what every pilot needs to know before their first (or next) aviation medical exam. ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson welcome Dr. Daniel Monlux, FAA Senior HIMS AME, board-certified in family medicine and aerospace medicine, and former...
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Garmin Autoland's First Real Emergency: Right Decision or Dangerous Precedent?
Aviation history was made—but should it have been? The first real emergency Autoland sparks massive debate. ✈️ On December 20, 2025, Garmin's Emergency Autoland system completed its first-ever real-world emergency landing when a Beechcraft King Air 200 experienced rapid depressurization at 23,000...
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Captain Curt's Journey: From Working 3 Jobs to Flying Gulfstreams | Aviation Success Story
Flight training costs, career timelines, and generational wisdom—what does it really take to make it as an airline pilot? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon sits down with Captain Curt, a third-generation airline pilot and current Gulfstream captain, in Curt's brand-new...
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Winter Flying Safety for Pilots: Frost, Icing, FIKI Aircraft, and IFR Considerations
Winter flying, icing, fog, and cold-weather decision-making—how do pilots actually manage the risks when temperatures drop? ❄️✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson dive deep into winter flying realities, sharing real-world stories, hard lessons learned, and...
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Listener Questions (Part 12)
Navigating thunderstorms, aircraft maintenance, and in-flight decision-making—what really happens behind the controls when things get tense? ⚡✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson dig into real-world scenarios that every pilot can learn from. From forecasting...
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The Aviation Side of Pearl Harbor: Surprises, Warbirds, and GA Takeaways
Pearl Harbor, aviation history, and real lessons for today’s pilots—how does a two-hour attack from 1941 still shape the way we fly today? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson dive into the aviation side of the Pearl Harbor attack, exploring how 353 Japanese...
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Listener Questions (Part 11)
What’s the right way to tell your CFI you’re confused? Should student pilots buy their own headset early? And is it normal to feel like you’re getting worse before you get better? ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson dive into real student-pilot frustrations and...
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Overlooked Aircraft Cleaning Tips That Improve Safety
Keeping an airplane clean isn’t just about appearance—it’s a key part of aviation safety, professionalism, and building trust with students and passengers. ✈️✨ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson dive into the critical but often overlooked world of aircraft...
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Ep 201 - The Hidden Risks in Flight Schools—and How to Fix Them Before You Scale
Flying for currency, reconnecting with your flight school roots, and keeping safety at the center of aviation growth—this episode covers it all. ✈️ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson kick things off with fresh flying stories: short-approach fun in the ICON A5, a...
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Celebrating 200 Episodes – Aviation Mentors Reflect on Growth, Stories & the Journey Ahead
In this special milestone episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, hosts Brandon Martini and Carson Vasquez celebrate 200 episodes of inspiring stories, mentorship, and aviation community growth. 🥂 From humble beginnings recording in a noisy RV at Oshkosh to becoming one of aviation’s most...
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S02E63: VFR Safety & IFR Traffic Awareness – Non-Towered Airport
Flying VFR? Understanding IFR traffic is critical for safety even at non-towered airports. In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon Martini and Carson explore IFR approaches, shared airspace, and practical VFR safety tips. Using examples from Corona Airport (KAJO) and nearby VORs,...
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S02E62: Hidden Airplanes, Tailwheel Flying & The Real Cost of Aircraft Ownership
In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, hosts Brandon Martini and Carson catch up in their brand-new studio to talk about Brandon’s long-hidden Cessna 120 and the challenges of bringing it back to life. They share stories about aircraft maintenance, the true cost of airplane ownership…
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S02E61: Reacting to Your Comments Part 1: MOSAIC, GA Costs & Burbank Tower
In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, hosts Brandon Martini and Carson discuss aviation news, insights, and trends shaping the general aviation industry. ✈️ From Brandon’s flight to Camarillo to the Burbank Tower’s temporary ATC shutdown, they cover what pilots need to know to stay…
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S02E60: Back in the Left Seat – Carson’s First Flight in Two Years
In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, hosts Brandon Martini and Carson Vasquez share an inspiring story of resilience, rediscovery, and passion for flight as Carson takes to the skies again after more than two years away from the cockpit. Join Brandon and Carson as they relive Carson’s...
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S02E59: Mentorship, Aviation Publishing & Inspiring the Next Generation
In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon Martini is joined by two incredible guests: Jacob Peed, founder of AviNation Magazine, and Sean Starker, host of the Future in Flight Podcast. They dive into the power of aviation publishing, podcasting, and youth mentorship programs. Learn...
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S02E58: Sport Pilot Certificates & MOSAIC Updates – Making Aviation More Accessible
In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, hosts Brandon Martini and Carson dive into Sport Pilot Certificates and the recent MOSAIC rule changes that are making them more accessible than ever. ✈️ They cover everything from eligibility requirements and medical options to flight training...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
🚀 We are The Aviation Mentors, a weekly podcast dedicated to creating an amazing space where we aviators can hang out and enjoy a wide range of conversations about anything aviation. We're aviators, we're mentors, and we're entrepreneurs. Whether you're a student pilot, professional pilot, general aviation enthusiast, or just an AV Geek like us, this is the podcast for you! 🌎 Join us every Friday as we share our passion for flying! Sponsored by Stratus Financial www.stratus.finance
HOSTED BY
Brandon Martini & Carson Vasquez
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Aviation Mentors have?
Aviation Mentors currently has 244 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Aviation Mentors about?
🚀 We are The Aviation Mentors, a weekly podcast dedicated to creating an amazing space where we aviators can hang out and enjoy a wide range of conversations about anything aviation. We're aviators, we're mentors, and we're entrepreneurs. Whether you're a student pilot, professional pilot, general...
How often does Aviation Mentors release new episodes?
Aviation Mentors publishes regularly with 244 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Aviation Mentors?
You can listen to Aviation Mentors on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Aviation Mentors?
Aviation Mentors is created and hosted by Brandon Martini & Carson Vasquez.
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