PODCAST · education
Like a Pilot
by Phil Wilkes
Like a Pilot is your passport to behind the flight deck door. Join your host, Phil Wilkes, A380 pilot and trainer with four decades of flying experience as he unveils the soft skills pilots harness every time they step into those high-speed aluminum and carbon fiber giants we call airliners. From leadership to decision-making, teamwork to communication, we'll explore the 'how' and 'why' behind aviation being one of the safest modes of travel. Fasten your seatbelts, and let's embark on a journey through the skies, where pilots' expertise provides a blueprint for high performance in any field.
Episodes
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Sleep... Like a Pilot | Jet Lag, Shift Work and Sleeping on the Job
How do pilots deal with jet lag? Where do they sleep on an aircraft? Wait! What? Pilots sleep while they’re at work? In this episode of Like a Pilot, Phil takes you behind the scenes of long-haul flying to explore the strange world of crew rest, tactical naps, body clocks and sleeping at all the...
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Catastrophize… Like a Pilot | Weighing Risk
In thunderstorms and pouring rain, Air France 358 touches down in Toronto. Nearly half the runway is already behind it. Seconds later, the Airbus A340 is in a ravine, destroyed by fire. How does a serviceable aircraft, flown by experienced pilots, run out of runway? In this episode, we look at...
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Model… Like a Pilot | Role Models and Mentors
We often think of role models as polished success stories. But in aviation, some of the clearest lessons come from people you would never want to become. In this episode, Phil explores how pilots learn by watching the people around them — the captains they admire, the ones they don’t, and the...
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Lead… Like A Pilot | The 10 Principles of Leadership
Leadership is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot, but what does good leadership actually look like? And why does it matter at all? We’ve all had bad bosses. The screamer. The idea-stealer. The plain incompetent. The one asking for sacrifice from behind a locked door. In this episode...
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Work… Like A Pilot | Do, Defer, Delegate or Dump
In this episode of Like a Pilot, Phil answers a question from Miss Seven that’s crossed every passenger’s mind: "What do pilots actually do up there when the autopilot is flying?" (Apart from drinking coffee and chilling, of course.) We’ll step inside the cockpit to unpack workload — the finite...
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Where's Wilkesy?
Where’s Wilkesy? In training. I’ve been back in full student mode while changing fleets, so the Like a Pilot podcast has been put into a holding pattern until the New Year. In the meantime, why not dive into the back catalogue. Perhaps start with the Christmas themed checklist episode, or revisit...
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Focus... Like a Pilot | Performance vs. Results
Ever frozen under pressure, knowing you were capable of more? This episode of Like a Pilot dives into why fixating on outcomes often leads to anything but success. From cockpit to canoe slalom, you'll hear how elite performers—pilots, Olympians, and race drivers—master their minds by focusing on...
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Believe... Like a Pilot | Challenging the Story in Your Head
When life punches you in the face, what is that voice in your head saying? When you’re beating yourself up, what’s the worst thing you tell yourself about yourself? A military pilot earns her wings but can’t shake the feeling she got there by accident. A test pilot finishes a mission but still...
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Debrief… Like a Pilot | Don't Tell Me What to Do!
Is your feedback resonating? Does it foster growth? For pilots, every flight is a lesson, and well-facilitated debriefs provide the fuel for mastery. In this episode of Like a Pilot, Phil Wilkes explores how structured debriefs turn ordinary feedback into real growth. This isn’t just about...
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Confirm… Like a Pilot | What Are You Looking At?!
How could experienced pilots forget something as critical as setting the flaps for takeoff? Checklists are meant to save lives—so why do they sometimes fail? This episode of Like a Pilot dives into the dark side of routine—complacency and expectation bias—that can trick even the best…
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Reason... Like a Pilot | Speculating on Jeju, Potomac and Toronto
In the wake of three major aviation accidents in as many months, the speculation machine has been in overdrive—fuelled by social media, 24-hour news cycles, and self-proclaimed experts. But what happens when misinformation spreads faster than the facts? In this episode of Like a Pilot, we…
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Crash... Like a Pilot | Lessons From United 232
In this episode of Like a Pilot, we delve into the extraordinary events of United Airlines Flight 232, one of the most dramatic and miraculous aviation stories ever told. What begins as a routine flight turns into a fight for survival when a catastrophic mechanical failure leaves the crew with no...
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Breathe... Like a Pilot | Overcoming Startle & Surprise - Part 2
What if the key to staying calm under pressure was something as simple as… breathing? In this episode of Like a Pilot, we wrap up our two-part series on managing startle and surprise with a powerful yet often overlooked tool: breath control. From aviation to elite military training, controlled...
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Recover... Like a Pilot | Overcoming Startle & Surprise - Part 1
Ever wondered what happens when pilots encounter the unexpected? In this latest episode of Like a Pilot, we're diving into the critical skill of managing startle and surprise in high-stakes moments. We’ll explore how professionals respond to those jolting situations with clarity and control.…
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Automate… Like a Pilot | Lessons From Air France 447
In the early morning hours of 1st June 2009, Air France flight 447 was cruising at 35,000 feet, enroute from Rio de Janeiro Galeao to Paris Charles de Gaulle when the autopilot disengaged. Less than four and half minutes later, the Airbus A330 would plunge into the Atlantic Ocean with the tragic...
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Confess… Like a Pilot | Self-Reporting in a Just Culture
How can admitting mistakes save lives? Why is self-reporting crucial in aviation? In this episode of the Like a Pilot podcast, host Phil Wilkes answers a subscriber’s question as he explores the transformative power of a Just Culture, where honesty and transparency are key to maintaining safety....
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Evacuate... Like a Pilot | Communicating With Intent
What is the best way to evacuate a building? How should you seek help in an emergency? In this episode of the Like a Pilot podcast, host Phil Wilkes delves into the critical aspect of communication during emergencies, drawing insights from aviation protocols and research into group dynamics.…
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Improve… Like a Pilot | The Power of Incremental Change
What do British cycling, Formula 1 and modern flight training tell us about the power of making small changes in what we do? In this captivating episode of Like a Pilot, host Phil Wilkes immerses listeners into the high-stakes world of piloting, starting with a dramatic engine failure scenario...
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Practice... Like a Pilot | The Art of Deliberate Practice
In this immersive episode of the Like a Pilot podcast, host Phil Wilkes takes us for a ride into the world of flight simulators, revealing the cutting-edge world in which pilots perfect their craft. But this episode goes beyond the mechanics of simulators. It dives deep into the philosophy of...
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Understand... Like a Pilot | What's the Point of Knowledge?
In this thought-provoking episode of Like a Pilot, we explore the critical role of knowledge in high-stakes environments. Join host Phil Wilkes as he delves into the importance of a strong foundational understanding, using the harrowing story of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster as a backdrop....
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Check... Like a Pilot | We're making a list...
Forget fancy gadgets and high-tech gizmos – on the flight deck, sometimes it's the simple things that make the biggest difference. We're talking about the secret weapon of pilots and surgeons, and the surprisingly powerful tool that can transform your everyday life; the good old-fashioned...
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Decide… Like a Pilot | When There’s No Time To Make a Decision
In this gripping episode of Like a Pilot, join Phil Wilkes as he delves into the high-stakes world of decision-making under extreme time pressure. Drawing from the famous US Airways Flight 1549 incident, where Captain Sully Sullenberger successfully ditched an Airbus A320 in the Hudson River…
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Deconflict... Like a Pilot | Difficult conversations with pilots.
Join Phil on a riveting journey through the skies as he explores the critical role of conflict resolution in ensuring safe flights in the high-stakes world of aviation. In this episode, Phil delves into the nuanced realm of flight deck communication and the power of having difficult…
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Welcome aboard!
Meet your host, Phil Wilkes, as he welcomes you aboard the Like a Pilot podcast.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Like a Pilot is your passport to behind the flight deck door. Join your host, Phil Wilkes, A380 pilot and trainer with four decades of flying experience as he unveils the soft skills pilots harness every time they step into those high-speed aluminum and carbon fiber giants we call airliners. From leadership to decision-making, teamwork to communication, we'll explore the 'how' and 'why' behind aviation being one of the safest modes of travel. Fasten your seatbelts, and let's embark on a journey through the skies, where pilots' expertise provides a blueprint for high performance in any field.
HOSTED BY
Phil Wilkes
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Like a Pilot have?
Like a Pilot currently has 24 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Like a Pilot about?
Like a Pilot is your passport to behind the flight deck door. Join your host, Phil Wilkes, A380 pilot and trainer with four decades of flying experience as he unveils the soft skills pilots harness every time they step into those high-speed aluminum and carbon fiber giants we call airliners. From...
How often does Like a Pilot release new episodes?
Like a Pilot has 24 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Like a Pilot?
You can listen to Like a Pilot 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 Like a Pilot?
Like a Pilot is created and hosted by Phil Wilkes.
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