{"podcast":{"title":"Pilots Say What?","slug":"pilots-say-what-6865192","podcast_index_feed_id":6865192,"rss_url":"https://media.rss.com/thrustflight/feed.xml","website_url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/thrustflight","image_url":"https://media.rss.com/thrustflight/20250904_070944_d8fbee048acb8e2f2c2a84fb3c65f9cb.png","author":"Thrust Flight","episode_count":116,"summary":"The ultimate podcast for aviation! Join us as we dive into the world of aviation, with each episode featuring candid conversations with real students and pilots from Thrust Flight! From sharing invaluable advice to recounting thrilling tales from their journeys in the sky, our guests offer unique perspectives on the challenges of becoming or being a pilot! If you're interested in becoming a pilot, visit our website: Thrustflight.com ! We will get you there! Social Channels YouTube: @ThrustFlight Instagram: @ThrustFlight TikTok: @ThrustFlight","last_synced_at":"2026-06-27T00:20:07.553564+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pilots-say-what-6865192"},"episode":{"title":"Ep. 102: He Spent $25,000 Just to Get His Medical","slug":"ep-102-he-spent-25-000-just-to-get-his-medical","published_at":"2026-03-20T16:45:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pilots-say-what-6865192/ep-102-he-spent-25-000-just-to-get-his-medical","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pilots-say-what-6865192","url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/thrustflight/2645543","audio_url":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/264230/2645543/thrustflight/2026_03_20_15_28_54_e768eb48-084b-4e98-bb33-83919a1a7f8f.mp3","summary":"What happens when the path to becoming a pilot gets way harder than expected? In this episode of Pilots Say What?, Zach talks with Mike, a Thrust Flight student who went from working as a pilot scheduler at American Airlines to pursuing flight training full time. Mike shares how a past DUI led to a brutal FAA medical process that took over two years and cost him around $25,000, why he still refused to quit, what private pilot training was really like for him, and how faith, pressure, setbacks, and stage checks shaped his journey. This is a powerful episode for anyone wondering if flight training is still worth it when the road gets hard. If you’re thinking about becoming a pilot, taking a discovery flight, or starting your training, this conversation is for you.","meta_description":"What happens when the path to becoming a pilot gets way harder than expected? In this episode of Pilots Say What?, Zach talks with Mike, a Thrust Flight s…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3079,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/pilots-say-what-6865192/episodes/ep-102-he-spent-25-000-just-to-get-his-medical/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pilots-say-what-6865192/ep-102-he-spent-25-000-just-to-get-his-medical.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}