The world is awash in podcasts right now, and, besides the excellent NR offerings, I’ve highlighted a few gems over the years. At the top of my personal list at the moment is Pilot’s Discretion from Sporty’s. Yes, it is aimed at pilots and aviation enthusiasts, but this is a world rich with information that would pique nearly anyone’s interest.
Though the format is predictable, the guests are anything but. Host John Zimmerman has an engaging interviewing style, and he knows how to ask questions that draw out his guests and put them at ease. These are people from all across the aviation world, and who have years of knowledge and thousands of flight hours among them. They have experience in the FAA, are ex-military, are instructors, fly helicopters, or are engineers (some are all of the above).
Perhaps most fascinating are the various backgrounds of these individuals. There are circus-performers-turned-drone-pilots-turned-private-pilots; aviation medical examiners (AMEs) with extensive military expertise; pilots who trained the Top Gun actors; former mountaineers; and SCUBA divers. They wing-walk, perform aerobatically, understand pyrotechnics, and teach advanced math courses. This is only a small sample of the amazing people Zimmerman showcases, giving listeners a glimpse into both the aviation world and into the lives of seemingly ordinary but truly outstanding people.
Whether you know anything about aviation or not, this podcast is worth a listen, even if it’s just to hear the guests’ intriguing stories. I hope you’ll check it out.