Free Daily Podcast Summary
The Pilot Project Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Bryan Morrison
Welcome to The Pilot Project Podcast, your source for stories and insights from pilots in the RCAF and mission aviation. Whether you're an aspiring aviator, navigating flight training, or simply fascinated by the world of military and mission aviation, this podcast is your guide. We sit down with pilots and aviation professionals to hear their thrilling experiences, lessons learned, and expert advice on resilience, training, and the skills needed to succeed in this exciting field. Strap in - we’re ready for departure!
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago56 min
Fighters: The Road to Fighters Part 1: From Hawk to Hornet – Andrew “Hazno” Faith
What does it take to go from watching CF-18 Hornets fly overhead as a kid to becoming a fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force?For Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew “Hazno” Faith, that dream began on a school playground in Saskatchewan. In Part 1 of our conversation, we follow his journey through RCAF pilot training, from the Harvard II in Moose Jaw to the Hawk and Fighter Lead-In Training (FLIT) at 419 Squadron, and finally into the cockpit of the CF-18 Hornet.Along the way, Andrew shares the unforgettable flying lesson that changed his approach to safety, the challenges of learning to think and react at fighter-jet speeds, and how his early confidence was tested as he progressed through training.We also explore the culture and camaraderie of military aviation, the transition from student to operational fighter pilot, and the sudden call to deploy to Libya in 2011, when Andrew had to leave his young family behind with almost no warning.In Part 2, we'll explore his combat experiences in Libya and Iraq, along with his later work training the next generation of fighter pilots.Chapters Introduction and Welcome Growing Up with the Dream of Fighters Air Cadets and Early Flight Training From the Hockey Rink to the Cockpit Why Military Aviation? Studying Petroleum Engineering The Story Behind “Hasno” Arriving in Moose Jaw The Fighter Mentality The Challenges of Military Flight Training An Unforgettable Altimeter Lesson Selected for the Hawk Flying His First Jet Waterskiing Behind the Aircraft From the Hawk to 419 Squadron A Reality Check Learning to Handle Setbacks The First CF-18 Flight From Training to Operations Life as a New Hornet Pilot Supporting the G8 Summit Short-Notice Deployment to Libya Leaving Family BehindCONTINUE THE FLIGHTFor more stories from RCAF fighter pilots, explore these conversations:The Jet Jockey Part 1 & Part 2 – Dan McWilliams:https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/search?query=jockeyThe Bangseat Part 1 & Part 2 – Rock Veilleuxhttps://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/search?query=bangseatEXPLORE THE LOGBOOKMore stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots:https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes
- 2 weeks ago1h 15m
PERFORMANCE & SAFETY: BUILT FOR PRESSURE Part 3: Bouncing Back from Failure – Zoran Stojković
You've just had the worst flight of your course. Your confidence is shaken, and tomorrow's flight could determine your future. How do you bounce back?In the conclusion of our three-part Built for Pressure series, mental performance consultant Zoran Stojković explains how RCAF student pilots can recover from failure, approach difficult debriefs, rebuild confidence, and distinguish honest self-assessment from destructive self-criticism.We also explore how Canada's allies are developing mental performance programs, how technology could improve pilot training, and why recovery is essential to sustained high performance.Finally, Zoran shares practical habits to develop before arriving in Moose Jaw, advice for the first week of training, and a message for anyone questioning whether they belong after a difficult flight.Find Zoran at:https://www.instagram.com/kizoperformancewww.kizo.caCHAPTERS Introduction and Welcome Mental Performance Coaching Among Our Allies What's New in Mental Performance Coaching? The Future of Mental Performance in RCAF Training Preparing for a Debrief When You Think You've Failed Honest Self-Assessment vs. Beating Yourself Up Rebuilding Confidence After Failure Sustaining Performance: Do You Have to Earn Recovery? Knowing When to Push Harder and When to Rest Three Tips Before Arriving in Moose Jaw Habits to Start Building Now Your First Week at Moose Jaw Performance Advice Pilots Should Stop Following Where to Find Zoran's Resources A Message After Your Worst Flight How to Connect with ZoranCONTINUE THE FLIGHTCatch up on the first two parts of Built for Pressure:Part 1: From Elite Sport to RCAF Pilot Training – Zoran StojkovićPart 2: Practical Mental Performance for RCAF Pilots – Zoran Stojkovićhttps://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/EXPLORE THE LOGBOOKMore stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots:The Pilot Project Podcast episode archive:https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/
- 3 weeks ago1h 10m
PERFORMANCE & SAFETY: BUILT FOR PRESSURE Part 2: Mental Tools for the Cockpit – Zoran Stojković
What happens when you know the material cold, but freeze during a flight test?Mental performance consultant Zoran Stojković returns for Part 2 of PERFORMANCE & SAFETY: BUILT FOR PRESSURE, where we explore practical tools for RCAF pilot training; from pre-flight routines and chair flying to performance cues, breathing and recovering after a cockpit mistake.Drawing on Zoran’s work with student pilots, pro athletes, and Bryan’s flying experience, they discuss recognizing when you’re falling behind the aircraft, practicing resets before you need them, and helping students recover after a difficult flight.Chapters Welcome and introduction Why students freeze during a test Preparing an Olympian versus preparing a pilot Can you perform well while feeling nervous? Tomorrow’s checkride: when to stop studying Building a useful pre-flight mental routine Making visualization and chair flying effective Adapting when the schedule or mission changes Performance cues and constructive self-talk Closing the gap between practice and cockpit performance Breathing as a performance tool while flying The OODA loop and helmet fires Recognizing when you’re falling behind the aircraft Resetting after a mistake in the cockpit Helping a student recover after a difficult flight Thanks and a look ahead to Part 3Explore the LogbookContinue from Part 1: PERFORMANCE & SAFETY: BUILT FOR PRESSURE Part 1: From Elite Sport to RCAF Pilot Training – Zoran Stojković.Explore Zoran’s work: His Built for Pressure podcast and Kizo Performance resources are discussed throughout this episode.Ask about the visualization resource: Zoran invites listeners to contact him through Kizo Performance on Instagram about resources, including the visualization template discussed in the interview.Have a question, a guest suggestion or an idea for a future episode? Contact thepilotprojectpodcast@gmail.com or find us on social media @podpilotproject.Help with the big three: like and follow us on social media, share with your friends, and follow and rate us five stars wherever you get your podcasts.Keep the blue side up!
- Sep 29, 20261h 6m
PERFORMANCE & SAFETY: BUILT FOR PRESSURE Part 1: From Elite Sport to RCAF Pilot Training – Zoran Stojković
What happens when you know how to do something, but pressure makes it difficult to actually do it?Certified Mental Performance Consultant Zoran Stojković has spent more than 15 years helping people perform under pressure, from professional athletes and Olympic hopefuls to RCAF pilot trainees.In Part 1, Zoran shares the path that took him from competitive tennis and high-performance sport to 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Moose Jaw. He explains what surprised him about the pressures facing student pilots, how he earned credibility as a civilian working inside military aviation, and why relationships became central to his work.We also hear how Zoran supported aircrew during Jaw South in Texas, how mental performance coaching became embedded in the flying environment, and what aviation taught him about the difference between high stakes and real stakes.CHAPTERS Introduction, welcome and bio What role did sport play growing up? Why can we perform in practice but struggle under pressure? When did mental performance become a career? What did Zoran get wrong when he started coaching? What kind of pressure are Olympians under? Helping a professional tennis player turn things around Going from athletes to pilots Walking into 2CFFTS for the first time What surprised Zoran about the pressure on student pilots? High stakes versus real stakes Earning credibility in aviation as an outsider What happens when pilots don’t buy into mental performance coaching? A pilot success story Deploying with Jaw South What is Jaw South, and where did Zoran fit in? Helping a student in crisis before a flight Making progress in a slow-moving institution Meeting Colonel Jeremy Hansen Advice for a student pilot before a testEXPLORE THE LOGBOOKMore stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots:The Pilot Project Podcast episode archive:https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes
- Sep 22, 20261h 13m
Special Ops: The Pioneers Part 4: From Moose Jaw to CANSOFCOM – Todd O’Malley
Colonel Todd O’Malley concludes our four-part journey through the evolution of Canadian tactical and special operations aviation. Todd returns to Moose Jaw, where he transitions from helicopters to fixed-wing flying, learns to instruct on the CT-156 Harvard and later becomes Commandant of 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School.He also recounts commanding B Flight at 427 Squadron, developing maritime counterterrorism capabilities and helping transform the unit from tactical helicopter support into a dedicated special operations aviation squadron. After more than a decade in civilian aviation, Todd explains what brought him back into uniform as Director Air and Space at CANSOFCOM. The conversation explores the rapid growth of uncrewed aircraft, counter-UAS and space capabilities, lessons emerging from real-world allied experience, and Todd’s advice for anyone considering special operations aviation. He closes by recognizing the mentors, colleagues and family members who made his remarkable career possible.CONTINUE THE FLIGHTEXPLORE THE LOGBOOKMore stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilotshttps://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodes Introduction and Welcome Instructing at 2 Canadian Forces Flying Training School Returning to Fixed-Wing Flying Converting from the Tutor to the Harvard Why Flight Instructing Is So Difficult The Most Rewarding Part of Instructing When Students Arrive Unprepared Returning to Fix a Missed Opportunity Returning to Moose Jaw as Commandant Being Both an Instructor and a Principal Influencing the Student Experience as Commandant Mentorship and Perspective The Weight of Ending a Student’s Training How Students React to Being Told They Are Done Why the Good Days Outweigh the Bad Returning to 427 Squadron in 2003 Commanding B Flight The Difference Between Elite and Elitist When 427 Squadron Began Drifting Apart Developing Maritime Counterterrorism Capabilities Standing Up CANSOFCOM Transforming Tactical Helicopter Aviation into SOF Aviation Why Todd Retired from the RCAF Lessons from Civilian Aviation Military and Civilian Workplace Cultures Returning to the RCAF The Director Air and Space Mandate How Canadian SOF Aviation Is Evolving Learning from Allies Special Operations in a Changing World Advice for Joining Special Operations Aviation Todd’s Remaining Career Goals Recognizing the People Behind His Career Closing the Series
- Sep 15, 202650 min
Special Ops: The Pioneers Part 3: Somalia, JTF2, and the Birth of SOF Aviation – Todd O’Malley
Colonel Todd O’Malley continues our four-part journey through the history of Canadian tactical and special operations aviation. In Part 3, Todd recounts flying the CH-135 Twin Huey in Somalia, where severe brownouts made every takeoff and landing dangerous, and an unexpected mission gave him his first experience supporting U.S. special operations forces.Todd also reflects on the Somalia Affair, its painful aftermath and the difficulty of returning home from a deployment overshadowed by scandal. He then takes us inside the earliest days of JTF2—from flying with the RCMP and becoming the unit’s first Air Liaison Officer to developing new helicopter insertion tactics at Dwyer Hill. The episode explores the people, missions and “refuse to lose” culture that helped transform a fragile domestic counterterrorism capability into the foundation of modern Canadian special operations aviation.CONTINUE THE FLIGHTEXPLORE THE LOGBOOKMore stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodesCHAPTERS Introduction and Welcome Somalia with 427 Squadron The Danger of Dustballs A Helicopter Crash in a Dustball A First Taste of Special Operations The Somalia Affair The Aftermath of the Somalia Affair Flying with the RCMP: The Road to SOF Aviation Becoming JTF2’s First Air Liaison Officer What Is Dwyer Hill? Witnessing the Beginning of Canadian SOF History How SOF Culture Changed After Somalia Overcoming Personal Challenges Flying Special Operations Missions with the RCMP Developing New Tactics Seeing Those Tactics Still in Use The “Refuse to Lose” Mindset Closing and a Preview of Part 4
- Sep 8, 202649 min
Special Ops: The Pioneers Part 2: Bringing Night Vision to Canadian Tactical Aviation – Todd O’Malley
Colonel Todd O’Malley continues our four-part look at the history of Canadian tactical and special operations aviation. In Part 2, the current Director Air and Space at CANSOFCOM returns to his first operational years with 427 Squadron, flying the CH-135 Twin Huey on deployments to the Sinai Desert and Honduras.Todd describes navigating the Sinai with paper maps, demanding nighttime approaches, a fatal helicopter crash, and the challenges of low-level jungle flying during the final years of the Cold War. He also recalls the culture of Canadian tactical aviation in the 1980s and the experimental introduction of night-vision goggles, when crews developed procedures while learning the technology in real time. From driving a Jeep on NVGs to leading 12-ship formations at night, the episode captures a pivotal transformation in Canadian military helicopter operations.CONTINUE THE FLIGHTEXPLORE THE LOGBOOKMore stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilotshttps://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodesChapters Introduction and Welcome First Deployment: The Mission in the Sinai Desert Navigating the Desert with Paper Maps Flying Over the Sinai’s Unforgiving Terrain Dangerous Nighttime Approaches in the Desert A Helicopter Crash in the Sinai Desert “What Are You Doing Friday?” Deploying to Honduras The Canadian Helicopter Mission in Honduras Living “On the Economy” in Honduras Which Is Harder: Desert or Jungle Flying? The Challenges of Low-Level Jungle Flying Did Flying in Honduras Feel Like Vietnam? Playing Cat and Mouse with a Three-Letter Organization Tactical Aviation Culture in the 1980s Did Tactical Aviators Feel Stuck? The Early Days of Night-Vision Flying Crew Rest in Tactical Aviation Flying 12-Ship Formations at Night The Physical Cost of Flying with NVGs
- Sep 1, 202653 min
Special Ops: The Pioneers Part 1: Becoming a Canadian Tactical Helicopter Pilot – Todd O’Malley
Colonel Todd O’Malley begins a four-part journey through the history of Canadian tactical and special operations aviation. Now Director Air and Space at CANSOFCOM, Todd looks back on the unlikely path that took him from Sault College and an early setback in civilian flight training to earning his RCAF wings and joining 427 Squadron as a CH-135 Twin Huey pilot.In Part 1, Todd explains how failure reshaped his approach to preparation, recalls the fighter-driven culture of 1980s Moose Jaw, and describes the disappointment of being selected for helicopters. He also takes listeners inside the demanding transition to rotary-wing flying, from hovering and auto-rotations to the hard-earned change in attitude that helped him find his place in tactical aviation. The episode concludes with advice for student pilots whose careers take an unexpected direction.CONTINUE THE FLIGHTEXPLORE THE LOGBOOKMore stories from RCAF and mission aviation pilots https://podpilotproject.transistor.fm/episodesChapters Introduction and Welcome Meet Colonel Todd O’Malley What Drew Todd to the RCAF? Sault College and a Different Path Being Removed from Flight Training The Lesson That Changed His Career Pilot Training Culture in 1980s Moose Jaw Navigating Phase Two Flight Training Coping with a Helicopter Selection Why Helicopters Are So Difficult to Learn How a Helicopter Autorotation Works Learning from Hard Landings Re-Caging His Attitude Toward Helicopters Finding His Place in Tactical Aviation Arriving at a Grieving 427 Squadron Twin Huey vs. Griffon Making the Most of an Unexpected Aircraft Selection Final Thoughts and What’s Next
Get The Pilot Project Podcast summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
Hangar Flying with Smokehouse Pilots Club
Smokehouse Pilots
Fighter Pilot Podcast
Explores military aviation through stories of fighter pilots, aircraft, weapons systems, and emerging technologies like AI in air combat.
Aviation News Talk – Pilot Stories, Safety Tips & General Aviation News
Pilot stories, safety advice, and technical guidance for general aviation pilots, from a flight instructor with decades of experience.
The Wayward Pilot Podcast
Jonathan Groner CFI/CFII/MEI
"There I was..." An Aviation Podcast
Pilots share real in-flight experiences and how they handled unexpected challenges to promote aviation safety.
Ones Ready
Air Force special operations veterans discuss training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset for aspiring elite operators.
The Jedburgh Podcast
Leaders and high performers from military, business, and athletics share strategies for elite performance, leadership, and personal growth.
Former Action Guys Podcast
Veterans and first responders share unfiltered stories from their careers in a candid, conversational podcast.
Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast
Aerospace and defense industry analysis from Aviation Week & Space Technology editors.
The Team House
Deep-dive conversations on national security with special operations veterans, intelligence professionals, and frontline reporters.
Jet Setting Wealth Advisory
A financial advisor and airline pilot explores wealth management through aviation-themed stories and expert interviews.
Your Thoughts Your Reality
A podcast exploring how veterans can overcome psychological challenges like fear and self-doubt through neuroencoding science.
About The Pilot Project Podcast
Welcome to The Pilot Project Podcast, your source for stories and insights from pilots in the RCAF and mission aviation. Whether you're an aspiring aviator, navigating flight training, or simply fascinated by the world of military and mission aviation, this podcast is your guide. We sit down with pilots and aviation professionals to hear their thrilling experiences, lessons learned, and expert advice on resilience, training, and the skills needed to succeed in this exciting field. Strap in - we’re ready for departure!
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from The Pilot Project Podcast in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's The Pilot Project Podcast daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of The Pilot Project Podcast as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the The Pilot Project Podcast podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official The Pilot Project Podcast product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Bryan Morrison.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does The Pilot Project Podcast release new episodes?
The Pilot Project Podcast publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does The Pilot Project Podcast cover?
The Pilot Project Podcast covers topics including Leisure, History, Education, How To, Aviation. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting The Pilot Project Podcast summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.