Free Daily Podcast Summary
The Student Pilot Cast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Bill Williams
This is a podcast for anyone interested in aviation. While it started as a podcast to follow Bill's primary training, it has evolved into a podcast about how all of us can continually improve our flying. This is the audio only feed. The audio podcasts are not necessarily the same content as the video podcasts, so if you want all the content, please check out both. The video feed is mostly available on Youtube, now (including the back catalog), and you can find it by searching for "Student Pilot Cast" there.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 5 days ago51 min
SPC098 [CS] Hit Record — How to Record Your Cockpit Audio
How do you record your flight lessons? Nick, a listener in Houston, asked me the same question I got in 2009, so I flew with six recorders running at once, then tested five cables on the ground to find out what actually works in 2026.We start with why it matters: in the moment you hear maybe a quarter of what your instructor says, and listening back is one of the best debrief tools there is. Then the options: a recording headset like the Lightspeed Delta Zulu, the classic splitter cable into a recorder, 32-bit float recorders like the DJI Mic 2 and Insta360 Mic Pro, a USB-C cable straight into your phone, and recording into a camera. Along the way you'll hear what clipping sounds like, why 32-bit float still isn't foolproof, and how much the cable itself matters.Then the real question: what do you want the recording for? Clean panel audio is perfect for a transcript but sounds sterile, so we also cover a lav mic in your ear cup and recording two tracks for a natural cockpit sound.There's a lot of "listen to this, now this" in this one. If your podcast app shows chapter art, the labels are on screen. The full video is at https://studentpilotcast.com/98.Get the free Go or No-Go guide: https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questionsGet the Friday Flight Brief: https://studentpilotcast.com/flightbriefLinks:Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at https://studentpilotcast.com. Please keep the feedback coming. You can use the contact form on the website or send email to bill at student pilot cast dot com. The theme song for our episodes is "To Be an Angel" by the band, "Uncle Seth".Legal Notice: Remember, any instruction that you hear in this podcast was meant for the student and only for the situation that they happened to be in at the time. Please do not try to apply anything you see or hear in this episode or any other episode to your own flying. If you have questions about any aspect of your flying, please consult a qualified CFI.Copyright 2008-2026, studentpilotcast.com and Bill Williams
- 2 weeks ago29 min
SPC097 [BR] Never Skip the Debrief — Five Questions After Every Flight
Your logbook knows you flew. It has no idea what you learned. In this Briefing Room episode: five questions to ask after every flight (Surprise, Workload, Skill, Decision, and Goal), where the self-debrief came from (FITS and learner-centered grading), and a simple system to capture your goal, bridge it into your next flight, and close the loop. Leave your answer to question five at studentpilotcast.com/radiocheck. Get the free Go or No-Go guide: https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questionsGet the Friday Flight Brief: https://studentpilotcast.com/flightbriefLinks:Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at https://studentpilotcast.com. Please keep the feedback coming. You can use the contact form on the website or send email to bill at student pilot cast dot com. The theme song for our episodes is "To Be an Angel" by the band, "Uncle Seth".Legal Notice: Remember, any instruction that you hear in this podcast was meant for the student and only for the situation that they happened to be in at the time. Please do not try to apply anything you see or hear in this episode or any other episode to your own flying. If you have questions about any aspect of your flying, please consult a qualified CFI.Copyright 2008-2026, studentpilotcast.com and Bill Williams
- 3 weeks ago24 min
SPC096 [HS] Logging Is Not Learning — Inside FlyORKA's Feedback Loop
At AirVenture 2026 I sat down with Adriana, founder of FlyORKA, expecting an app demo. I walked away with a line I haven't been able to shake: logging is not learning.Adriana spent her career as a flight test engineer, learning to fly airplanes nobody had flown before. That path led her into gliders, tailwheel, and aerobatics, a pile of soaring records, and years of ab initio instruction. Her whole training philosophy comes down to one idea: we don't learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.We talk about what flight test can teach a student pilot about every lesson: observe with curiosity, record without judging, then share what you found. Adriana tells the story of waiting through all of her primary training for honest feedback, and what she finally heard when it came. And we break down ORKA (Observe, Record, Know yourself, Assess and adjust), a structure for debriefing every flight and making your progress visible to your instructor, your peers, and the people cheering you on from the ground.Not a sponsorship, but Adriana offered listeners 15% off FlyORKA for 12 months with code STUDENTPILOTCAST. She made 50 codes, so it's first come, first served.Fair warning: we lost some audio and video during the recording, so the conversation jumps in a few places. That one's on me.Get the free Go or No-Go guide: https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questionsGet the Friday Flight Brief: https://studentpilotcast.com/flightbriefLinks:Fly ORKA — We log memories—not just flight hoursHope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at https://studentpilotcast.com. Please keep the feedback coming. You can use the contact form on the website or send email to bill at student pilot cast dot com. The theme song for our episodes is "To Be an Angel" by the band, "Uncle Seth".Legal Notice: Remember, any instruction that you hear in this podcast was meant for the student and only for the situation that they happened to be in at the time. Please do not try to apply anything you see or hear in this episode or any other episode to your own flying. If you have questions about any aspect of your flying, please consult a qualified CFI.Copyright 2008-2026, studentpilotcast.com and Bill Williams
- Sep 9, 202652 min
SPC095 [HS] Pull Early, Pull Often — Inside Cirrus Training
At AirVenture this year I sat down in the Cirrus compound with Eamon Powers, the Director of Cirrus Approach — the man who owns every piece of training content Cirrus produces, for pilots and for mechanics.Twelve or fourteen years ago the fatal accident rate in the Cirrus fleet was, being generous, unremarkable, and there was a real argument in this industry about whether the parachute was helping at all. That number has moved a long way since. I wanted to know what actually moved it, how they know what moved it, and how much of it the rest of us can steal — because most of you listening aren't flying a Cirrus.What I got was a lot better than a company pitch. Eamon has a PhD in instructional design, an ATP, and an A&P, and he'll be the first to tell you the business card looks a little silly.We get into why every syllabus in America puts the first solo before lesson 20, and why that number is a leftover from World War II. What he calls "time to independence." How you keep a safety briefing from going rote. The CSIP standardization machine. The hardest number in aviation safety — the denominator. And the training nobody ever asks their mechanic about.Get the free Go or No-Go guide: https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questionsGet the Friday Flight Brief: https://studentpilotcast.com/flightbriefLinks:Cirrus trainingCirrus Approach — the training platform, for pilots: https://www.cirrusapproach.com/pilots/Cirrus Approach course catalog: https://learning.cirrusapproach.com/learning-catalogCAPS course — free, open to anyone, you don't have to own or fly a Cirrus:https://learning.cirrusapproach.com/courses/424/overviewMission Ready 2026 Simulator Sessions: https://learning.cirrusapproach.com/courses/821/overviewCirrus Embark — complimentary transition training when you buy a pre-owned Cirrus:https://cirrusaircraft.com/embark/Cirrus Training Network — find a Cirrus Training Center or a CSIP near you:https://cirrusaircraft.com/training-network/Becoming a CSIP (Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot): http://csip.cirrusaircraft.comBecoming a Cirrus Training Center: https://cirrusaircraft.formstack.com/forms/ctc_applicationCirrus flight training overview: https://cirrusaircraft.com/approach/caps-training-course/Also mentionedCOPA — Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association: https://www.cirruspilots.org/Cirrus IQ (the data platform, built on the Garmin GDL 60): https://cirrusaircraft.com/cirrus-iq-faq/TRAC10 — the clean-sheet trainer Cirrus introduced in July 2026:https://cirrusaircraft.com/aircraft/trac10/Student Pilot CastRadio Check — leave me a voicemail: https://studentpilotcast.com/voicemail/The Friday Flight Brief: https://studentpilotcast.com/flightbrief/Three Simple Questions for ADM (free PDF): https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questions/All episodes: <a href="https://studentpilotcast.com/episodes/" rel="noopener noref
- Aug 9, 202659 min
SPC094 [HS] Engine Out - Who Showed Up
In episode 94 of the Student Pilot Cast, Bill recounts an unplanned start to AirVenture 2026 after the engine in his Jabiru quit over far southeastern Colorado on July 18, forcing an off-airport landing in a cornfield with his son Trey; both were unhurt and the airplane remains repairable with minor gear damage and an unresolved engine issue. Rather than a debrief, Bill focuses on gratitude for the “rings” of people who helped: Trey’s calm, useful cockpit support; his wife Crystal’s steady response, prayer, and communication with worried family; airline crews relaying the mayday on guard; ATC/FAA personnel tracking him down by phone; local deputies and responders; fire chief Everett and his wife Becky transporting and hosting them; friend Kent flying a Mooney rescue to continue to Oshkosh; and the broader aviation community at Oshkosh that shared support, stories, and connections.This is not the debrief of the emergency...that comes later. This is arguably more important...the human side.Get the free Go or No-Go guide: https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questionsGet the Friday Flight Brief: https://studentpilotcast.com/flightbriefLinks:Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at https://studentpilotcast.com. Please keep the feedback coming. You can use the contact form on the website or send email to bill at student pilot cast dot com. The theme song for our episodes is "To Be an Angel" by the band, "Uncle Seth".Legal Notice: Remember, any instruction that you hear in this podcast was meant for the student and only for the situation that they happened to be in at the time. Please do not try to apply anything you see or hear in this episode or any other episode to your own flying. If you have questions about any aspect of your flying, please consult a qualified CFI.Copyright 2008-2026, studentpilotcast.com and Bill Williams
- Jul 31, 202647 min
SPC093 [HS] Day Four of Days Not Mattering
It's Thursday night at Camp Scholler, day four of days not mattering, and Kent and I sat down with one goal: be smart-asses about a few things we'd seen at AirVenture.So we get into it. Textron had us all convinced this was the year the Pipistrel Panthera would finally get certified under MOSAIC — and instead we got another two-seat trainer. The Camp Scholler bathhouse has quietly relocated the towel hooks inside the shower. The night air show is still the best thing in aviation, but somebody counted down "two minutes to hack" and then made us wait ten more for two drones and a flag. Also, everybody please sit down and stop filming it.Then Bob Bittner wandered into the conversation and blew up our whole gripe session, because the 2026 AirVenture Cup — the one Kent has rechristened the SmokeVenture Cup — turned out to be a much better story than anything we were complaining about.We tried to be snide. We learned things instead. That's episode 93.Get the free Go or No-Go guide: https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questionsGet the Friday Flight Brief: https://studentpilotcast.com/flightbriefLinks:Links MentionedThe AirVenture CupAirVenture Cup Race — official site2026 race course2026 results — EAA Hangar FlyingWildfire smoke postpones the race (WSAW)The race finally launches from smoky Wausau skies (WSAW)Learn Build Fly — Wausau youth aviation programBob's airplaneCozy Mark IVRutan VariEze — where the canard family startedLong-EZ (EAA)Textron, Pipistrel & MOSAICPipistrel (a Textron eAviation company)Pipistrel PantheraTextron buys Pipistrel, 2022 (AOPA)FAA MOSAIC ruleMOSAIC explained — FAQ (AOPA)Other things we talked aboutSubSonex personal jet kit (Sonex Aircraft)Camp Scholler (EAA)Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at https://studentpilotcast.com. Please keep the feedback coming. You can use the contact form on the website or send email to bill at student pilot cast dot com. The theme song for our episodes is "To Be an Angel" by the band, "Uncle Seth".Legal Notice: Remember, any instruction that you hear in this podcast was meant for the student and only for the situation that they happened to be in at the time. Please do not try to apply anything you see or hear in this episode or any other episode to your own flyi
- Jul 17, 202611 min
SPC092 [HS] Storms, Smoke, and Bladders...Let's Go!
In Episode 92, we join Bill and Trey talking briefly about their upcoming trip to OSH in a light sport aircraft, Lil' Rue. BGet the free Go or No-Go guide: https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questionsGet the Friday Flight Brief: https://studentpilotcast.com/flightbriefLinks:Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at https://studentpilotcast.com. Please keep the feedback coming. You can use the contact form on the website or send email to bill at student pilot cast dot com. The theme song for our episodes is "To Be an Angel" by the band, "Uncle Seth".Legal Notice: Remember, any instruction that you hear in this podcast was meant for the student and only for the situation that they happened to be in at the time. Please do not try to apply anything you see or hear in this episode or any other episode to your own flying. If you have questions about any aspect of your flying, please consult a qualified CFI.Copyright 2008-2026, studentpilotcast.com and Bill Williams
- Jul 10, 202625 min
SPC091 [BR] ADM in Three Simple Questions - Or How NOT to Become a Case Study
In Episode 91, Bill teaches a simple aeronautical decision-making framework for go/no-go and continue/divert decisions built around three simple questions: can the airplane do it? Can I do it? And is it legal? He breaks each question into three lenses—aircraft performance/envelopes/condition; pilot proficiency/physiology/capability under pressure; and legal airworthiness/mission-specific regs/paperwork—highlighting how pilots can miss risks or rationalize. He adds a “three strikes” rule where three “yellow” factors stacked together mean a no-go, and recommends post-flight learning with five quick debrief questions. He shares a headwind-induced fuel stop example, offers a free two-page PDF at studentpilotcast.com/threequestions, and invites listeners to connect, including at Oshkosh.Get the free Go or No-Go guide: https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questionsGet the Friday Flight Brief: https://studentpilotcast.com/flightbriefLinks:Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at https://studentpilotcast.com. Please keep the feedback coming. You can use the contact form on the website or send email to bill at student pilot cast dot com. The theme song for our episodes is "To Be an Angel" by the band, "Uncle Seth".Legal Notice: Remember, any instruction that you hear in this podcast was meant for the student and only for the situation that they happened to be in at the time. Please do not try to apply anything you see or hear in this episode or any other episode to your own flying. If you have questions about any aspect of your flying, please consult a qualified CFI.Copyright 2008-2026, studentpilotcast.com and Bill Williams
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About The Student Pilot Cast
This is a podcast for anyone interested in aviation. While it started as a podcast to follow Bill's primary training, it has evolved into a podcast about how all of us can continually improve our flying. This is the audio only feed. The audio podcasts are not necessarily the same content as the video podcasts, so if you want all the content, please check out both. The video feed is mostly available on Youtube, now (including the back catalog), and you can find it by searching for "Student Pilot Cast" there.
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