Talking Flight – Details, episodes & analysis

Dexter Cox is the author of one of my favorite aviation books. Dancing with the Devil is a wild ride chronicling Dexter’s long career as a general aviation pilot.

As a teenager entering the world of aviation, Dexter quickly realized the importance of learning from other people’s and his own mistakes. That mentality helped him to survive several close calls in the air and on the ground.

We shared a few great stories from his book, but there is much more to discover within its pages.

Retired Alaska Airlines Captain Michael Rinehart is our guest on today's edition of Talking Flight.

We have a great conversation about his childhood as an “Airline Brat,” including summers spent traveling with his dad, a Captain for Braniff International Airlines.

Mike started college at UNLV on a golf scholarship but later transferred to Arizona State University to enroll in their aviation degree program.

Michael shares his story of his rapid progression as a young pilot with Braniff Airlines, which unfortunately went out of business due to financial problems. After Braniff's collapse, Michael found a new opportunity with Alaska Airlines.

At Alaska, Mike became well known for his efforts in the late 1980s to launch the airline’s groundbreaking Crew Resource Management Program, helping it develop into a model that remains respected today throughout the industry.

Chazmin "Chaz" Peters joins us on the podcast to tell about her transformation from a very shy little girl in elementary school to her present status as an experienced Airline Pilot.

We recorded this interview just a couple of days before Chaz gave birth to her first child, a beautiful baby girl.

 

Captain David Glick is one of the most respected Pilots at Alaska Airlines.

David tells us about the mindset it took for him to earn an Engineering Degree and graduate from USAF Pilot Training (UPT) near the top of his class.

Our listeners will enjoy the positivity that Captain Glick brings to work every day as he flies to the many destinations served by Alaska Airlines.

He also served in the Alaska Air National Guard, where he flew into the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq.

David has a passion for helping prospective Alaska Airlines pilots prepare for the intimidating Pilot Hiring Board.

Captain Kisa Wiley is the Chief Pilot at the Seattle Base of Horizon Air.

Horizon Air is a subsidiary of the Alaska Air Group, and the airline coordinates its schedules and traffic feed with Alaska Airlines.

Captain Wiley is a third-generation pilot. Her Dad, retired Captain Jim Wiley, had a long career with Alaska Airlines. Her Grandfather, the Late Colonel Jim Wiley, was a Tuskegee Airman who flew combat missions in Europe during World War 2.

Kisa had no interest in becoming a pilot until she was in college. Then, one day, her younger sister, Ali, talked her into attending private pilot ground school. Kisa fell in love with flying, and the rest was history.

 

Getting hired by a Major or Regional Airline is often a difficult and drawn-out process. The most intimidating part is facing a Pilot Hiring Board (Sometimes called a Captains Board).

Mike Swanigan asked Captains Mike Dibello, George Boslinski, and Michael Hendrix to join this episode to discuss the pilot hiring process.

If you are aspiring to be a Major or Regional Airline Pilot, there is a lot of helpful information on this program.

Alaska Airlines Captain Millison Fambles joins us on this episode of Talking Flight.

Millison is from Longview, Texas and he was awarded a college scholarship from the Lady Bird Johnson Foundation. Lady Bird was the wife of President Lyndon Johnson, and she served as First Lady of the United States from 1963 unit January of 1969.

When her Foundation awarded this scholarship to Millison, they had no idea that Mill would ultimately step up and mentor hundreds of inner-city children, and change their lives forever.

Captain Fambles had to endure a period of racial discrimination while he attended USAF Pilot Training, but he prevailed and ultimately became a C-141 Aircraft Commander.

After leaving the USAF, Millison got a tip about a great airline headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Of course, that Airline was Alaska Airlines. He applied, and before he knew it, he started class as one of Alaska's newest pilots. 29 years later, He is now a senior Captain. Mill has built a reputation as a great pilot, but he is better known for his success in starting a flight camp for inner-city children.

Captain David “D.R.” Smith is the second guest on our podcast named David Smith. There were two pilots named David Smith at Alaska Airlines, so we called this particular David Smith “D.R.” to minimize the confusion of which David Smith that we were referring to.

David “D.R.,” tells us about growing up in a small town in West Texas and that some of his earliest memories were about his dream of becoming a pilot. The dream was solidified when a small plane landed on the family farm, and the pilot asked for enough gas to continue to his destination.

After college, David entered the USAF and attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Randolph AFB, Texas. He flew the KC-135Q, which was the only aircraft type equipped to refuel the SR-71.

David eventually became a pilot for Alaska Airlines, where he had a distinguished career as a pilot. He played a pivotal role in helping the Airline develop one of the best safety cultures in the Airline Industry.

This is one of my favorite Talking Flight Episodes. It was released in 2013, but it was lost due to storage problems on my podcast platform. We are thrilled to rerelease it to share with our listeners who may not have heard it.

Blake is one of the most respected pilots at Alaska Airlines. He is a Check Airman and an FAA Aircrew Program Designee. He tells how he achieved his childhood dream of becoming an Airline Pilot.

This a great story, and I hope you enjoy it!

Talking Flight is proud to present this interview with Retired Alaska Airlines Captain Michael (Dibs) Dibello.

Mike is a former Navy Squadron Commander, and he later served as the Boeing 737 Fleet Captain at Alaska Airlines. His first exposure to aviation came when his father took him to Boston's Logan International Airport to watch airplanes take off and land.

High School and College did not come easy for him, but after some Navy ROTC advisors' counseling, he improved his study habits and got his degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He was accepted into US Navy Flight Training and went on the fly the A-7 attack jet.

Captain DiBello tells us how the Navy trains pilots to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

He later became one of the most respected pilots at Alaska Airlines.