Top 10 Aviation Podcasts

Today, many people go online to get informed, gain knowledge on a specific topic, or look for entertainment. While many still prefer reading a book, or an e-book, it has become more common to look for a different format, and podcasts have become a popular option recently.

For aviation enthusiasts, those who have a passion for aviation, aviation and pilot students, and even aviation experts, aviation podcasts offer a great combination of knowledge and entertainment. However, with the current popularity of the format, there are a lot of aviation podcasts to choose from, and filtering to find the best ones can be time-consuming.

Fortunately for you, here we are going to share our views about what we consider to be the top aviation podcasts for any person interested in staying up-to-date and learning more about aviation. Let’s get started!

What is an aviation podcast?

In case you are one of the very few people who do not exactly know or have not heard one, a podcast is a series of audio files you can download or stream online and listen to on your PC or mobile devices.

While there are different ways to present the audio content in a podcast, most of the time they are similar to radio shows, with the difference that you can listen to them anywhere and at any moment you want, and you can even select the specific topic you want to hear about by selecting the episode that covers it.

Therefore, an aviation podcast is an audio series focused on news and topics around aviation. With this description clear, it is time to dive into the most popular aviation podcasts.

Top 10 aviation industry podcasts

As we mentioned before, there is a great number of podcasts speaking about different topics within the aviation world. So, we have done our best to filter the top 10 (no specific order) in the following list.

There I was…

Given that this podcast is created by the AOPA Air Safety Institute, it revolves around stories of near misses, and eye-opening experiences while sharing lessons learned from very difficult situations.

The stories you hear in this podcast may be rather bizarre and sometimes difficult to believe, but they are true stories that will teach you lessons that are not learned during flight training.

From dealing with complete electrical failure at night to a parachute landing in the Atlantic Ocean, the stories told in this podcast use some kind of aviation folklore storytelling, thus honoring the tradition and heritage of aviation while passing along knowledge and experience.

Pilot to Pilot

As described on the podcast’s website, the goal of the Pilot to Pilot podcast is to “be a place for aviators to come for inspiration and encouragement.”

In every episode, the host Justin Siems, a certified Airline Transport Pilot with a knack for interviewing shares time with a number of guests that include historical legends like Lt. Col. Harry Stewart, one of the WWII Tuskegee Airmen, and pilots with all sorts of unique backgrounds and experiences.

While the main focus of Siems is to inspire and encourage aviators to follow their flying dreams, he also includes episodes that touch on specific topics like tips for getting your first job in aviation and current aviation news.

The Fighter Pilot Podcast

If you are more interested in the daring lives and experiences of military pilots, and the amazing jets they fly, then the Fighter Pilot Podcast is for you.

Hosted by a retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot and former Top Gun instructor Vincent Aiello, callsign “Jell-O”, the podcast explores the fascinating world of air combat, including the aircraft, the weapons systems, and the people.

Covers different topics like discussing the Battle of Midway, the P-51 Mustang, and the Avro Lancaster bomber, the podcast shares the voices of experienced professionals in the field and takes you on a journey you have never experienced.

Stuck Mic Avcast

This podcast may appeal the most to those starting or in the middle of finishing flight training. Many people listen to this podcast to understand aviation terms and their proper pronunciation in English, but the creators describe it as “an aviation podcast about learning to fly, living to fly, and loving to fly.”

With an average of an hour or so, Carl Valeri, Eric Crump, Sean Moody, Victoria Neuville, Rick Felty, and Larry Overstreet release an episode every 1st and 15th of the month where they speak and share their views on different aviation topics such as flying clubs, recurrent flight training, UAVs, and becoming a flight instructor.

Aviation Careers Podcast

This is another podcast that focuses on topics for those studying and going through flight training in order to launch their aviation careers. Carl Valeri and Eric Crump, who also host the one mentioned before, are joined by Tom Wachowski in this podcast covering all things aviation and the careers within the industry.

From being an agriculture pilot or flight instructor to flying corporate jets, they share their knowledge and years of experience for everyone wanting to get a private pilot certificate, work in the commercial airline industry with a major airline, or just learn more about general aviation.

Airline Pilot Guy Show

In the Airline Pilot Guy Show, captain Eric Jeff Nielsen of ACME Airlines, a former Air Force pilot, a current airline pilot, and graduate of the Accident Investigation and Flight Safety School at the University of Southern California, shares his opinion and perspective on topics and events in the aviation world as a pilot in the commercial airline industry on a weekly basis.

In this one, you can listen to the captain’s opinions and ideas on topics like aviation safety, layovers, weather, the latest aviation news, and much more, oftentimes shared with general aviation professionals who join him as guests.

The Green Dot by the Experimental Aircraft Association

This aviation podcast created by the EAA took its name from the renowned arrival procedure. As you can expect from the creators, this is a podcast that will appeal the most to those aviation enthusiasts interested in experimental aircraft and homebuilt projects.

In general, anyone who builds, restores, or flies aircraft as their passion will enjoy listening to this podcast. With prominent guests such as Bruce Johnson, Orbis International Director of Aircraft Operations and Maintenance; and Beth Stanton, an aerobatic pilot, The Green Dot podcast gives you an understanding of what EAA is all about and displays the true spirit of aviation while featuring news, aviation history, and interviews with members of the association.

The Finer Points

Certified flight instructor Jason Miller created this podcast about flight training to share his knowledge and experience on topics that may benefit even seasoned pilots. As he describes it, “The Finer Points is all about excellence. As pilots, we strive to not merely fly, but to become excellent aviators.”

Being a commercial pilot and a certified flight instructor (CFI) for more than 20 years, Jason Miller definitely has a lot of knowledge to share. With episodes in the range of 5-10 minutes long, you can easily find the time to take his tips on training techniques, weather decisions, go-arounds, avoiding mountain turbulence, autopilot during instrument training, and what makes a good CFI, as well as get great insights from entertaining interviews.

Pilot Briefing Podcast

Perhaps the best podcast to learn about the latest general aviation news is the Pilot Briefing Podcast created by AOPA.

In this weekly podcast, each episode shares the top five of the current aviation industry news in a short and concise manner. Condensed in under 5 minutes, this is definitely the fastest and easiest way to stay up to date.

Topics covered include FAA ADS-B Out privacy technology, modernization of the DPE system, a checklist for pilots flying across international borders, and the latest FAA medical news.

Aviator Cast

The final podcast on the list is Aviator Cast, another option for those interested in flight training, flight simulation, hangar talk, and interesting interviews.

In this one, the host Chris Palmer shares his passion for aviation with his guests, discussing topics like flight simulator software and hardware, aircraft, airshows, and much more in a very entertaining and enthusiastic way.

Releasing a new episode each week, Aviator Cast covers the main topic in about an hour or more while adding useful training tips for actual aviation, and flight simulation.

Final considerations about aviation podcasts

It is true that there are many other resources available that cover the same topics covered by the podcasts described above.

Of course, for many of those topics, video format may be an amazing tool as it offers a direct view of what you are listening to as it is described.

However, podcasts offer something different that videos and other formats may not offer, and this is versatility. The fact that you can listen to your favorite podcast while driving to work, during your routine walk or jog, or while doing any other activity makes the format an awesome way to learn more and stay up to date about this fascinating world called aviation.