Aviation Mentors

Brandon Martini & Carson Vasquez
  • 4.8 (12)
  • Education
  • Updated Weekly

๐Ÿš€ We are The Aviation Mentors, a weekly podcast dedicated to creating an amazing space where we aviators can hang out and enjoy a wide range of conversations about anything aviation. We're aviators, we're mentors, and we're entrepreneurs. Whether you're a student pilot, professional pilot, general aviation enthusiast, or just an AV Geek like us, this is the podcast for you! ๐ŸŒŽ Join us every Friday as we share our passion for flying! Sponsored by Stratus Financial www.stratus.finance

  1. 3d ago

    Teslaโ€™s Flying Roadster: What It Means for Pilots

    ๐Ÿš—โœˆ๏ธ Tesla just unveiled a Roadster that drives upside down and lifts off the road. For pilots, the first question is: whose airspace is that? Brandon Martini and Carson Vasquez break down Teslaโ€™s flying Roadster reveal and what flying cars and air taxis could mean for pilots. They trace the long history of flying cars and look at the eVTOL companies racing to carry passengers right now. In this episode: Why a car lifted even a foot off the ground is already in FAA airspaceeVTOLs already flying paying passengers in China for around $41, and planned US routes like JFK to Manhattan and LAX to Santa MonicaJoby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Wisk Aero, and why autonomous flight may be harder to approve than the aircraft itselfFrom the Taylor Aerocar to the Terrafugia Transition: why earlier flying cars never caught on๐Ÿš€ Whether itโ€™s a Cessna 172 or an air taxi, the sky still needs people who understand it. Keep training, stay curious, and tell us in the comments: would you ride in an eVTOL with no pilot? ๐ŸŒ New episodes of Aviation Mentors drop every week. Follow, subscribe, and share with a fellow aviator. This episode is sponsored by Stratus Financial, dedicated to supporting the next generation of aviators. Stratus Financial offers student loans built for aspiring pilots, with competitive rates and flexible repayment plans. Visit stratus.finance to start your journey.

    Teslaโ€™s Flying Roadster: What It Means for Pilots

  2. Oct 10

    Why Student Pilots Stall on FAA Regulations and How to Actually Learn Them with Caressa Bray

    โœˆ๏ธ Excited to start flight training, then hit a wall of FAA regulations? Youโ€™re not the only one. This week on Aviation Mentors, Brandon Martini and Carson Vasquez sit down with Caressa Bray, founder of Aero Pathways, part of the E3 SkyPath ecosystem. Caressa explains why so many student pilots quietly stall out once the regulations show up, and how understanding the โ€œwhyโ€ behind the rules builds the foundation for your flying career. ๐Ÿ”น Why memorizing regulations doesnโ€™t work, and what to do instead ๐Ÿ”น What a mentor gives you that your flight instructor doesnโ€™t have time for ๐Ÿ”น Cross-country planning and weight and balance, broken down step by step for students who struggle with the math ๐Ÿ”น Feeling behind in your training? Why your hours arenโ€™t the whole story ๐Ÿš€ Student pilots, private pilots, and CFIs: every journey is different, so use every resource available to you and keep climbing. ๐ŸŒŽ New episodes every week. Follow and subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss one. ๐Ÿ’ฐ This episode is sponsored by Stratus Financial, dedicated to supporting the next generation of aviators with student loans built for aspiring pilots, offering competitive rates and flexible repayment plans. Learn more at stratus.finance Connect with Caressa: aero-pathways.com | LinkedIn: Caressa Bray | Instagram and Facebook: aero.pathways

    Why Student Pilots Stall on FAA Regulations and How to Actually Learn Them with Caressa Bray

  3. Oct 3

    Don't Change Your Fuel Plan Mid-Flight: Why I Regretted It Twice in One Weekend (Part 2)

    โ›ฝ What happens when everything's going right, so you skip the fuel stop you planned? In this episode, Brandon Martini and Carson Vasquez finish the story of Brandon's ferry flight in an ICP Savannah S light sport airplane from Texas to California. With the right tank still not feeding, Brandon walks through how he replanned every leg, how they got fuel at an airport that had none, and the moment he broke his own rule over the desert. ๐Ÿ”น Flying with a fuel system problem and why every leg was capped at 1.5 hours ๐Ÿ”น Getting stranded at an airport with no fuel and how a Rotax engine opened up a car gas option ๐Ÿ”น Why changing your plan in the air, even when conditions look perfect, is a trap ๐Ÿ”น Having a plan A through E when you fly cross country over remote terrain ๐Ÿš€ Whether you're a student pilot, a private pilot, or a CFI, learn from Brandon's mistakes so you don't repeat them. Share this one with a pilot who flies long cross countries. ๐ŸŒŽ New episodes every week, wherever you listen. โœˆ๏ธ Aviation Mentors is proudly sponsored by Stratus Financial, financing your flight training for pilots, by pilots. Learn more at stratus.finance.

    Don't Change Your Fuel Plan Mid-Flight: Why I Regretted It Twice in One Weekend (Part 2)

  4. Sep 26

    Fuel Planning in an Unfamiliar Airplane: Why the Owner's 5 GPH Estimate Was Wrong

    โ›ฝ What happens when the fuel burn you were promised isn't the fuel burn you get? In this episode, Brandon Martini and Carson Vasquez break down part one of Brandon's ferry flight in an ICP Savannah S, a light sport airplane he had never flown, from Georgetown, Texas toward California. Brandon walks through how he planned fuel for an unfamiliar aircraft, why he didn't trust the owner's numbers, and the moment over the Arizona desert when one tank stopped feeding. ๐Ÿ”น Why a 5 GPH fuel burn estimate didn't hold up, and what the airplane actually burned ๐Ÿ”น Planning for weight and balance limits and filling the tanks yourself to know exactly what's on board ๐Ÿ”น Personal minimums on a brand new airplane: no IFR and no night flying ๐Ÿ”น Why turning back toward an airport you already passed can be the hardest and best decision ๐Ÿš€ Whether you're a student pilot, a private pilot, or a CFI, this is the fuel planning conversation that could keep you from becoming a statistic. Share it with a pilot who needs to hear it. ๐ŸŒŽ New episodes every week, wherever you listen. โœˆ๏ธ Aviation Mentors is proudly sponsored by Stratus Financial, financing your flight training for pilots, by pilots. Learn more at stratus.finance.

    Fuel Planning in an Unfamiliar Airplane: Why the Owner's 5 GPH Estimate Was Wrong

  5. Sep 19

    What Actually Happens in a 2-Year Flight Review, From Stalls to Steep Turns

    โœˆ๏ธ Flight review coming up? Brandon walks through his 2-year flight review in a twin, from stalls to steep turns to one very human radio mistake. Co-host Carson Vasquez is out this week, so Brandon Martini takes the mic solo for an episode built around his own flight review. He covers what he practiced, what felt rusty, and what it taught him about staying proficient. What a 2-year flight review looked like in a twin: power-on and power-off stalls, slow flight, and steep turnsWhy steep turns feel different when you move from a slower airplane to a faster one, and how small control inputs swing your altitudeThe wrong radio frequency mistake, and why "just recover and fix it" is the right responseHighlights from the Ascend Flight Training Summit in Dallas, including a Level D simulator and why showing up to events leads to job offersStudent pilots, private pilots, and CFIs, keep showing up, keep flying, and keep learning. ๐Ÿš€ ๐ŸŒ New episodes of Aviation Mentors drop every week, wherever you listen.

    What Actually Happens in a 2-Year Flight Review, From Stalls to Steep Turns

  6. Sep 12

    How Much Fuel Reserve Do You Actually Need?

    Fuel starvation kills more pilots than mechanical failure ever will, so why do so many still skip the fuel stop? โ›ฝ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down real fuel exhaustion accidents pulled straight from recent aviation news, then share a personal story of nearly running dry over the desert in an Icon A5. They unpack the exact planning mistakes that turn a routine cross country into a fuel emergency, and the mindset shift that prevents it. Why fuel starvation, not mechanical failure, is the leading pilot-error cause of fatal GA accidentsReal accident cases, including a 508 nautical mile cross country that crashed with 38 gallons on boardHow to plan fuel stops instead of trusting your fuel gauge or cutting it close on reservesWhen to declare a fuel emergency, and why waiting until you hit reserve minimums can already be too late๐Ÿš€ Whether you're a student pilot, private pilot, or CFI, this episode hands you the fuel planning habits that could save your flight, and possibly your life. ๐ŸŒŽ New episodes drop every Friday. Join us, learn, and stay safe out there. This episode is brought to you by Stratus Financial (stratus.finance), proud sponsor of Aviation Mentors and dedicated to helping the next generation of pilots finance their aviation training.

    How Much Fuel Reserve Do You Actually Need?

  7. Sep 5

    Plan for the Unexpected: A Real-World Cross Country Flight in a New Light Sport Aircraft

    โœˆ๏ธ What does it take to plan a cross-country flight when almost nothing is certain? In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon shares his in-progress cross-country trip to Austin, Texas to pick up a brand-new-to-him ICP Savannah light sport aircraft, flying it home to California with his friend Herb. Brandon and Carson break down the real-time decision-making that goes into a flight like this, including: Route options for crossing the Rocky Mountains in a small airplane, from the northern route to the Albuquerque corridorRestricted airspace, MOAs, and density altitude considerations that shape where you can and can't flyWhat changes when you're flying an unfamiliar aircraft with a pilot you've never flown with beforeWhy planning for the unexpected, weather, fuel stops, and personal minimums matters more than the flight plan itself๐Ÿš€ Whether you're a student pilot, private pilot, or general aviation enthusiast, this episode gives you a real look at how experienced pilots think through cross-country planning, contingency routes, and risk management before wheels ever leave the ground. This episode is brought to you by Stratus Financial, dedicated to supporting the next generation of future aviators with student loans built for aspiring pilots. Also, catch Brandon at the Ascend Flight Training Summit in Dallas, September 8th through 10th, use code MENTORS for $100 off your ticket.

    Plan for the Unexpected: A Real-World Cross Country Flight in a New Light Sport Aircraft

  8. Aug 28

    Flight School Rate Hikes, Checkride Delays & Crosswind Limits: Pilot Q&A

    Should you switch flight schools if your rates just went up? Is 45 hours without a checkride sign-off normal, or a red flag? โœˆ๏ธ In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson tackle four listener questions that hit close to home for every student pilot working through primary training. From navigating rising flight school costs to knowing when a CFI's caution is protecting you (not stalling you), the hosts break down what real flight training progress actually looks like. They cover: Whether switching flight schools mid-training helps or hurts your progressHow to tell if a slow checkride sign-off is normal caution or a red flagWhether your training aircraft (Cessna 172 vs. Diamond DA40) really matters long-termHow to judge when a crosswind crosses the line from good practice into "not today"๐Ÿš€ Whether you're a student pilot weighing your training aircraft, working through a checkride plateau, or just trying to build better crosswind judgment, this episode delivers practical, real-world guidance for every stage of flight training. This episode is brought to you by Stratus Financial, dedicated to helping the next generation of pilots finance their aviation education with competitive rates and flexible repayment plans built specifically for flight training. And if you're headed to Dallas, catch the Aviation Mentors team at the Ascend Flight Training Summit, use code MENTORS for $100 off your ticket. ๐ŸŒŽ New episodes drop every Fridayโ€”join us, learn, and stay inspired in aviation.

    Flight School Rate Hikes, Checkride Delays & Crosswind Limits: Pilot Q&A
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4.8
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

๐Ÿš€ We are The Aviation Mentors, a weekly podcast dedicated to creating an amazing space where we aviators can hang out and enjoy a wide range of conversations about anything aviation. We're aviators, we're mentors, and we're entrepreneurs. Whether you're a student pilot, professional pilot, general aviation enthusiast, or just an AV Geek like us, this is the podcast for you! ๐ŸŒŽ Join us every Friday as we share our passion for flying! Sponsored by Stratus Financial www.stratus.finance

Information

  • Creator
    Brandon Martini & Carson Vasquez
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    245
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ยฉ 2022 The Aviation Mentors podcast authors. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Aviation Mentors

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