Midlife Pilot Podcast

The Midlife Pilot Podcast is such an easy listen. It’s entertaining, genuinely informative, and great whether you’re brand‑new to flying or have years of experience. The hosts keep it real and make every episode worth it.

This podcast is well worth the time for those of us in midlife with a passion for aviation. After receiving my private over 25 years ago, life happened and I did not continue flying. All these years later I’ve been in a position to renew my passion, get current, acquire my TW and HP endorsements, acquire an instrument and commercial ratings and buy an aircraft. The long days alone I spend are filled with any aviation podcasts I can find. I have been able to go back and listen to all of the midlife pilot podcasts and am very appreciative to this crew! You just gotta play it on 1.5 speed to get through all the ‘uh’ and ‘ums’. Overall great content, thanks gang!

Thank you for this inspiring show!

You might think the Midlife Pilot Podcast would be all about CPAP machines, how to keep your crispy white New Balance sneakers dirt-free, and the best methods for yelling at kids on lawns—but that is only 85% of the podcast. During the other 15%, hosts Brian, Ted, and Ben give a refreshing take on the world of becoming—or being—a pilot, with only a smattering of influencer talk about the best way to impressively copy a CRAFT clearance in front of seven GoPros. Host #1: Mr. Siskind, aviation’s closest relative to Ken Burns. In pure linguistic beauty, Brian’s weekly BellyScrub segments are comparable to Sullivan Ballou’s emotional letter written to his wife before the Battle of Bull Run during the Civil War. However, along with Brian’s monologues, I sadly have to visit Mount Stupid to look up several of the bombastic and turgid words in his verbosity. Somehow, I leave the podcast feeling stupid—but not insulted—which is a huge plus, if you’re asking me. Host #2: Ted is both a master of efficiency and the keeper of the other two rabbit-hole-derelict hosts, keeping them on topic. Ted chooses his words as efficiently as a Rotax engine burning 3.8 gallons of mogas on a trip from Portland to Niagara Falls. Ted is a man of the people—he is the Orville SixPack of aviation. However, just like when Morrissey went solo from The Smiths, rumor around town is that Tedder is shopping his own solo podcast called “This Is Tedder’s Sky, and We Are All Flying in It.” I sure hope he doesn’t break up the MPP band. Host #3: Ben is clearly the Harrison Ford of aviation podcasts. He has that great iconic voice, has starred in many aviation escapades, and his landings are a wee bit suspect. But he is America’s Aviation Dad—full of kind words and encouragement for all—and he is universally loved. His nickname on the podcast is The Sage, which I think comes from his love of garden spices… still not sure about that one. If Ben were a squawk code, I think he’d be 6767, because he is always aggressively raising ailerons back and forth during his flying—or so I am told. I highly recommend the MPP—and you get to log each podcast as dual received. What a bonus! CYA!