Aviation News Talk podcast

Dr. Victor Vogel, a former oncologist turned flight instructor, founded the nonprofit Susquehanna STEM to the Skies to improve STEM education in rural Pennsylvania. The aviation-based STEM program was launched to address declining science and math scores among students, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. By combining aviation concepts with hands-on learning, the program offers a powerful way to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in real-world contexts.

Victor discovered that aviation offers rich, practical applications for STEM—such as flight navigation, time-speed-distance calculations, weight and balance, and engineering challenges. At the heart of the program is a Redbird FMX full-motion flight simulator, which draws students to the airport and anchors immersive educational experiences. Victor quickly learned that involving educators—not just pilots—was critical. Today, the board includes school superintendents, career technical center (CTC) leaders, and drone experts.

Students experience aviation careers beyond piloting, including aircraft maintenance, drone operation, medical helicopter crews, and aerospace engineering. Field trips, Girl Scout and Boy Scout aviation badge events, career fairs, and summer STEM camps all expose kids to high-demand aviation-related fields. Programs often include time in the simulator, tours of LifeFlight helicopters, and visits to maintenance hangars and paint shops.

Partnering with Sun Technical Institute, the program offers career-track students opportunities to fabricate metal airplanes and build Mars rover kits. A Redbird J desktop simulator expands access for physically challenged students. Another initiative included building a pedal-powered Piper Cub with students, demonstrating how aviation and vocational trades can intersect creatively.

Several success stories highlight the program’s impact. One former flight attendant is now a multi-rated certified flight instructor after a single inspiring simulator session. Others have moved on to flight schools, the Air Force Academy, or regional airline careers. The program’s ripple effect is also reaching educators. One high school band director attended the AOPA High School STEM Symposium, launched an aviation club, and introduced aviation curriculum into his school.

The organization was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in late 2020—just as the COVID-19 pandemic was surging. Despite the initial slow progress, Victor journaled his efforts during the pandemic, later publishing them in his book Pains and Planes, which captures both the struggle of cancer patients during COVID and his dream of launching a STEM nonprofit.

Looking forward, Victor emphasizes the importance of finding volunteers—especially retired pilots, mechanics, teachers, and educators. He believes many people are simply waiting to be asked to contribute. He encourages others to replicate this aviation nonprofit model in their own communities by starting with educators, partnering with local airports, forming a nonprofit, and reaching out to media for visibility.

For those inspired to launch a similar STEM and aviation program, Victor recommends building partnerships with school districts and intermediate units, seeking grants and donations, and always putting student engagement first. His program shows that aviation-based STEM education can uplift rural students and guide them toward rewarding careers.

To learn more or get involved, visit www.stemtoskies.org or contact Victor at vvogel@aol.com.

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In this special crossover episode, Max Trescott, host of the Aviation News Talk podcast, appears as a guest on Dr. Tony Kern’s Only Human podcast. The two aviation safety advocates engage in a candid, insightful conversation that bridges their shared backgrounds in aviation, safety culture, and leadership.

The episode begins with a segment called “This Week in Safety Land,” spotlighting a tragic helicopter crash involving tourists over the Hudson River. The Director of Operations (DO) at the company involved chose to cease operations pending investigation, only to be overruled and fired by the CEO—prompting FAA intervention. Max and Tony reflect on this as a textbook example of the ongoing conflict between operational production and safety protection, a dynamic familiar in aviation, military, and corporate environments alike. They explore how profit-driven decisions often undermine safety, and how organizations with high-risk operations must prioritize a culture that empowers safety-conscious leadership.

Tony shares a story of elephants at the San Diego Zoo sensing an earthquake before it was perceptible to humans—forming a protective circle around the young. Max likens this to the importance of organizational structures that support bottom-up safety communication. Drawing on his early career at Hewlett-Packard, he praises HP’s open-door policy that encouraged employees to escalate safety issues when necessary. He stresses that open communication channels are essential, especially in high-risk domains.

Max then shares his personal journey from a successful 25-year career at HP to full-time aviation after a layoff. What began as a side hobby teaching flying eventually evolved into a full-time vocation, spurred in part by a deeply personal tragedy: the death of a close friend and five others in a preventable aircraft accident. Max, who arrived on the crash scene within 45 minutes and attended multiple funerals that week, found a new purpose—preventing similar accidents by educating pilots.

That experience drove Max to start Aviation News Talk, where he strives to deliver rich, actionable content on general aviation safety. His mission: to save lives by making safety knowledge accessible, engaging, and relevant to every pilot—from student to professional. He explains that his podcast is designed to offer “at least one nugget of value per episode” that listeners can apply immediately.

Tony and Max discuss the unglamorous public perception of safety roles—often viewed as dull or punitive. Tony notes that safety officers are often assigned the job after incidents or during grounding periods. Max offers a reframing: don’t lead with safety—lead with professionalism. If pilots strive to be excellent in their craft, safety naturally follows. “Do your job well, be curious, be disciplined,” Max says—traits that elevate both personal performance and safety outcomes.

They turn to current trends, asking whether aviation is getting less safe. While total accident numbers may be down, Max points out that media coverage is up, and many general aviation (GA) accidents—especially runway excursions involving business jets—suggest continued risks. What matters more than raw numbers, he explains, is the accident rate per 100,000 hours flown, data that lags by over a year. For GA pilots, the accident risk remains significant, especially among newer or less experienced pilots.

Looking forward, Max and Tony explore the safety challenges of tomorrow. Max debunks the idea of achieving a static “safe state” and explains that aviation is inherently dynamic—subject to changes in personnel, technology, weather, and processes. He highlights the importance of conducting safety assessments prior to changes in operations, procedures, or equipment. Quoting safety expert Todd Conklin, Max describes accidents as “the unexpected combination of normal aviation variability,” reinforcing the need for ongoing vigilance.

Tony adds that while technological innovations—like AI, automation, and real-time training—offer efficiency, they don’t guarantee increased safety. Often, humans simply push the margins when given better tools. He uses anti-lock brakes as an analogy: rather than driving more safely, people just drive faster. Similarly, faster, cheaper training methods could reduce experience levels without solving core human performance issues.

The conversation closes with Max outlining the timeless characteristics of a great aviator:

• Judgment – the most critical trait, separating the skilled from the safe.
• Curiosity – a desire to learn, explore, and seek out knowledge.
• Discipline and consistency – following procedures and making flights “boring” in the best way.
• Situational awareness – understanding not just your own position, but what everyone else in the airspace is trying to do.
• Humility – recognizing that overconfidence kills and that learning never stops.

Max emphasizes that aviation teaches life skills: staying humble, seeking excellence, and always being ready to learn. He ends by inviting listeners to consider flight training—not just for fun, but as a profound growth experience. Learning to fly, he says, can change how you see the world and yourself.

Tony echoes the sentiment, encouraging listeners to take a discovery flight and explore the possibility. As the episode wraps, both hosts agree: while aviation may be unforgiving, it offers unmatched rewards for those who approach it with professionalism and passion.

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• Boeing Sells ForeFlight, Jeppesen and OzRunways

Mentioned on the Show
Buy Max Trescott's G3000 Book Call 800-247-6553
Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset Giveaway
Dr. Tony Kern's Convergent Performance company
Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast
Dr. Kern's Books
Blue Threat: Why to Err Is Inhuman
Redefining Airmanship
Flight Discipline
Going Pro: The Deliberate Practice of Professionalism
Darker Shades of Blue: The Rogue Pilot
Armored Knight
The Ghost of Nathan Hale
Dark Wind by Buck Myles (Tony Kern)
13 Bullets: A Blue Walker Action Thriller Series by Buck Myles

Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk

So You Want To Learn to Fly or Buy a Cirrus seminars
Online Version of the Seminar Coming Soon – Register for Notification

Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we’ll make a couple of dollars if you do.

Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android.

Check out Max’s Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/

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"Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com

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Max talks with ferry pilot Sarah Rovner, founder of Full Throttle Aviation, about her adventures and challenges flying planes across continents. Sarah stumbled into ferry flying when she helped deliver a plane and quickly found herself flying everything from gliders to agricultural aircraft across Central America and even the Atlantic. Her unique edge wasn’t just piloting—it was handling the complex international paperwork required for cross-border flights.

Sarah explains the nuances of flying foreign-registered aircraft, using handlers, and dealing with customs and regulatory hurdles in countries like Mexico and Canada. She shares hair-raising tales like flying over the Arctic in winter in a Cessna 210, discovering a failed axle, and performing repairs in subzero temps. She’s faced oxygen failures, ferry tank malfunctions, and the infamous “ice bridging” during Atlantic crossings.

Despite the flat-rate pay and frequent mechanical delays, Sarah loves the freedom, camaraderie, and adventure. She also trains and mentors pilots, including retirees and aspiring time-builders, emphasizing the importance of judgment over just stick-and-rudder skills. Her company now provides aircraft imports, paperwork, and check rides, and she encourages others interested in ferry work to learn multiple aircraft types and fly smart.

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Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets
Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk.
Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1199
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Lightspeed Sierra Headset $699
My Review on the Lightspeed Delta Zulu

Send us your feedback or comments via email

If you have a question you’d like answered on the show, let listeners hear you ask the question, by recording your listener question using your phone.

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Mentioned on the Show
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Stop the prop by Barry Schiff

Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk

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Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we’ll make a couple of dollars if you do.

Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android.

Check out Max’s Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/

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"Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com

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Max discusses engine-out scenarios and best glide strategies, prompted by listener feedback on Episode 372, which analyzed the crash of a Bonanza B35B (N2UZ) that suffered engine failure at 7,500 feet near Charlottesville, VA. Although the pilot did many things correctly, he overshot a long field and crashed. Max highlights choices that might have improved the outcome, such as flight following and alternate route planning.

Listener emails, read by Aviation News Talk intern Kelly, offer insights and experiences. Karen Larson shares how a conversation about the episode helped her husband safely land a T6 with a failed engine. David Dismore and Nico Ghilardi emphasize the value of practicing power-off landings, especially from high altitudes. Daniel Switkin points out that glide range rings in EFB apps may not always be reliable, referencing an AOPA test. Carter Boswell inquires about glide differences between windmilling and stopped props. Max references Peter Garrison and Tom Turner for technical insight. Bozzie Boswell from Australia introduces the AvPlan EFB app, which offers planning features to keep routes within gliding range of airports.

Max underscores the importance of preparation, practice, and situational awareness to improve survival chances during engine-out emergencies.

If you're getting value from this show, please support the show via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or Patreon.

Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets
Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk.
Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1199
Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset $899
Lightspeed Sierra Headset $699
My Review on the Lightspeed Delta Zulu

Send us your feedback or comments via email

If you have a question you’d like answered on the show, let listeners hear you ask the question, by recording your listener question using your phone.

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Mentioned on the Show
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Tom Turner's FLYING LESSONS newsletter

Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk

So You Want To Learn to Fly or Buy a Cirrus seminars
Online Version of the Seminar Coming Soon – Register for Notification

Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we’ll make a couple of dollars if you do.

Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android.

Check out Max’s Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/

Social Media
Like Aviation News Talk podcast on Facebook
Follow Max on Instagram
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Listen to all Aviation News Talk podcasts on YouTube or YouTube Premium

"Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com

If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.

Max talks with Dr. Tony Kern about human error, airmanship, and the hidden threats pilots pose to themselves. Tony shares how his passion for understanding error began with the tragic loss of two of his former B-1 bomber students in 1992. The crash, attributed to "a failure of airmanship," prompted him to research the elusive meaning of that term—work that eventually led to his book Redefining Airmanship.

Beyond medical transport, they assist military veterans by flying them to camps designed for rehabilitation, as well as special events like Major League Baseball games. They also provide commercial airline tickets, through partnerships with JetBlue and Southwest, as backup transportation.

Tony emphasizes that even the best pilots are “one decision away from disaster” and discusses how errors often don’t result in negative outcomes, which falsely reinforces bad habits. He introduces the concept of a “personal fingerprint of error” and advocates tracking errors—both in and out of the cockpit—to identify behavioral patterns.

The conversation also touches on complacency, fatigue, and how inexperienced team members can sometimes better sense danger than veterans. He recalls the Thirtymile Fire as a case study in poor decision-making and leadership under stress. Tony concludes by stressing the instructor’s responsibility not to pass along a faulty product, and encourages pilots to be relentless students of their own behavior. He also shares resources from his company, Convergent Performance, and his books, podcast, and LinkedIn newsletter.

If you're getting value from this show, please support the show via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or Patreon.

Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets
Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk.
Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1199
Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset $899
Lightspeed Sierra Headset $699
My Review on the Lightspeed Delta Zulu

Send us your feedback or comments via email

If you have a question you’d like answered on the show, let listeners hear you ask the question, by recording your listener question using your phone.

News Stories

• Airline pilot demand back to pre-pandemic levels
• AOPA leads national GA safety campaign
• Laser strikes down from record 2023
• Airline pilot fined after RAF intercepted flight
• Two United Pilots Forget Passports Before International Flights

Mentioned on the Show
Buy Max Trescott's G3000 Book Call 800-247-6553
Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset Giveaway
Dr. Tony Kern's Convergent Performance company
Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast
Dr. Kern's Books
Blue Threat: Why to Err Is Inhuman
Redefining Airmanship
Flight Discipline
Going Pro: The Deliberate Practice of Professionalism
Darker Shades of Blue: The Rogue Pilot
Armored Knight
The Ghost of Nathan Hale
Dark Wind by Buck Myles (Tony Kern)
13 Bullets: A Blue Walker Action Thriller Series by Buck Myles

Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk

So You Want To Learn to Fly or Buy a Cirrus seminars
Online Version of the Seminar Coming Soon – Register for Notification

Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we’ll make a couple of dollars if you do.

Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android.

Check out Max’s Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/

Social Media
Like Aviation News Talk podcast on Facebook
Follow Max on Instagram
Follow Max on Twitter
Listen to all Aviation News Talk podcasts on YouTube or YouTube Premium

"Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com

If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.