The Southwest Formula: No PBS. No Widebodies. No Retirement Problems. From a Southwest Airlines Captain
Why do some airline pilots retire at 65 and never fly again — while others immediately go looking for another flying job?
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So You Want to Be a Fighter Pilot? The Robin Olds Edition: More Than a Mustache
“The lessons I learned took effect slowly and often weren’t recognized until years later.” — Robin Olds October 2003. I was a Lieutenant attending Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF). It happened to coincide with a reunion for the legendary 435th Fighter Squadron. As a young aspiring fighter pilot—although I wasn’t all that young by then—I…
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29 Years at Delta Airlines — Work Rules, Real Life, and What It’s Really Like to Fly for Them with Tyrone Floyd
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube Everyone wants to know the hourly pay rate. But if you’re serious about a career at Delta Airlines, the pay rate is the least interesting part of the conversation. In this episode of Mach Mentality, I sit down with Tyrone Floyd — a Delta A330 captain with 29…
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Divorce, Leadership, and the Alpha Illusion
This one is different. The last blog covered the process. This one is about what happens inside your head while you’re going through it. Especially if you’ve built your identity around being a leader. The Failure You Can’t Brief Away Divorce hits differently when you’ve spent your life performing at a high level. You’re used…
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Aircrew Down! Easter in Iran with Colonel Cliff Latta, USAF (Ret.)
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube When a USAF F-15E Strike Eagle is shot down in hostile territory, the mission doesn’t end—it begins. In this episode, we go inside the world of Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) with Colonel Cliff Latta, a retired U.S. Air Force A-10 pilot with over 4,000 hours in the…
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Brotherhood In The Skies: A September 11th Story with Juan Serrato
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube On September 11, 2001, what began as a routine flight to Washington, D.C. quickly turned into one of the most uncertain and historic moments in aviation history. In this episode of Mach Mentality, a long-time friendship between two pilots (Juan and Eric) takes center stage as they recount…
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Divorce in the Airline Industry: The Cost No One Briefs You On
Before We Go Any Further Before we go any further, let me be clear. I am not advocating for divorce. It may be necessary. I support marriage, commitment, and doing the work when it’s hard. That said — I wish I had understood how this was going to go before I was living it. Because…
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Mach Mentality: A Fighter Pilot’s Mentorship Directive
This Isn’t a Highlight Reel. It’s a Debrief. What you’re reading is a dive into life through a fighter pilot’s directive of mentorship — aviation, career, family, failure, pressure, and the decisions that compound over decades. The objective is simple:Learn now what took me 22 years to understand. Where This Started I’m Lt Col Eric…
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