This Aviation App Predicts TURBULENCE Before It Hits | Maya Shpak, SkyPath

Inside Netflix's Aviation Safety Playbook | Sheryl Clarke

Aviation safety and Netflix have more in common than you'd expect, and Sheryl Clarke, Netflix Aviation and Transportation Safety expert, is the person who bridges both worlds.  In this episode, host Jason sits down with Sheryl for a raw and riveting conversation that goes far beyond the cockpit, exploring how Safety Management Systems mirror elite business culture, drawing powerful parallels to the Netflix culture manifesto. Together, they unpack just culture, accountability, and the fear of retribution - because as Sheryl puts it, "you can either shame and blame, or you can learn, you can't do both." From a real in-flight emergency aboard a Global jet and why the captain's decision to "just fly the airplane" was exactly right, to how SMS methodology applies directly to business mistakes, to the truth about eVTOLs, UAVs, and pilotless aircraft entering the national airspace, this conversation is as grounding as it is eye-opening.  If you've ever wondered why fear of retribution is the silent killer of both safety and business performance, and what a genuine just culture actually looks like in practice, this is the episode you don't want to miss.

The ONE Question You MUST Ask Before Booking a Private Jet

Jason Middleton is a current G550 captain, CEO of Silver Air Private Jets, and host of the Flight Club Podcast. In this conversation he shares what the private aviation industry rarely talks about publicly - unqualified brokers, hidden safety risks, the real cost of aircraft ownership, and what it takes to operate at the highest level of safety in the world. He breaks down the difference between operators and brokers, explains the Safety Management System that only 5% of brokers have, and walks through real stories from the field: a broker demanding an illegal VFR flight at 4AM, a client evacuated from a Dubai bomb shelter during active missile strikes, and the United 1175 pilot who saved 380 lives after an engine exploded over the Pacific. Jason also talks about why he started this podcast, his philosophy on luxury hospitality, how he thinks about aircraft ownership as a financial and lifestyle decision, and why he believes great service starts with how you treat your team, not your clients. If you fly private, are considering it, or are simply fascinated by aviation and the people who live inside it - this one's for you.

This Aviation App Predicts TURBULENCE Before It Hits | Maya Shpak, SkyPath

What if technology could cut your turbulence encounters in half before you even take off?  In this episode of Flight Club, host Jason Middleton sits down with Maya Shpak, CEO of SkyPath,  the crowdsourced turbulence intelligence platform transforming aviation safety for millions of passengers every day. Maya breaks down how SkyPath leverages iPad accelerometers and machine learning to deliver real-time, hyper-granular turbulence data across 40,000 flights per day, achieving a 50% reduction in moderate turbulence encounters across its entire user ecosystem.  The conversation goes beyond the technology, exploring why "smooth air" data is just as critical as turbulence alerts, how knowing where the air is calm empowers pilots to make smarter routing decisions, and the honest debate around autonomous aviation and where AI may eventually surpass human decision-making in emergencies.  Maya also opens up about her journey from second employee to CEO, her helicopter background as both an outsider advantage and an asset, and her leadership philosophy built on direct communication, owning mistakes, and creating a culture where people feel safe to challenge the status quo. Equal parts insightful, honest, and genuinely fun, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

The Engine EXPLODED at 36,000 Feet — Here's How He Saved 381 Lives | Captain Christopher Behnam

Captain Christopher Behnam saved 381 lives on United Flight 1175 when his Boeing 777 suffered catastrophic engine failure over the Pacific - an incident so severe simulators couldn't replicate it without breaking.    From arriving in the U.S. with $200 in his pocket to becoming United's youngest 747 captain at 28, Christopher's story is one of resilience, precision, and the immigrant dream.   In this conversation, he walks us through every second of that harrowing 40-minute descent into Honolulu, hand-flying with no autopilot, full asymmetric thrust, and a stall at 242 knots in IMC. He shares the five miracles that allowed him to land safely, the one decision that saved everyone on board: "Today's not the day we're going to die”. And how his father's 18 years of torture in an Iranian prison gave him the strength to refuse to give up.   Christopher is now building Flying Lion Aviation Group to train the next generation of aviators with retired airline captains, Top Gun instructors, and Blue Angels, proving once again that impossible is nothing.

Kenny Dichter | He Built a Billion-Dollar Brand in Private Jets… Twice

In this episode of Flight Club, host Jason sits down with Kenny Dichter - co-founder of Marquee Jet and Wheels Up - for an unfiltered look at what it truly takes to build a billion-dollar private aviation brand, not once, but twice.  Kenny shares the story behind Marquee Jet's origin, including eight relentless pitches to NetJets founder Richard Santulli and Warren Buffett, and the Coca-Cola analogy that finally closed the deal, all the way through scaling Wheels Up to $1.585 billion in recognized sales in 2022. Now building Real Jet, a bespoke, lifestyle-driven aviation brand, Kenny unpacks the philosophy at its core, rooted in Dr. Maya Angelou's principle that it's not what you say or do, but how you make people feel.  The conversation goes beyond business strategy, diving into safety culture and the fiduciary responsibility operators carry when clients trust them with their families at 35,000 feet, how culture consistently outperforms strategy in building fierce employee loyalty, and navigating real-world chaos in private aviation.  This is a masterclass in entrepreneurship, brand-building, and the human side of an industry that moves the world's most discerning travelers.