LD Aviation Podcast

Flight Department Value with James Lara & Steve Brechter | Episode 94

In this episode, Lindsay Dyer speaks with James 'Jim' Lara and Steve Brechter from Gray Stone Aviation. Return guests to the podcast, today's discussion centers around really honing the value of flight departments beyond getting individuals from point A to point B. They cover discussing value propositions, transactional versus strategic scheduling, and much more! Gray Stone Advisors: https://www.graystoneadvisors.com ABOUT STEVE BRECHTER Former COO of NetJets and current Senior Advisor, Operations with Gray Stone Advisors. Steve’s passion for aviation history, which began in his early years, led to a memorable encounter with aviation legend Eddie Rickenbacker, resulting in a cherished signed copy of Rickenbacker’s autobiography that Steve still keeps close. Steve’s journey from a mechanical engineering background at Pratt & Whitney to a distinguished career in business aviation is both inspiring and informative. Steve emphasizes the evolving competencies required of today’s aviation directors, who must blend business acumen with aviation expertise. He also discusses the critical importance of mentoring and coaching in developing effective leaders within flight departments. His insights provide valuable guidance for aspiring aviation professionals and leaders looking to excel in this fast-paced industry. ABOUT JAMES LARA Mr. James E. Lara, Founder and Principal, Gray Stone Advisors, has extensive experience working with emerging and established domestic and international companies. He provides in‐depth experience and an approachable leadership style that promotes knowledge transfer in a direct, non‐ threatening manner. James E. (Jim) Lara’s Unique Ability is “bringing leadership, calm, order and confidence to chaotic environments while coaching individuals into high performance teams aligned with the goals of the entire enterprise or organization.” He is noted for his uncanny ability to quickly recognize the truly relevant, “game changing” issues and successfully guide highly effective teams to resolve systemic problems. Show Notes 0:00 Intro 2:35 Leadership Mindset & Value 16:54 Productivity Savings 24:17 Value Proposition Discussion 28:44 Family Office 30:32 Transactional vs. Strategic Scheduling 35:33 Executive Retention 46:29 Flight Department Potential ABOUT LD AVIATION PODCAST Welcome to the LD Aviation Podcast! We aim to promote cooperation and collaboration within the Business Aviation community by featuring discussions with industry leaders, experts, and professionals. We know how important it is for Executive Assistants, Schedulers and Dispatchers to learn efficiently.That’s why we made this podcast to give you helpful ideas about Business Aviation. Host and CEO, Lindsay Dyer, talks to experts in Business Aviation to share their knowledge. They talk about what’s new and interesting in the industry, and give tips to help EA’s, Schedulers and Dispatchers do their job well.We hope you join us on this exciting journey to learn more about Business Aviation! https://ldaviationservices.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-dyer-ancora/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Aviation Matters: Kristi Ivey & Phil Derner from NBAA | Episode 93

In this episode, Lindsay Dyer speaks with Kristi Ivey and Phil Derner, Regional Directors with the National Business Aviation Association. They share how they ended up in their roles and what the job entails before really diving into the member experience with NBAA. Their passion for making a change within the aviation field is clear. Kristi and Phil cover why your voice matters, how to get involved, and the numerous resources available through NBAA. For more, you can visit: https://nbaa.org Kristi Ivey Represents Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming kivey@nbaa.org Kristi Ivey, CAM joined the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) in 2007 and serves as one of NBAA's Regional Directors covering AL, FL, GA, ID, MN, MT, NC, ND, SC, SD, UT, WI, & WY.  Prior to joining NBAA, Kristi managed the flight operations scheduling and dispatch team for The Home Depot Aviation Department. She is an instrument-rated private pilot with an aircraft dispatcher’s license and a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from Auburn University. Kristi's home base is Livingston, Montana. https://nbaa.org/about/contact-nbaa/regional-directors/kristi-ivey/ Phil Derner Represents Alaska, Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia pderner@nbaa.org Phil Derner is a Regional Director for the National Business Aviation Association, handling government affairs and advocacy in 12 states. He has a background in aviation operations management in multiple aviation sectors (DoD contract, major airline, private charter), and also in communications as a writer and on-air analyst in news (FoxNews, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, etc.), and documentaries (History, National Geographic, Discovery, etc.). Show Notes 0:00 Intro 1:02 Road to NBAA 5:07 Week In The Life 11:41 Member Experience 16:55 Making Change 28:02 Looking to the Future 42:20 NBAA Resources 47:12 Getting Involved 58:39 Final Thoughts ABOUT LD AVIATION PODCAST Welcome to the LD Aviation Podcast! We aim to promote cooperation and collaboration within the Business Aviation community by featuring discussions with industry leaders, experts, and professionals. We know how important it is for Executive Assistants, Schedulers and Dispatchers to learn efficiently.That’s why we made this podcast to give you helpful ideas about Business Aviation. Host and CEO, Lindsay Dyer, talks to experts in Business Aviation to share their knowledge. They talk about what’s new and interesting in the industry, and give tips to help EA’s, Schedulers and Dispatchers do their job well.We hope you join us on this exciting journey to learn more about Business Aviation! https://ldaviationservices.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-dyer-ancora/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Yikes! Learning From Pilot Mistakes with JJ Madison | Episode 92

In this episode, Lindsay Dyer speaks with JJ Madison, author of YIKES! 100 Smart Pilots and the Dumb Things They Did Yet Lived to Tell About ‘Em. JJ shares how he got involved in aviation, the importance of mentorship and support, and the focus of his writing. They cover the benefits of NASA reports and how pilots can learn from mistakes. Most importantly, JJ is using his book to pay it forward through the Victor Kilo Fund, supporting the future of the aviation industry. Find more at: https://www.victorkilofund.org/product/yikes Show Notes 0:00 Intro 4:28 Mistakes & Safety Writing 10:00 NASA Reports 13:31 Writing Yikes 17:47 Surprising Stories 20:20 Errors in Ease & Familiarity 27:36 Fatigue & Self Awareness 34:09 Get-There-Itis & Upcoming Pilots 41:37 Paying It Forward 47:32 Supporting Victor Kilo Fund 51:35 Mindset Shift & Final Thoughts ABOUT JJ Madison Jeffrey “JJ” Madison is a Harvard-educated flight instructor, mentor pilot, author and airline pilot. A pilot since 1995, he has over 1,500 hours dual given and flown into more than 250 GA airports throughout most of the Lower 48. He’s also a helicopter pilot. JJ examined thousands of NASA reports for his column, "Human Factors”, and is the only aviation safety expert who analyzes NASA reports for the benefit of the pilot community. His book, YIKES! 100 Smart Pilots and the Dumb Things They Did Yet Lived to Tell About ‘Em is a collection of the best of those columns. He wrote the book so that all proceeds from its sales will help fund aerospace scholarships for Civil Air Patrol squadrons, under-resourced flight schools and STEM organizations, through the Victor Kilo Fund, a non-profit aerospace foundation that he co-founded with his wife. ABOUT LD AVIATION PODCAST Welcome to the LD Aviation Podcast! We aim to promote cooperation and collaboration within the Business Aviation community by featuring discussions with industry leaders, experts, and professionals. We know how important it is for Executive Assistants, Schedulers and Dispatchers to learn efficiently.That’s why we made this podcast to give you helpful ideas about Business Aviation. Host and CEO, Lindsay Dyer, talks to experts in Business Aviation to share their knowledge. They talk about what’s new and interesting in the industry, and give tips to help EA’s, Schedulers and Dispatchers do their job well.We hope you join us on this exciting journey to learn more about Business Aviation! https://ldaviationservices.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-dyer-ancora/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Future of Pilot Staffing: Flying Company with Tyler Flagg | Episode 91

In this episode, Lindsay Dyer speaks with Tyler Flagg, CEO of Flying Company. Aiming to bringing greater transparency, efficiency, and reliability to pilot staffing, Flying Company is a platform built to streamline how flight departments find, evaluate, hire, and pay professional pilots. They address many of the pain points involved in the process and how Flying Company aims to alleviate the entire process, as well as changes they are looking to implement in the future. Find more at: https://flyingcompany.com Show Notes 0:00 Intro 1:14 Aviation Background 7:58 The Flying Company 17:27 Scheduling & Dispatching 19:49 Credentials & Communication 25:00 Safety Reports & SMS 30:09 Looking to the Future 35:49 Before Starting on App 39:35 Trusted Partner Program 41:50 Payment & Final Thoughts ABOUT TYLER FLAGG Tyler Flagg is a former U.S. Air Force Special Operations Instructor and Evaluator Pilot and deployed Squadron Commander, with operational flying experience spanning 67 countries across six continents. During his final deployment, he led 35 Airmen and commanded a fleet of Special Operations aircraft in the Pacific theater. After separating from the Air Force in 2021, Tyler transitioned into business aviation as Chief Pilot and Aircraft Manager for a Part 91 flight department in Arkansas. In that role, he experienced firsthand the operational friction and inefficiencies associated with sourcing, vetting, and compensating qualified contract pilots. Motivated by that challenge, Tyler founded Flying Company, a platform built to streamline how flight departments find, evaluate, hire, and pay professional pilots—bringing greater transparency, efficiency, and reliability to pilot staffing. Tyler currently serves on the NBAA Domestic Operations Committee and is an active member of the working group for NBAA’s Military Connect program, where he continues to support the transition of military aviators into civilian and business aviation roles. Email: tyler@flyingcompany.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerflagg/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/flyingcompany/ ABOUT LD AVIATION PODCAST Welcome to the LD Aviation Podcast! We aim to promote cooperation and collaboration within the Business Aviation community by featuring discussions with industry leaders, experts, and professionals. We know how important it is for Executive Assistants, Schedulers and Dispatchers to learn efficiently.That’s why we made this podcast to give you helpful ideas about Business Aviation. Host and CEO, Lindsay Dyer, talks to experts in Business Aviation to share their knowledge. They talk about what’s new and interesting in the industry, and give tips to help EA’s, Schedulers and Dispatchers do their job well.We hope you join us on this exciting journey to learn more about Business Aviation! https://ldaviationservices.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-dyer-ancora/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Episode 90: Inside Aircraft Maintenance: Real Problems and Real Solutions

In this episode of the LD Aviation Podcast, host Lindsay Dyer talks with Mark Melby, an aviation entrepreneur and the creator of Aloft Evermore. Mark shares what is really happening behind the scenes of aircraft maintenance and why so many flight departments struggle with planning, communication, and understanding true downtime. His experience across maintenance, operations, and aviation business gives a clear look at the challenges teams face every day. ✈️ This conversation focuses on real solutions that help operators work smarter and avoid the common issues that lead to delays, confusion, and unnecessary costs. Mark explains how better forecasting, simple communication, and the right systems can make life easier for mechanics, dispatchers, pilots, and owners. Whether you support a single aircraft or a full flight department, this episode offers practical guidance to help your operation stay ahead. 00:00– Welcome Back to LD Aviation 00:35 – Meet Mark Melby and the Story Behind Aloft Evermore 01:20 – Why Maintenance Planning Matters 02:17 – Mark’s Early Aviation Journey 04:00 – Shifting from Flying to Maintenance and Entrepreneurship 06:20 – Why Small Flight Departments Struggle with Planning 07:05 – How the Idea for Aloft Evermore Began 08:10 – Costs, Networks, and Building Industry Relationships 10:15 – What Aloft Evermore Helps Operators Do 11:02 – Long Term Planning and Comparing Maintenance Shops 12:55 – AI and the Evermore RFQ Tool 15:05 – Creating Visibility for Smaller Repair Shops 16:55 – Maintenance, Ops, Dispatch, and Daily Scheduling Challenges 18:57 – Understanding Downtime, Forecasting, and Experience Gaps 20:58 – How Poor Communication Creates Bigger Problems 23:06 – Reframing Downtime and Improving Department Visibility 26:05 – Using Automation to Reduce Calls and Delays 27:13 – Building a Tech Business While Working Maintenance 28:54 – Staying Connected to Real User Needs 30:19 – Leadership Lessons from Running a Startup 31:25 – Why Innovation Is Hard in Aviation 33:30 – The Rise of Specialty Companies in BizAv 34:17 – Advice for Future Aviation Entrepreneurs 35:54 – The Future of Tech, Automation, and Predictive Maintenance 39:09 – The Cost of Not Planning Ahead 40:20 – Rental Engines, Long Term Prep, and Real World Examples 40:40 – Where to Learn More About Aloft Evermore 41:40 – Demo Details and Vendor Onboarding 42:20 – Final Thanks and LD Aviation Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]