178. What did the Mr Beast Challenge Pilot Do for 100 Days in a Jet?
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
Release Date: 08/12/2025
179. What Happened to Those “Hard Days Off” You Promised Me?
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
Dylan and Max connect from hotel rooms across the West, with Max prepping for his Cub camping trip to Idaho and Dylan testing out foam ear tips for his ProFlight headset (link in the show notes). In the Mailbag, listeners weigh in on commuting trade-offs, a gear-down hydraulic improvisation involving bottled water, and flying under Bravo airspace with “raw dog radios.” Flight Advice tackles a business aviation bait-and-switch: hard days off evaporating into 24/7 on-call duty. The hosts dig into leverage, contracts, and how to sniff out a toxic flight department. Show Notes 0:00...
info_outline
178. What did the Mr Beast Challenge Pilot Do for 100 Days in a Jet?
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
Corporate pilot (and MrBeast 100-day jet winner) Armando Carrion jumps in to unpack the ops behind living on a Hawker 800 for 100 straight days—no devices, no Netflix, just Part 91 brainpower and a lot of extension cords. We get into air-to-air formation over SoCal and the Grand Canyon (yep, with a Bonanza), CRM, and why Armando turned down the “double-or-nothing” 100-day extension. We also talk post-win realities: maintenance bills, management, and why the airplane is probably headed to a new owner. Follow Armando at Show Notes 0:00 Intro 3:27 Preparing for the Video 12:41 Tech...
info_outline
177. Should You Spend $8K on a Seaplane Rating or a CFI?
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
This week, Dylan and Max talk Oshkosh FOMO, a rogue taxiway takeoff, and some serious Midwestern rental car struggles. Mailbag highlights a listener mapping out his aviation career path and asking if it’s possible to fly both corporate and airline gigs at once (spoiler: not easy). Flight Advice tackles how to best spend $8K of National Guard tuition money—seaplane rating, CFI, backcountry flying, or something else entirely? Plus, Starlink outages and the return of our favorite sunshade gear review. Show Notes 0:00 Intro & Oshkosh 9:41 Musings: Flights & Tolerance...
info_outline
176. Will a United Internship Trump Turbine Time?
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
Max sweats through fence repairs in 110 °F while plotting an Idaho back-country Super Cub adventure, and Dylan tries (unsuccessfully) to review a “dad-grade” sun-hoodie. In the Mailbag we read spicy reviews, debate the sanity of commuting, and swap credit-card hacks for pilots living on per-diem. Flight-Advice gets heavyweight help from James Onieal of Raven Careers, who steers a listener through the mine-field of a United Flight-Ops internship vs. PC-12 135 gig vs. aerial-survey multi-time. Plus: Reginald stops by for a quick check-in, and Dylan still owes half the world 21-Five...
info_outline
175. Should You Drop $5 K on an ATP-CTP Now?
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
Max walks into a 737 cockpit guarded by a five-inch hula girl and promptly invents the “Shakira Scale” for bumps in flight . Listener mailbag hits everything from the best starter credit card for flight instructors to whether a degree really matters and if paying $5 K for ATP-CTP is smart when you’re 49 and eyeing the next hiring wave . In Flight Advice, a military helo pilot with only ten working years left asks whether to chase a major or ride the fractional lifestyle . Plus: back-country flower bombs, 37-hour B-2 runs, and a polite plea to stop yelling at the intro. Show Notes 0:00...
info_outline
174. B-17 to F-4: A 102-Year-Old WWII Aviator’s Incredible Journey
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
WWII & Vietnam combat pilot Col. Richard “Dick” Bushong takes us from 155-knot B-17 climbs to Mach 2.1 in the F-4, describing 28 hairy missions, dead-reckoning nav, and sheet-metal patch art. He’s 102, still volunteers every Thursday at Tucson’s 390th Memorial Museum, and wrote My Wars to capture the stories. Grab a coffee, tighten your formation, and hear a masterclass in staying alive—plus the morale-crushing day HQ “prorated” his tour. Four engines, two out, no brakes? No problem. Learn more about the in Tucson, AZ Check out Col. Bushong's book Show Notes 0:00 Intro 6:00...
info_outline
173. Descend Via Phraseology, Aviation YouTube Deep Dive, and CFI Survival Tips
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
Dylan and Max are recording from hotel rooms across the country and catching up after some time off. They kick things off with a deep dive into aviation YouTube, comparing backcountry flying with ferrying retired Airbuses from Asia. In the mailbag, they respond to listeners with questions about juggling a corporate flying gig while working for a major airline, updates from a newly minted high school grad CFI, and a debate on whether you need to report vacating altitudes during "descend via" clearances. Flight Advice wraps the episode with tips for a low-time pilot who just landed a chief pilot...
info_outline
172. What does it take to reinstate your lapsed CFI?
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
Dylan and Max are joined (again) by everyone’s favorite multi-hyphenate pilot, Seth Lake. This time, he walks them through the process of reinstating their expired CFI certificates—turns out it’s not as terrifying as they thought. From FOIs to ACS, Seth breaks it down like a DPE Jedi. If you've let your CFI lapse, or you're just morbidly curious, this one’s for you. | Show Notes 0:00 Intro 5:01 Keeping CFI Current 15:58 Reinstatement 31:27 Creating this Document 39:02 On Ground vs In Plane 58:24 Emergency Operations & After Landing 1:07:05 Wrap Up Questions Be sure to...
info_outline
171. What's the Right Way to Be a Low-Time SIC in BizAv?
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
Max shares his PM flying grind and how soft pay is easing the sting—plus a soggy New Orleans beignet run. The Mailbag is loaded this week with tales from a long-haul trucker pilot, NetJets rejection therapy, type rating dilemmas, and the dreaded training contracts making a comeback. In Flight Advice, a low-time pilot lands a dream SIC gig and asks: how do you not screw this up? Max and Dylan break down how to stand out and stay sharp as a new jet FO. Show Notes 0:00 Intro 2:16 AMs, PMs, and Max’s Musings 17:29 Reviews 22:09 Mailbag 34:02 Flight Advice Be sure to subscribe to to...
info_outline
170. What Should You Do When the FAA Calls?
21.FIVE - Professional Pilots Podcast
Forrest Owens, aviation attorney and private pilot, joins Dylan and Max to dive into the often murky waters of FAA enforcement, pilot liability, and what every professional and private pilot needs to know before picking up the phone. From NASA reports to ADS-B nightmares, this episode is your legal safety briefing—with a side of GoPro caution. Pilots, take notes… and maybe double-check your insurance policy. Forrest Owens | Email: Phone: 888-635-9529 (888-6-FLY-LAW) Show Notes 0:00 Intro 5:16 Pilot Deviation 15:39 Handling a Phone Call 22:48 AOPA & Liability 37:21 Umbrella...
info_outlineCorporate pilot (and MrBeast 100-day jet winner) Armando Carrion jumps in to unpack the ops behind living on a Hawker 800 for 100 straight days—no devices, no Netflix, just Part 91 brainpower and a lot of extension cords. We get into air-to-air formation over SoCal and the Grand Canyon (yep, with a Bonanza), CRM, and why Armando turned down the “double-or-nothing” 100-day extension. We also talk post-win realities: maintenance bills, management, and why the airplane is probably headed to a new owner. Follow Armando at @flyajc
Watch Armando's Mr. Beast Challenge
Show Notes
0:00 Intro
3:27 Preparing for the Video
12:41 Tech & Logistics
31:21 Physical & Mental Challenges
36:21 Cleanliness
42:15 Flight & Food
54:11 Consequences of Winning
1:09:01 Final Thoughts
Harvey Watt, offers the only true Loss of Medical License Insurance available to individuals and small groups. Because Harvey Watt manages most airlines' plans, they can assist you in identifying the right coverage to supplement your airline’s plan. Many buy coverage to supplement the loss of retirement benefits while grounded. Visit harveywatt.com to learn more!
--
Advanced Aircrew Academy enables flight operations to fulfill their training needs in the most efficient and affordable way—anywhere, at any time. We do this by providing high-quality professional pilot, flight attendant, flight coordinator, maintenance, and line service training modules delivered via the web using a world-class online aviation training system. Visit aircrewacademy.com to learn more!
--
Tim Pope is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and a pilot. His financial planning practice provides services to aviation professionals and aviation 401k plans. Tim helps clients pursue their financial goals by defining them, organizing & optimizing resources, planning, implementing, and monitoring their financial plan. Visit https://link.
--
VSL ACE Guide Version – Your All-in-One Pilot Training Resource
VAERUS MEANS RIGHT, TRUE, AND REAL.
Buy or sell an aircraft the right way, using a true partner, to make your dream of flight real. Connect with Brooks at Vaerus Jet Sales | Learn more about the DC-3 Referral Program
The 21.5 Podcast is supported by our friends at ProPilotWorld.com - The Premier Information & Networking Resource for Professional Pilots
--
Do you have feedback, suggestions, or a great aviation story to share? Email us [email protected]
The statements made in this show are our own opinions and do not reflect, nor were they under any direction of any of our employers.