Show Notes
Season 2 Episode 16
Learn how professional pilots manage risk before it becomes a problem. In this episode, you'll discover practical Threat and Error Management (TEM) strategies that can improve your decision-making, reduce workload, and strengthen your safety margins. You'll learn how to identify and trap threats before they escalate, create effective personal minimums, use mental rehearsal to stay ahead of fear and stress, manage cognitive bandwidth with automation, and avoid the subtle traps of normalization of deviance. Whether you're a student pilot or a seasoned aviator, these tools can help you make better decisions both in the air and on the ground. Our guest is Mike Jesch, a senior Boeing 787 captain, flight instructor, and the 2026 National FAA Safety Team Representative. With more than 40 years of aviation experience, Mike has trained pilots at every level, from general aviation to the airlines. He is a passionate advocate for pilot proficiency, recurrent training, and the FAA WINGS program, and shares the lessons, habits, and mindset that help pilots build a lifetime of safe flying.
Links: Mike Jesch’s YouTube Channel: A great channel that speaks to pilot groups on a range of topics, including: Airspace; Flight Instruments; EFBs; ATC Communications; Emergencies; and more. With all the instrument flying experience he's gathered his favorite subjects are in that realm, including; IFR flight planning, regulations, charts, navigation equipment, and more. The Schiff Show with Mike Jesch: A World War II Tragedy That Can Save Your Life. WINGS credit available.
More from The Calm Cockpit Podcast
Season 2 Monday Briefing 19 Perfectionism can be a powerful motivator, but when the drive to get everything right turns into a need to control every outcome, it can leave us frustrated, overwhelmed, and stuck. In this Monday Briefing, we hear a clip from former Royal Australian Air Force fighter pilot and leadership expert Christian “Boo” Boucousis on the perfection death spiral, the difference between perfection and excellence, and how a thoughtful debrief can turn imperfect performance into an opportunity to learn. This week, when something doesn't go the way you planned, try a four-step debrief: Objective: Define the explicit standard or standard of perfection set prior to the task. Reality: Honestly recognize what actually occurred (acknowledging that reality fell short of perfection). Curiosity: Analyze how to get closer to the objective next time by tracing the chain of decisions without emotional self-flagellation. Action: Execute the operational adjustments in the next cycle. The goal isn't to excuse mistakes or lower your standards. It's to replace self-criticism with curiosity, identify what you can control, and take one concrete step toward better performance.
Season 2 Episode 21
Season 2 Briefing 18
Season 2 Episode 20 Aviation careers rarely follow a straight line. In this episode, corporate pilot and flight instructor John Niehaus shares the unexpected turns in his own aviation journey—from graduating into the 2008 financial crisis and building hours as a CFI, to flying for the airlines, charter operations, and ultimately corporate aviation. Along the way, he learned that adaptability, relationships, and a willingness to say “yes” to unexpected opportunities can matter just as much as having a carefully mapped-out career plan.