John Zimmerman

When you go on tour with Frank Sinatra at age 21, it’s hard to be intimidated—so it’s no surprise Randy Waldman jumped into the exciting world of helicopters with both feet. In this episode he shares his unique aviation journey, from model airplanes to owning a Mooney to setting a speed record in a Bell OH-58. As one of LA’s most experienced studio musicians and an active helicopter CFI, Randy talks about the similarities between music and flying, including how pilots can develop feel, whether having a career plan B makes sense, and how to use all your senses. In the Ready to Copy segment, Randy shares the most challenging part of flying in LA, his favorite turbine helicopter, and the most underrated jazz musician.

On his way to Sun ’n Fun 2023, the engine on Josh Harnagel’s Bonanza quit, leading to a forced landing in a cow pasture. While no one was hurt, Josh learned a lot from this harrowing experience. He shares those lessons in this episode, including why partial engine failures are hard to diagnose, why hope can kill you in an emergency, and what he has changed about his habits since the incident. Josh works at Redbird, so he also offers plenty of practical tips for using flight simulators to maintain proficiency, whether at the airport or at home. In the Ready to Copy Segment, you’ll hear the biggest marketing mistake flight schools make, the best Bonanza model, and Josh’s favorite Texas barbecue.

Datalink weather, either from ADS-B or SiriusXM, is an essential tool for almost all pilots. Once you've flown a cross country with in-flight radar, up-to-date METARs, and visual AIRMETs, it's awfully hard to go back to flying without it. If you're considering adding a datalink weather receiver to your iPad (like a Sentry, Stratus, or GDL), one of the first decisions you'll face is the source of your weather data: ADS-B or SiriusXM? Both are reliable systems that deliver the same key information, so neither one is a bad choice. But there are important differences to consider. Let's review each option.

How much of the recent boom in private aviation will last now that the pandemic is over? Aviation analyst Brian Foley says about 10%, which is good for the industry but not enough to sustain some overly optimistic business models. In this episode, he talks about the current state of the market, the fate of Wheels Up, and Cirrus Aircraft’s plan to go public. Brian is also getting current as a pilot after 15 years, and he offers some realistic advice for other rusty pilots. In the Ready to Copy segment, Brian shares his famously blunt opinion about Sustainable Aviation Fuel, electric airplanes, hydrogen power, and the best-looking Falcon jets.

Over the last two years, Pilot's Discretion has grown to be one of the top five aviation podcasts on Apple's charts, with devoted subscribers who listen every two weeks as Sporty's John Zimmerman interviews some of aviation's most interesting people. From honest discussions about flight training to fascinating stories from world famous airshow pilots, this podcast is for anyone who loves to fly. No news or fluff, just thought-provoking conversations. If you missed any in 2023, you can catch up with our 10 most popular episodes.

Our goal at Sporty's is to make flying safer, easier, and more fun. Sometimes we do that with a great new product, but sometimes we do that with original content. In addition to our main website at Sportys.com, we publish three online magazines that focus on important topics in aviation: iPad Pilot News covers apps and accessories, Flight Training Central serves up tips to improve your flying skills, and Air Facts shares stories and lessons learned from other pilots. Plus, our Product PIREP series on the Sporty's blog delivers hands-on demos of the latest pilot gear. If you missed something this year, it's OK—we published almost 400 articles across these sites in 2023! Here were the top 10.

In this special year-end episode, host John Zimmerman sits down with producer Rob Reider for a behind-the-scenes look at Pilot’s Discretion. They talk about what traits make for a good guest, the two rules for podcast hosts, and tips for getting better audio. You’ll also learn the most popular Pilot’s Discretion episodes of 2023, what John and Rob’s favorite episodes are, and what lessons they have learned about flying after 66 interviews. In the back-and-forth Ready to Copy segment, they share the most famous pilots they’ve flown with, their nominee for most underrated airplane, and their favorite airports.

Sporty’s Webinar Series touches on a variety of topics, from training to new products and services to help you stay informed. For your convenience, all webinars are archived so you can attend anytime your schedule permits.