The Pursuit of Perfection, With Michael Goulian

By John Zimmerman
Sep 22, 2026
0 Comments

Pilot's Discretion Podcast, episode 139

As one of the few people to ever fly an airshow at Oshkosh, a competition aerobatic routine, and a Red Bull Air Race, Michael Goulian has a unique perspective on flying at the edge of the envelope. In this episode, he takes us behind the scenes to share how he prepares both physically and mentally for a performance, what’s unique about modern aerobatic airplanes, and what his favorite maneuver is. Michael is also a longtime flight instructor and flight school owner, so he connects the intense focus of the airshow world to the job of a primary flight instructor, with tips for improving stick and rudder skills in the age of glass cockpits. In the Ready to Copy segment, he talks about his favorite fly-in destination in New England, his pre-show playlist, and golf.

Listen online:

Listen on your favorite app:

Quotes:

Competition aerobatics vs. airshows: “it's all about being incredibly precise, yet being able to stand out from the rest of the crowd.”
Why Red Bull Air Racing is a team sport: “I was the one that was flying the airplane on race day, but there's a group of people that put you out there just like it would be in NASCAR.”
Progress in aerobatic airplanes: “We had crankshaft failures and propellers coming off the front of airplanes with alarming regularity back 25 years ago, which we don't have anymore.”
Physically preparing for airshows: “you have to be you have to be in shape both physically and mentally, and then also you have to be in shape G-wise”
How aerobatic practice keeps you humble: “we're just used to people telling us how bad we are, because every single flight, somebody is on the ground watching.”
The never-ending pursuit of perfection: “I have five thousand hours of aerobatic flying probably and thirty-something years of doing it. And I still feel like I can get better.”
What new pilots struggle with: “I feel like we have lost the understanding of pitch, power, and performance.”
Real-world scenario training: “say the client has a house in Vermont and they go to it on the weekends. Well, we will, from the very beginning, work with them to use that plane to go back and forth to their house in Vermont.”
Teaching avionics to new pilots: “I am a huge believer in automation, when it's used as an assistant and not a crutch.”
Can you use a Cirrus for primary flight training? “Sure. With the right flight instructor—not a problem. An airplane is an airplane.”
The right mindset for starting an airshow: “I want to step in the airplane and go, ‘I am so happy to be here today and thankful.’”