Shows
FLYING MYNDZShe Learned To Fly, Lost Her Way, And Found A Healthier Path Back To The Flight DeckSend us a textArctic lakes for runways, fuel drums as baggage, and a young pilot learning to think three moves ahead—Jesslyn’s story grabs you from the first minute. We sit down with a Twin Otter alum who went from ramp work and SMS to flying floats, skis, and wheels across Canada’s North, then faced a harsh culture shock in pipeline surveillance that triggered burnout and a hard stop. What followed wasn’t a tidy montage—it was a honest reset: six weeks alone in Spain, a pregnancy pause, and a deliberate return to flying wit...
2025-12-051h 40FLYING MYNDZFlying Through Chaos: One Pilot's Journey from Farm to Flight DeckSend us a textBuckle up for an extraordinary journey with Captain Dan Stewart as he takes us from the wheat fields of southern Alberta to the skies over tsunami-ravaged Indonesia. What begins as a childhood fascination ignited by a daring airplane landing on a highway near his farm transforms into one of aviation's most remarkable career paths.Dan's raw account of flying 29 daily sectors in Belize—navigating primitive runways and challenging weather with single-engine aircraft over water—reveals the "wild west" nature of his early career. But nothing could prepare him for being thrust into...
2025-08-281h 43FLYING MYNDZWhen Women Fly: Authenticity in AviationSend us a textThe cockpit can be a lonely place when you're struggling—paddling frantically below the surface while maintaining that calm, unflappable exterior passengers expect. This vulnerability lies at the heart of my conversation with Captain Rhea MacKay, a trailblazing 737 pilot and operations manager whose 25-year journey through aviation's male-dominated culture offers profound insights on resilience, authenticity, and mental wellbeing.Rhea's path wasn't always clear—from childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut to studying anthropology before discovering her true calling. Her story includes that pivotal moment when, at just 19, a flight school director told...
2025-07-071h 02FLYING MYNDZThe Resilient Pilot: From Arctic Flights to Cancer BattlesSend us a textThe line between passion and obsession blurs when aviation seeps into your blood at an early age. For Gerry Murphy, watching the first DC-8 jet land in Calgary as a wide-eyed child sparked a lifelong love affair with flight that would carry him through 24,000 hours in cockpits around the world.Gerry's remarkable journey takes us from the Canadian Arctic flying Twin Otters to navigating the diplomatic complexities of international aviation at Japan Airlines. With refreshing candor, he recounts taking off from Jeddah the day after witnessing smoke rising from a devastating...
2025-06-301h 54FLYING MYNDZShit Happens: Why I Left Flight Attending for the BoardroomSend us a textHow does a former radio broadcaster with a marketing degree end up becoming a key player in aviation logistics? Jenna Heacock's career path is anything but conventional, yet somehow perfectly aligned with her family's storied aviation history.Jenna's grandfather flew Spitfires during World War II before piloting for the RCMP in the Canadian Arctic. Those stories formed the backdrop of her childhood, though she never imagined following in his footsteps. After working in broadcasting and earning a business degree, a friend's casual suggestion led her to take a flight attendant position...
2025-06-231h 32FLYING MYNDZSobriety at 40,000 FeetSend us a textWhat happens when the person flying your plane is struggling beneath the surface? Ian Gracie's extraordinary journey reveals the hidden battles pilots face, and how one man transformed personal crisis into systemic change for aviation safety.Born into northern Canada's unforgiving landscape, Ian's passion for flight led him from dodging moose on frozen lakes to commanding Boeing 737s. But behind his meteoric rise lurked an increasingly dangerous struggle with alcohol—one that would eventually find him reporting for duty intoxicated.In this powerful conversation, Ian candidly shares his rock-bottom mo...
2025-06-162h 02FLYING MYNDZBreaking the Silence: Dr. Brendan Adams on Aviation Addiction RecoverySend us a textWhen a pilot faces addiction or mental health challenges, where do they turn in an industry where admitting weakness can mean losing everything? Dr. Brendan Adams, with decades of experience as both a Civil Aviation Medical Examiner and addiction specialist, offers a powerful perspective on this critical issue.What begins as "layover shenanigans" can evolve into career-threatening addiction - a situation Dr. Adams has witnessed countless times throughout his distinguished career spanning aerospace physiology, family medicine, and addiction treatment. In this candid conversation, he dismantles the dangerous silence surrounding pilot mental...
2025-06-091h 33FLYING MYNDZNavigating Career TurbulenceSend us a textBeneath the polished exterior of aviation careers lies a turbulent financial reality most flight schools never discuss. In this deeply personal conversation, Captain Alex Wozniak pulls back the curtain on 15 years of navigating the unpredictable skies of the pilot profession.From his first position loading aircraft in remote Northern Ontario to commanding Boeing 737s and flying internationally in China, Wozniak reveals a counterintuitive career path where advancement often means accepting substantial pay cuts. "It's the only industry I can think of where people actively apply for another job due to career...
2025-06-021h 27FLYING MYNDZA Lifetime Beside the Pilot: Marriage, Motherhood, and Making It WorkSend us a textEver wonder what happens on the other side of the cockpit door? Not inside the aircraft, but back home where spouses and families wait, worry, and build lives around constantly shifting schedules. Denise Taylor pulls back the curtain on 42 years of marriage to a commercial pilot in this raw, honest, and occasionally colorful conversation that reveals aviation's hidden emotional toll.From their first dates as teenagers when Tom was earning his pilot's license to navigating life with three young children while he flew for regional airlines, Denise shares the profound challenges...
2025-05-261h 11FLYING MYNDZWhen Aviation Meets Psychology: Understanding The Mental Health Challenges Pilots FaceSend us a textBuckle up for a candid exploration of pilot mental health with Dr. Diane Walters, a psychologist with over 25 years of experience supporting aviators through their unique challenges. This eye-opening conversation reveals how mental wellness affects not just pilots themselves, but their families, colleagues, and ultimately, flight safety.Dr. Walters guides us through the complex landscape where aviation meets psychology, sharing her profound insight that "pilots are people too." While pilots experience the same range of mental health challenges as everyone—anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties—they face these within the high-stakes context of a...
2025-05-191h 14FLYING MYNDZNavigating Change: One Pilot's Journey Through Airlines, Countries, and CrisesSend us a textFlying through more than four decades of aviation history, pilot Tom Taylor takes us behind the cockpit door to share a career journey that spans generations of aircraft and airline transformations. From his early days as a teenage flight enthusiast to becoming an international captain for one of Asia's premier carriers, his story captures the evolving landscape of commercial aviation through both personal triumphs and industry-wide challenges.Tom's path began conventionally enough—flight lessons in British Columbia during the late 1970s, inspired by a memorable flight in a P-51 Mustang with ai...
2025-05-1257 minFLYING MYNDZHealth at 35,000 FeetSend us a textThe hidden health crisis in aviation rarely makes headlines, but it affects thousands of professionals whose work keeps our skies safe. In this eye-opening conversation, Michelle Stiles—flight attendant base lead and wellness coach—reveals the physical toll that aviation takes on those who call the skies their workplace.Michelle's story begins with her first operational flight at age 18, where she met host Stephan Grisbrook as her captain. Twelve years later, she's combining her aviation expertise with her passion for health coaching through her company Stiles Coaching, which specializes in habits and...
2025-05-0550 minFLYING MYNDZSaskatchewan Farm Boy to Aviator-Welcome Warren NortonSend us a textFrom a farm boy in Saskatchewan to a world aviator, Warren has some great stories. From learning to fly an Ultra-lite on the farm, to flying overseas in China, to being an instructor with Dehavilland Aircraft of Canada. Sit back and hear some pretty entertaining stories and the challenges faced during his journey.Support the show
2025-04-281h 18FLYING MYNDZFlying Myndz with Tim MorganSend us a textOne of Canada's leading aviation experts, Tim Morgan, from starting a flight school to being part of one of the most successful airlines in Canada. His successes, his challenges, and how he managed to compartmentalize the stresses of running several aviation businesses. Untold stories of how small the aviation world is and how he navigated through these. BetterHelp, a paid partner.Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. My paid partner BetterHelp makes therapy easy.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I...
2025-04-211h 21FLYING MYNDZThe Conception of Flying MyndzSend us a textA brief description on the conception of Flying Myndz. Your Captain, Stephan, talks about the end of a Ultra Low Cost Carrier Airline in Canada, that coincided with the end of a 4 decade flying career that started Flying Myndz.Support the show
2025-04-1413 minFLYING MYNDZFlying Myndz TrailerSend us a text FLYING MYNDZ IS HERE TO NAVIGATE THE MENTAL LANDSCAPE OF AVIATION INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS.BetterHelp, a paid partner.Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. My paid partner BetterHelp makes therapy easy.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show
2025-02-2802 min