From Glider Pilot to Flight Test Engineer: Adriana on Soaring Records, Gulfstream, and the FlyORKA App

✈️ What does it take to flight test a brand-new aircraft before it's ever earned its wings?

In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson sit down with flight test engineer and glider champion Adriana, who holds 34 soaring records and built the FlyORKA app. She shares her path from reading test pilot biographies as a teenager to flight testing prototypes for Gulfstream, plus why gliders make pilots sharper and more disciplined in the cockpit:

How flight testing a brand-new aircraft actually works, from envelope expansion to meeting certification requirements
Why flying gliders builds stronger rudder skills, energy management, and stick-and-rudder fundamentals that power pilots often miss
How Adriana's flight test background shaped the FlyORKA app, built to help pilots build up their skills step by step, learn more at flyorka.com
Her advice for student pilots and CFIs who feel behind or discouraged in their training

🚀 Whether you're a student pilot, CFI, glider enthusiast, or aspiring flight test engineer, this episode is packed with real-world insight into flight testing, glider flying, and building better pilot fundamentals.

This episode is brought to you by Stratus Financial, helping student pilots fund their aviation dreams with the Fly to Success Scholarship, and the Ascend Flight Training Summit in Dallas, September 8th through 10th.

🌎 New episodes drop every Friday, join us, learn, and stay inspired in aviation.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(242)

Fuel Planning in an Unfamiliar Airplane: Why the Owner's 5 GPH Estimate Was Wrong

⛽ What happens when the fuel burn you were promised isn't the fuel burn you get?In this episode, Brandon Martini and Carson Vasquez break down part one of Brandon's ferry flight in an ICP Savannah S, ...

26 Sep 26min

What Actually Happens in a 2-Year Flight Review, From Stalls to Steep Turns

✈️ Flight review coming up? Brandon walks through his 2-year flight review in a twin, from stalls to steep turns to one very human radio mistake.Co-host Carson Vasquez is out this week, so Brandon Mar...

19 Sep 21min

How Much Fuel Reserve Do You Actually Need?

Fuel starvation kills more pilots than mechanical failure ever will, so why do so many still skip the fuel stop? ⛽In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down real fu...

12 Sep 19min

Plan for the Unexpected: A Real-World Cross Country Flight in a New Light Sport Aircraft

✈️ What does it take to plan a cross-country flight when almost nothing is certain?In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon shares his in-progress cross-country trip to Austin, Texas t...

5 Sep 25min

Flight School Rate Hikes, Checkride Delays & Crosswind Limits: Pilot Q&A

Should you switch flight schools if your rates just went up? Is 45 hours without a checkride sign-off normal, or a red flag? ✈️In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson tackl...

28 Aug 21min

Can AI Get You Through Your Checkride?

Can an AI really get you through your checkride, or is it setting you up to fail? 🤖✈️In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Carson flies solo to break down the fast-growing wave of AI tools...

8 Aug 19min

When There's No Runway: Beaches, Golf Courses, and the Huntington Beach Mayday

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday — what really happens when the engine quits and there's no runway in sight? ✈️In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson break down the real Huntington ...

1 Aug 19min