E345: Three Surgeries, Multiple Rejections, One Dream: Jake Tishman's Journey to the Airlines

Pilot to Pilot

Justin Siems

Leisure, Hobbies, Business, Aviation, Careers

4.9 • 938 Ratings

🗓️ 25 November 2025

⏱️ 75 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this powerful Thanksgiving episode, host Justin Siems sits down with A320 Captain Jake Tishman to discuss one of the most inspiring aviation journeys you'll hear. Jake shares his decade-long battle with an autoimmune disease that threatened to derail his dream of becoming an airline pilot at every turn—from getting medically disqualified from the Naval Academy to facing multiple surgeries and hospital stays while trying to complete his flight training.

Despite the setbacks, Jake persevered through:

Multiple hospitalizations during college and flight training
Completing all his ratings from instrument through CFI/CFII in just 5.5 months
Taking medical leave from his first airline job
Navigating the corporate aviation world when airlines rejected his applications
Finally landing at his current carrier after nearly giving up

This episode goes beyond the typical aviation career story to explore resilience, gratitude, and finding perspective through adversity. Jake's candid discussion about learning to appreciate the smallest victories—even just having the energy to get out of the car—offers valuable lessons for anyone facing challenges in their career or life.

Whether you're a student pilot facing obstacles, an instructor dealing with setbacks, or an airline pilot who rushed through training, Jake's story reminds us all to appreciate where we are and recognize that our unique paths shape who we become.

Plus, there's plenty of good-natured ribbing about Ohio State vs. Florida State football, corporate aviation perks, and the reality of chasing airline seniority numbers.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Episode 345 of the Piot to Pilot podcast takes off now.
0:09.1	The Pilot to Pilot podcast is brought to you by Ground School from the Finer Points,
0:13.2	the indispensable training app for new and experienced pilots.
0:16.8	Visit LearntheFinerpoints.com, backslash Justin to save 10% off your first year.
0:22.1	From your first takeoff in a Cessna 172 to chasing horizons in a beachcraft king air
0:27.1	or cruising high in a Cessna citation longitude.
0:30.3	Textron aviation has been there for pilots like you, generation after generation.
0:34.5	For nearly 100 years, the name Cessna and Beechcraft meant one thing, an aircraft
0:38.5	you can count on. Whether you're flying for business, for adventure, or just for the love of it,
0:43.1	Textron Aviation builds the aircraft that help you do more and go farther. So if you're thinking
0:47.8	about upgrading your aircraft, stepping into your first jet, or expanding your fleet,
0:51.9	Textron Aviation is ready to help you take the next step.
0:54.9	They offer the performance, capability, and support that pilots trust every single day.
1:00.2	Because when the sky is your inspiration, Textron Aviation is your partner and what's next?
1:04.7	Learn more about how Textron Aviation is built for the skies ahead today at TXTAV.com.
1:10.4	That's TXTAV.com. That's txtavv.com.
1:13.3	Very excited to add Textron Aviation to the sponsor list for the pilot to pilot podcast.
1:18.7	I've always, always wanted a plane from Textron Aviation.
1:22.9	My dream plane is a 182, maybe a 206.
1:26.0	So hopefully in the next couple of years we can make that happen.
1:28.3	But shout out textron aviation, and as I said, make sure you go to tx, taV.com.
1:33.5	Fly with Garmin avionics, then grab your mobile device and make the Garmin pilot app your
	...

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