Ep. 304 The Conference Struggle is Real -- And You're Not Alone

Ready 4 Pushback

Nik Fialka

Business, Careers, Leisure, Aviation

4.8 • 716 Ratings

🗓️ 11 December 2025

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Aviation conferences look shiny, exciting, and full of opportunity—but for most pilots, especially those still chasing their next job, they can be stressful, expensive, and overwhelming.

In today's solo episode, Nik pulls the curtain back on what really happens behind the scenes: the pressure, the travel costs, the hotel bills, the juggling of family responsibilities, and the real-life financial strain pilots face while pursuing their dreams.

CONNECT WITH US

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, pilot, welcome to Ready for Pushback. It's Nick Fialca. Let's talk about suits.
0:10.0	It all started as a spark. Maybe it was the sound of jets racing across the sky.
0:18.0	Or the feeling of your heart racing as you watch Crop Duster flying low and slow.
0:23.6	Even then, you knew you were meant to fly. For pilots, it's more than just a job. It's a calling.
0:32.6	The early mornings, the long hours, the relentless training, you didn't do it for the money.
0:39.0	You did it for that moment.
0:41.0	That moment when the wheels lift off and the earth falls away beneath you.
0:45.7	But flying is just the beginning.
0:47.6	The journey to your dream job takes more than just skill in the sky.
0:51.5	It takes strategy on the ground and a lifetime of learning.
0:55.0	Most pilots don't understand what career opportunities are available in the world of aviation.
1:01.0	Learn how to go from good to great, from flight school to regional to major, and from hopeful to hired.
1:09.0	Whether you're sharpening your skills, building your resume, or preparing for that big interview, this is where pilots come to level up. Let's get ready for pushback. Here's your host and my dad, Nick Fialca.
1:23.6	If any of you have ever been to a pilot convention, you know that it is a stressful time
1:29.8	unless you are going to hang out and meet people like when I go, when I, like, not like me,
1:37.1	but if you are me and you go to a convention, super awesome because it's no stress.
1:42.6	It is a lot of fun.
1:44.3	I'm not looking for a job.
1:46.0	And I'm just there to make everybody feel stoked and give free high fives.
1:51.0	And that is my favorite thing.
1:53.4	However, a lot of y'all going to the shows are looking for something.
1:58.5	You're looking for a job.
	...

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