Episode 261 Do All the Things
Ready 4 Pushback
Nik Fialka
4.8 • 716 Ratings
🗓️ 11 July 2025
⏱️ 17 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Flying a fully loaded 757 with shifting weather and unexpected system faults isn’t the kind of day any pilot hopes for—but sometimes, it’s the one you get. In this solo episode, Nik shares a real-life flight that became a case study in slowing down, resetting, and leaning on your team. He walks us through a recent scenario that started with a simple maintenance issue during taxi-out but escalated into a near runway incursion. It’s easy to think, “That would never happen to me.” But after hearing Nik’s story, you’ll understand just how quickly things can spiral—and why, in moments of pressure, the best thing you can do is slow down, stay deliberate, and trust your crew.
What You'll Learn:
Why "stop the plane" is sometimes the smartest first move
How to expand your team when you don't have all the answers
How to manage operational curveballs (like MELs, reroutes, and shifting winds)
How to create psychological safety in the cockpit
Why speaking up could be the most powerful CRM move you ever make
How one FO’s quick call potentially prevented a serious violation
What it means to be “confident enough to be unconfident”
CONNECT WITH US
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SPONSOR
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, pilot, welcome back to another episode of Ready for Pushback. I'm Nick Fialca, and this is a solo show. |
| 0:11.5 | Sometimes you've got to do all of the things. It all started as a spark. Maybe it was the sound of jets racing across the sky. |
| 0:22.6 | Or the feeling of your heart racing as you watch CropDuster flying low and slow. |
| 0:28.6 | Even then, you knew you were meant to fly. |
| 0:32.6 | For pilots, it's more than just a job. It's a calling. |
| 0:38.0 | The early mornings, the long hours, the relentless training, |
| 0:42.1 | you didn't do it for the money. |
| 0:43.9 | You did it for that moment. |
| 0:45.8 | That moment when the wheels lift off and the earth falls away beneath you. |
| 0:50.5 | But flying is just the beginning. |
| 0:52.5 | The journey to your dream job takes more than just skill in the sky. |
| 0:56.0 | It takes strategy on the ground and a lifetime of learning. |
| 1:00.0 | Most pilots don't understand what career opportunities are available in the world of aviation. |
| 1:06.0 | Learn how to go from good to great, from flight school to regional to major, and from hopeful to hired. |
| 1:14.5 | Whether you're sharpening your skills, building your resume, or preparing for that big interview, |
| 1:20.1 | this is where pilots come to level up. Let's get ready for pushback. Here's your host and my dad, Nick Fialca. |
| 1:28.7 | The other day I was flying with a first officer who is actually an avid listener of the show. |
| 1:36.5 | So shout out to my FO. |
| 1:39.1 | Totally cool. |
| 1:40.0 | It's always fun for me whenever there's a person that has been impacted by the show, |
| 1:47.3 | who appreciates what I do here. |
| 1:51.6 | And that is, it's super fun. |
... |
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