Episode 263 The Waiting Place
Ready 4 Pushback
Nik Fialka
4.8 • 716 Ratings
🗓️ 17 July 2025
⏱️ 10 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this solo episode, Nik talks about the trap that many aspiring and current pilots fall into: waiting. Waiting for the perfect time, the right opportunity, or for someone else to take the lead. Inspired by a reading of Oh, The Places You’ll Go! to his kids, Nik reflects on how easy it is to get stuck in “The Waiting Place” — and why it’s time to move.
Nik shares a personal story of loss that reminds us just how short life can be and how important it is to act with purpose. If you've been holding back—whether it's applying for a job, starting interview prep, reaching out to a mentor, or just logging flight time—this episode will give you the push to stop waiting and start doing.
What You'll Learn
Why waiting feels safe—but holds you back
How to take action even if things aren’t perfect
The importance of momentum in building confidence
What to do when you’re facing rejection or uncertainty
Why movement, not perfection, leads to progress
CONNECT WITH US
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If you want to recommend someone to guest on the show, email Nik at [email protected], and if you need a professional pilot resume, go to www.spitfireelite.com/podcast/ for FREE templates!
SPONSOR
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, pilot, welcome back to Ready for Pushback! |
| 0:06.0 | It's me, Nick Fialca. |
| 0:08.0 | Have you ever been stuck in the waiting place? |
| 0:10.0 | It all started as a spark. |
| 0:15.0 | Maybe it was the sound of jets racing across the sky. |
| 0:19.0 | Or the feeling of your heart racing as you watch Crop Duster flying low and slow. |
| 0:25.5 | Even then, you knew you were meant to fly. |
| 0:29.6 | For pilots, it's more than just a job. |
| 0:32.3 | It's a calling. |
| 0:34.1 | The early mornings, the long hours, the relentless training, you didn't do it for the money. |
| 0:40.3 | You did it for that moment. That moment when the wheels lift off and the earth falls away beneath you. |
| 0:46.3 | But flying is just the beginning. The journey to your dream job takes more than just skill in the sky. |
| 0:52.3 | It takes strategy on the ground and a lifetime of learning. |
| 0:57.0 | Most pilots don't understand what career opportunities are available in the world of aviation. |
| 1:03.0 | Learn how to go from good to great, from flight school to regional to major, and from hopeful to hired. Whether you're sharpening your skills, |
| 1:13.1 | building your resume, or preparing for that big interview, this is where pilots come to level up. |
| 1:19.1 | Let's get ready for pushback. Here's your host and my dad, Nick Fialca. |
| 1:25.3 | Today is all about going back to when you were young. |
| 1:30.6 | Some of you may have graduated from high school and somebody gave you a book. |
| 1:37.2 | And that book may have been called, oh, the places you'll go. |
| 1:40.6 | And if you know that book, you know it's by one of the greatest authors in American |
| 1:47.4 | history named Dr. Seuss. And he's an awesome guy. And I was reading this book to my kids the other |
... |
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