Episode 267 Make Strong Decisions
Ready 4 Pushback
Nik Fialka
4.8 • 716 Ratings
🗓️ 31 July 2025
⏱️ 11 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this solo episode, Nik shares a recent experience flying with a new First Officer on a long-duty day. After a long sit, worsening weather, and pressure to finish the trip, the FO spoke up and said he wasn’t comfortable taking off . . . and it was the right call.
Nik walks through how that moment showed the importance of Crew Resource Management (CRM), especially when the pressure is high and the decision might be unpopular. He explains how clear communication, mutual respect, and knowing your limits are critical to safe flying. This story is a reminder that speaking up can make all the difference.
What You'll Learn:
What effective Crew Resource Management looks like in real flight conditions
How to speak up when you’re not comfortable—and why that matters
How fatigue, duty limits, and “get-home-itis” affect decision-making
Why setting and knowing your personal limits is key to flying safely
How to handle external pressure from passengers, schedules, or weather
The captain’s perspective on respecting input and building crew trust
CONNECT WITH US
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, pilot, welcome back to Ready for Pushback. It's me, Nick Fialca. It's a solo show, and today |
| 0:09.6 | it's another show about crew resource management. It all started as a spark. Maybe it was the |
| 0:19.4 | sound of jets racing across the sky. |
| 0:22.6 | Or the feeling of your heart racing as you watch Crop Duster 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. |
| 0:36.6 | The early mornings, the long hours, the relentless |
| 0:40.3 | training, you didn't do it for the money. You did it for that moment. That moment when the |
| 0:46.3 | wheels lift off and the earth falls away beneath you. But flying is just the beginning. The |
| 0:52.3 | 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. |
| 1:14.2 | Whether you're sharpening your skills, building your resume, or preparing for that big interview, |
| 1:19.8 | this is where pilots come to level up. |
| 1:22.4 | Let's get ready for pushback. |
| 1:24.5 | Here's your host and my dad, Nick Fialca. |
| 1:28.5 | I just got back from a flight with a new first officer that I had never flown with. |
| 1:35.1 | And we got paired together on a reserve line. |
| 1:38.5 | And the first leg was one out from Atlanta to San Diego. |
| 1:43.8 | And it was super perfect. beautiful day, beautiful flying. |
| 1:48.7 | And I got to San Diego and had about 20-something hours there. |
... |
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