879 Becoming a Professional Pilot

Pilot Nicki returns to describe her 1948 Globe Swift and explain her plans to make a mid-life career change and become a professional pilot. In the news, the FAA Administrator says what to expect from the “brand new air traffic control system,” a bill to address ADS-B “misuse,” navigating around the debris field after a rocket failure, accelerating the MV-75 Tiltrotor program, flying the Qatari 747 as Air Force One, reduced security restrictions at Heathrow, and a private jet crash in Maine.

Guest

Nicki Hovanec just reached her goal of 1500 flight hours and now plans to make a mid-life career change and become a professional pilot. She fell in love with aviation at an early age and attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for Aviation at Daytona Beach, Florida. But 911 impacted Nicki’s career trajectory and took her away from aviation. However, with encouragement from her spouse, she returned to aviation, obtained her pilot’s license, and will soon look to be hired by an airline.

Nicki trained through independent flight schools and completed her solo in 2017, receiving her initial pilot’s certificate. She continued her training and completed additional certifications on various aircraft while progressing towards her goal of 1500+ flight hours. Nicki saved and borrowed funds to purchase a Cessna 152. Eventually selling that plane, she bought a 1948 Globe Swift tail-dragger, her current airplane.

With 1,500 flight hours completed, Nicki now begins the job search for a professional pilot position, starting with the NGPA job fair. We’ll continue to follow her progress.

A little history: In May 2017, Nicki sought our advice about starting flying lessons and making a career change to become a professional pilot. We encouraged her to keep us informed about her progress, and Nicki did so by sending us over a dozen recordings documenting her journey getting a pilot’s license. We were happy to include those in our podcast episodes.

See:

• A Short History of the Swift
• Wikipedia: Globe GC-1 Swift
• 2026 NGPA Industry Expo, presented by United Airlines, February 5-6, 2026.
• FAPA.aero (Future & Active Pilots Alliance)

Aviation News

FAA’s Bedford Provides Glimpse into U.S. ATC’s Future

At the monthly Aero Club of Washington, D.C. luncheon, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford talked about the “brand new air traffic control system.” He described:

• “Greater precision about… flight trajectories… [while] navigating through the airspace.”
• Many fewer handoffs flying through the system.
• A cultural shift away from focusing on takeoff to when a pilot wants to land. 
• Changing the innovation cycle to be more like Apple or Tesla.

AOPA urges members to contact their representatives in Congress

AOPA issued a call to action asking its 300,000 members to contact their senators and representatives in Congress and urge them to cosponsor the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (PAPA). AOPA President Darren Pleasance said, “When the ADS-B mandate went into effect in 2020, the FAA said this important technology would only be used for safety and airspace efficiency. Instead, we’re now seeing it used in ways that discourage adoption…The misuse of ADS-B is a step backward for aviation safety and erodes trust in our aviation system.”

If passed, PAPA would prohibit the use of ADS-B data to assist in the collection of fees from pilots or aircraft owners and clarify that ADS-B data may only be used for its intended purposes of air traffic safety and efficiency.

PAPA was introduced in 2025 by Rep. Bob Onder (R-Mo.) as H.R.4146 and Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) as S.2175.

“We’re Too Close to the Debris”

On January 16, 2026, ATC instructed Caribbean flights to avoid the FAA’s debris zone after a SpaceX Starship rocket exploded. Dozens of planes made sharp turns to avoid the danger zone, which was closed for 86 minutes. ProPublica says this made “pilots and passengers unwitting participants in SpaceX’s test of the most powerful rocket ever built.”

Army Punches Its MV-75 Tiltrotor Program Into Overdrive

The Army wants to see the MV-25 testing this year and in service in 2027. Just twelve months ago, the Army targeted 2030. At the 2022 competition, service was expected in the mid-2030s.

The MV-75 is the designation given to the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tiltrotor. The design is based on the Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor and will replace many of the H-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The V-280 demonstrator has flown, but not the MV-75 configuration.

Qatari 747 to fly as Trump’s Air Force One this summer

In May 2025, the US government accepted the 747 jetliner donated by the Qatari government to serve as a new Air Force One. Modifications began in September. An Air Force spokesperson said in a statement that delivery of the aircraft is anticipated no later than summer 2026.

Calling it a “VC-25 bridge aircraft,” the Trump administration intends this plane to serve as an interim Air Force One while waiting for the two 747s currently being modified by Boeing. The Air Force is expecting the first Boeing-modified 747 to be handed over in “mid-2028,” a delay of roughly four years.

London’s Heathrow eases liquid and laptop rules after £1 billion security upgrade

The airport completed a £1bn CT scanner upgrade across all four Heathrow terminals. This allows passengers to carry liquid containers up to two liters, and the removal of laptops from bags is no longer required.

7 dead, 1 seriously injured in plane crash at airport in Bangor, Maine, FAA says

A Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 650 veered off the runway on takeoff and crashed at Bangor International Airport in Maine. There was snow at the time of the plane crash due to a large winter storm. See also: Private jet carrying 8 crashes at Maine airport, FAA says.

Hosts this Episode

Max Flight, our Main(e) Man Micah, Rob Mark, and Brian Coleman.