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The Calm Cockpit Podcast

The Calm Cockpit Podcast

calmcockpit 57 Episodes Aug 19, 2026

Join John Niehaus, a professional pilot and flight instructor, and Gita Brown, a yoga educator and student pilot, as they explore stress reduction, well-being, and high-performance mental training techniques for aviators. They discuss how these tools can enhance flying skills, flight training, proficiency, and aviation safety, aiming to create a mindset of excellence.

Episodes

Rethinking Flight Training: Barter, Build, Fly with DeRonte Craig
Rethinking Flight Training: Barter, Build, Fly with DeRonte Craig Aug 19, 2026 3402 Season 2 Episode 17     What happens when a student pilot stops accepting “that’s just the way it is” and starts looking for better solutions? In this episode, you’ll learn how entrepreneur and private pilot DeRonte Craig used his marketing expertise to creatively overcome the financial barriers of flight training, earning his private pilot certificate in just three months. He shares why flying 5–
Monday Briefing: Three Books to Read This Summer
Monday Briefing: Three Books to Read This Summer Aug 10, 2026 1389 Season 2 Bonus Episode Monday Briefing 14 In this Monday Briefing, you’ll discover three books that offer practical insights into managing self-interference, handling pressure and resistance, sharpening attention, and staying present in the cockpit. The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey Learn how to get out of your own way and reduce the mental interference that can undermine performance
Superior Judgement: Risk Management with Mike Jesch
Superior Judgement: Risk Management with Mike Jesch Aug 5, 2026 4270 Season 2 Episode 16   Learn how professional pilots manage risk before it becomes a problem. In this episode, you'll discover practical Threat and Error Management (TEM) strategies that can improve your decision-making, reduce workload, and strengthen your safety margins. You'll learn how to identify and trap threats before they escalate, create effective personal minimums, use mental rehearsal to
Monday Brief: The Speed That Keeps You Safe with Brian Schiff
Monday Brief: The Speed That Keeps You Safe with Brian Schiff Jul 27, 2026 873 Season 2 Bonus Episode Monday Briefing 13   In this week's Monday Brief, discover one of the most memorable lessons ever shared on The Calm Cockpit Podcast: there are only two speeds in aviation—slow and screw up. This deceptively simple philosophy challenges the instinct to rush and demonstrates why deliberate, methodical action leads to greater safety, fewer errors, and often no loss of time at
Beat the Heat: Your Summer Flying Survival Guide
Beat the Heat: Your Summer Flying Survival Guide Jul 22, 2026 2769 Season 2 Episode 15   Summer flying brings unique challenges that go far beyond comfort. In this episode, we explore how heat and dehydration can quietly erode pilot performance, slow reaction time, impair memory, reduc situational awareness, and increase fatigue. Small aircraft cockpits can become significantly hotter than the outside air, placing additional stress on the body and triggering a ph
A Supplemental Life: 5 Pilot Recommended Supplements for Mental and Physical Performance
A Supplemental Life: 5 Pilot Recommended Supplements for Mental and Physical Performance Jul 13, 2026 942 Season 2 Bonus Episode Monday Briefing 12 This briefing focuses on daily supplements and digital tools designed to enhance a pilot's mental clarity, physical recovery, and stress management. We all want to study, test, fly, and exercise better, but in today's world we are inundated with influencers telling us this special substance is going to solve all our problems.  Here are some Calm Cockpit su
Grief Doesn't Stay on the Ground: A Conversation with Nikki Smith
Grief Doesn't Stay on the Ground: A Conversation with Nikki Smith Jul 8, 2026 4438 Season 2 Episode 14   Grief is an inevitable part of life, but in aviation, it often remains unspoken. Whether it's the sudden loss of a colleague or the death of a loved one, grief can affect focus, decision-making, performance, and well-being in profound ways. In this episode, you'll learn how grief impacts the brain, why healthy compartmentalization is different from emotional suppression, and
Three Must-Have Apps for Every Pilot
Three Must-Have Apps for Every Pilot Jun 29, 2026 926 Season 2 Bonus Episode Monday Briefing 11   Your flight bag is full of tools to help you fly safely—but what about the tools that help take care of the pilot? In this Monday Briefing, we share three simple apps we think every pilot should have: Water Llama for staying hydrated, MyFitnessPal for understanding how you're fueling your body and brain, and Insight Timer for managing stress and training
The Pilot’s Reset Button: Breathing Techniques Every Pilot Should Know
The Pilot’s Reset Button: Breathing Techniques Every Pilot Should Know Jun 24, 2026 4039 Season 2 Episode 13   Breathing is one of the few systems in the body that operates automatically while also remaining under conscious control, making it a powerful tool for pilot performance and resilience. This episode explores how breathing influences stress, focus, alertness, recovery, and sleep, and why it serves as a bridge between the demands of the external environment and a pilot’s intern
Monday Briefing: The Good News--No One is Coming to Save You
Monday Briefing: The Good News--No One is Coming to Save You Jun 15, 2026 1072 Season 2: Bonus Episode Monday Briefing 10   In this Monday Briefing, you'll discover why self-care is not a luxury or a reward for surviving a stressful week, but the foundation of a healthy, resilient, and meaningful life. You'll learn a practical definition of self-care that goes beyond the stereotypes of the wellness industry and focuses instead on the daily routines that provide maintenance o
The Checkride Mindset with Designated Pilot Examiner Chris Anderson
The Checkride Mindset with Designated Pilot Examiner Chris Anderson Jun 10, 2026 4951 Season 2 Episode 12   In this episode we sit down with Chris Anderson, a Designated Pilot Examiner, corporate pilot, and 12-time NAFI Master CFI with more than 23,000 flight hours and over 3,500 practical tests to his credit. Drawing on decades of experience from the examiner’s seat, Chris offers an inside look at one of aviation’s greatest challenges: managing the stress and pressure of the check
Monday Briefing: All About the Bonus
Monday Briefing: All About the Bonus Jun 1, 2026 566 Season 2: Bonus Episode Monday Briefing 9  In this Monday Briefing, we highlight all of the bonus episodes we have compiled for you over the last year and a half of the Calm Cockpit. These episodes are exercises and deeper dives added to our normal show, so that you can use and find them by themselves. We also highlight the efforts of our guests like Sarah Gilbert, Lisa Danahy (https://createcalm.

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