Make the Donuts

Hollywood's legendary helicopter pilot Fred North joins Eric Savage to share the incredible stories behind his career in aviation and filmmaking. From landing on a moving train in Extraction 2 to narrowly escaping an explosion on Unstoppable, Fred reveals what it takes to pull off some of Hollywood's most ambitious aerial stunts.Fred also discusses working on Star Wars, collaborating with directors like Michael Bay and Tony Scott, and his journey to breaking the world helicopter altitude record.In this episode:Behind Hollywood's Biggest Stunts: How Fred prepares for complex helicopter sequences, coordinates with stunt teams, and executes precision flying.Life as a Film Pilot: His journey from discovering helicopters as a child in Senegal to working on blockbuster productions around the world.Pushing the Limits of Aviation: The preparation, challenges, and determination behind his world-record helicopter altitude flight.Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makethedonutz/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makethedonutzCheck out our website: https://makethedonuts.com/For one-on-one career help and/or business inquiries: www.sabistonconsulting.comSPONSOR: https://phantomlights.com/

From surviving an ambush in Iraq to flying Black Hawk helicopters for the U.S. Army.Valdeta Mehanja joins Make the Donuts to share her extraordinary journey from growing up as a refugee of the Kosovo War to becoming a U.S. Army captain and commercial airline pilot. She recounts the Apache helicopter rescue that changed her life, the sacrifices behind her aviation career, and what it means to serve the country that gave her a second chance.What to expect:🚁 How surviving an ambush in Iraq inspired her to become a pilot.🇺🇸 Her journey from refugee camps to becoming a U.S. Army Black Hawk pilot.✈️ The perseverance and opportunities that helped her build two aviation careers.Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makethedonutz/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makethedonutzCheck out our website: https://makethedonuts.com/For one-on-one career help and/or business inquiries: www.sabistonconsulting.comSPONSOR: https://phantomlights.com/

Is the pilot shortage over, are regional pilots going to be stuck for years, and is becoming an airline pilot still worth the investment?PJ Edmonds joins Erik to separate reality from the rumors pilots are hearing online. They discuss airline hiring, age 67, regional career timelines, college degrees, the 1,500-hour rule, flight school debt, CFI time building, AI in aviation, and what pilots can do to actually stand out when applying to the airlines.✈️ Why the “pilot shortage is over” narrative doesn’t tell the whole story🧑‍✈️ Why captain time, networking, and hiring events matter more in a competitive market💰 How to think about flight school debt, career investment, and whether becoming a pilot is still worth it🤖 Why AI may change aviation without replacing airline pilots anytime soon🤝 How preparation, relationships, and simply asking for help can accelerate your airline careerFollow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makethedonutz/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makethedonutzCheck out our website: https://makethedonuts.com/For one-on-one career help and/or business inquiries: www.sabistonconsulting.comSPONSOR: https://phantomlights.com/

Don Reid joins Make the Donuts to tell the story of The Statler Brothers, Johnny Cash, songwriting, faith, and a career that became part of country music history.Don looks back on starting the Statlers as a teenager, spending nearly nine years on the road with Johnny Cash, writing more than 250 recorded songs, and building a 40-year career alongside his brother Harold and the rest of the group. He also shares the songwriting advice Cash gave him as a young man, the stories behind his creative process, and why retirement ultimately opened the door to another lifelong ambition: becoming an author.🎵 The story behind The Statler Brothers and their four decades in music 🖤 Life on the road with Johnny Cash and the advice Don never forgot ✍️ Writing 250+ songs, books, and stories across a lifetime of creatingFollow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makethedonutz/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makethedonutzCheck out our website: https://makethedonuts.com/For one-on-one career help and/or business inquiries: www.sabistonconsulting.comSPONSOR: https://phantomlights.com/

Navigating the turbulence of pilot hiring, mastering the A350, and 53 years of aviation wisdom with Captain TJ McManamy.✈️ The Realities of Pilot Hiring: It is a waste of mental energy to compare your career progression to those hired during different cycles. The best time to get hired is the day you get hired.🧠 Acing Part 121 Training: Success in initial airline training comes down to precise standardization and mastering your expanded procedures. Knowing your standard callouts cold prevents momentary distractions on the flight deck and ensures you never have to cram for a checkride.🚨 Cockpit Emergencies & CRM: Learn why a good First Officer must speak up if the Captain is wrong, and hear the harrowing story of an A330 no-flap landing in Madrid that required a 10,500-foot landing roll.Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makethedonutz/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@makethedonutzCheck out our website: https://makethedonuts.com/For one-on-one career help and/or business inquiries: www.sabistonconsulting.comSPONSOR: https://phantomlights.com/