Ep192: Wings Of Change: The Transition From USAF Reaper To Cargo Pilot With Jonathan Songer

Play This Episode

0 Votes

Ever wondered what it s like to go from piloting Predator drones in the Air Force to flying cargo under the stars Jonathan Songer shares an epic journey of resilience high-stakes decisions and surprising lessons learned from life in the sky From unconventional career moves to his unique take on mentorship this conversation will change how you view the aviation world Tune in and get ready to see flying from a whole new perspective WHAT YOU LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE Strategies for navigating challenging work schedules as a pilot Life adjustments to make your dream of flying a reality Unique challenges of flying in non-radar airspace and the adrenaline rush of low-level cargo runs What it s like to fly just above the ground with complex maneuvers in tight airspaces How Jonathan transitioned from Air Force drones to a 737 cockpit RESOURCES LINKS MENTIONED The Citadel JetBlue OBAP Ace Academy Delta Professional SkyWest Airlines Envoy Air ABOUT JONATHAN SONGER Jonathan is a Boeing 737 First Officer with Kalitta Charters II a Part 121 Supplemental Airline Carrier With over 1 600 hours in crewed aircraft and 4 000 hours in remotely piloted aircraft Jonathan is an expert in flight safety aviation decision-making and crew resource management He previously served as a subject matter expert in unmanned systems and as the Senior Manager for Advanced Air Mobility with MassDOT Aeronautics and MassAutonomy Jonathan s experience in the defense industry includes working with medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aircraft as an instructor evaluator check airman and lead pilot He also served in the United States Air Force as an Air Mobility pilot on the KC-135 Stratotanker and as a Squadron Commander and Director of Operations for MQ-1 and MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft During his tenure in the USAF he was Chief of Unmanned Intelligence Systems at US Air Forces Central Command Jonathan holds an Airline Transport Pilot ATP Certificate and an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate He earned a B S in Physics from The Citadel and an M S in Military Operations from Air University CONNECT WITH JONATHAN LinkedIn Jonathan Songer CONNECT WITH US Are you ready to take your preparation to the next level Don t wait until it s too late Use the promo code R4P and save 10 on all our services Check us out at www spitfireelite com If you want to recommend someone to guest on the show email Nik at podcast spitfireelite com and if you need a professional pilot resume go to www spitfireelite com podcast for FREE templates SPONSOR Are you a pilot just coming out of the military and looking for the perfect second home for your family Look no further Reach out to Marty and his team by visiting www tridenthomeloans com to get the best VA loans available anywhere in the US If you re a professional pilot looking for a great financial planning partner for your retirement tax and investment go to www tpope ceterainvestors com contact or call 704-717-8900 x120 to schedule a consultation appointment with Timothy P Pope CFP Be ready for takeoff anytime with 3D-stretch stain-repellent and wrinkle-free aviation uniforms by Flight Uniforms Just go to www flightuniform com and type the code SPITFIREPOD20 to get a special 20 discount on your first order Click here to visit this podcast episode