Flying around the world, with Jack Long - Pilot's Discretion Podcast (ep. 103)

Jack Long’s urge to explore is stronger than most people: he has flown his Pilatus PC-12 around the world in both directions, over the north and south poles, and completed two dozen Atlantic crossings. But he insists he’s no daredevil, and in this episode he explains his detailed approach to pre-flight planning and his comprehensive standard operating procedures manual that keeps him safe. Jack is also passionate about conservation flying, and talks about a memorable flight when he transported gray wolves from Canada to Colorado. In the Ready to Copy segment, Jack shares the most unique airport he’s visited, his favorite survival gear, and how his business background helps him as a pilot. Links: - Jack’s flying blogs: https://wjlblogs.blogspot.com/2022/10/blogs-round-world-flight-2015-round.html - LightHawk: https://lighthawk.org/ - PilotWorkshops Mastery: https://pilotworkshop.com/products/vfr-mastery/ - New Air Facts podcast: https://airfactsjournal.com/podcast/ Quotes: - The risks involved: “People get the impression I’m some sort of daredevil pilot doing high-risk things… I don’t consider them any riskier than my normal domestic flying.” - Jack’s motivation: “I think all humans have an urge to explore. I think that’s just innate in human beings, and mine may be just a little bit stronger.” - How he plans his long flights: “I sort of take the maximum range of the PC-12 and pick airport pairs that fit the range of the aircraft.” - The goal of planning: “The idea is: if we’ve done our planning right and got the permits in line, once we launch it should be pretty easy.” - Remote locations: “Flying over Antarctica… that’s probably as close to going to the moon as I’ll ever get.” - Using SOPs: “The whole idea of these manuals is to minimize the number of judgment calls you have to make when you’re under pressure.” - Volunteering for LightHawk: “That overlay of conservation and aviation is just a perfect fit for me.” - Buying fuel in Antarctica: “If the plane would have run off of fine cabernet wine, it would have been cheaper than that fuel.” - What Jack has learned about himself: “I’m a very detail-oriented person, and I have to be careful not to get so far down in the weeds that I lose the big picture.” - The best part of the PC-12: “It really has an airline feel in the back.” - Why business and flying require a different mindset: “There are so many things about being an entrepreneur that can be very dangerous in an airplane.”