Hosted by Mike Busch, Aviation Masters features in-depth conversations with the innovators, engineers, mechanics, and visionaries shaping the future of general aviation.Each episode dives into how these leaders got their start, what drives their work, and the breakthroughs transforming how we fly, maintain, and think about airplanes.Tune in for:✈️ Expert insights from aviation pioneers and industry leaders✈️ Deep dives into aircraft technology, maintenance, and engineering✈️ Candid conversations about leadership, innovation, and problem-solving in aviation✈️ Forward-looking discussions about where general aviation is headedSubscribe so you never miss a conversation.
Inside the Race to 100 Octane Unleaded AvGas : Chris D'Acosta of Swift Fuels:
Swift Fuels CEO Chris D'Acosta discusses the complex journey and current status of achieving 100-octane unleaded avgas for general aviation.
7 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT
From the Constellation to the U-2: TWA Legend Barry Schiff Tells All
Host Mike Voltaggio interviews aviation legend Barry Schiff about his extensive career, aircraft maintenance, and the future of general aviation.
6 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
Dynon Founder John Torode on Cheap Avionics, AI & the Engine Problem
Host Mike Bush interviews physicist and Dynon founder John Torode about making aviation affordable through innovative avionics and tackling the industry's engine challenges.
5 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
Airworthiness Directives, Designees & the PMA Crisis: A Candid Look at GA Regulation with Jimmy Tubbs
Host Mike Busch interviews legendary aeronautical engineer Jimmy Tubbs about the critical flaws in general aviation regulation, offering insights into improving the system for aircraft owners.
1 May 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Future of Flight Safety: Automation, Training & Hard-Won Lessons with Bruce Landsberg
Host Mike Busch interviews Bruce Landsberg, former NTSB Vice Chairman, about nearly 50 years of aviation safety lessons, automation, and future flight.
3 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT
How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Aviation with John Sipple
In this episode of Aviation Masters, Mike Busch sits down with Dr. John Sipple — machine learning professor at George Washington University, former Boeing Phantom Works engineer, Google AI veteran, and Diamond DA40 owner — for one of the most forward-looking conversations in the show's history.From tracking ballistic missiles with Kalman filters to training neural networks at Google to building AI-powered diagnostics for GA aircraft, John brings a uniquely deep and practical perspective on where artificial intelligence is headed in aviation. The conversation covers everything from how to certify ML models with the FAA, to why technicians struggle with troubleshooting, to the Diamond DA40 oil pressure failures that inspired John to found Vyzerion AI.If you own, maintain, or fly a piston aircraft, and especially if you've ever wondered what AI can actually do for GA safety, this episode is essential listening.⏱ Chapters00:49 – Introducing Dr. John Sipple05:30 – Boeing Phantom Works: Missile Tracking & Kalman Filters09:30 – From Big Data to Machine Learning: The Career Pivot11:45 – AI vs. Machine Learning vs. Deep Learning: Defining the Terms14:00 – How Neural Networks Work & Why 2012 Was a Turning Point18:00 – Applying ML to Telemetry: From Missiles to Aircraft Engines26:00 – What Is Explainable AI (XAI) and Why It Matters in Aviation36:00 – Anomaly Detection in Piston Engines: How It Works47:00 – Project Spark: Savvy Aviation's AI Diagnostics Initiative53:00 – Training vs. Inference: Why the FAA Draws a Hard Line55:00 – How You Certify an ML Model for Aircraft Use59:00 – Why Tesla FSD Couldn't Happen in Certificated Aviation1:00:00 – Experimental Aircraft as the Path to AI in the Cockpit1:05:00 – Three Lines of Defense for AI in Mission-Critical Systems1:09:00 – The Vision for Self-Diagnosing Airplanes1:13:00 – Why Mechanics Struggle with Troubleshooting (And How AI Fixes It)1:18:00 – Project Squawk: Training an LLM on Aviation Maintenance Data1:19:00 – The Data Funnel: Small Models → Explainability → LLM Reasoning1:24:00 – The Cadillac Index & Why GA Affordability Is Getting Worse1:25:00 – Autonomous Aircraft vs. Autonomous Cars: Why Is GA So Far Behind?1:27:00 – Vyzerion AI: Smarter Diagnostics, Healthier Aircraft, Safer Flying1:28:00 – The Diamond DA40 Service Bulletin & In-Flight Oil Pressure Failures1:35:00 – Broader AI Fears, Regulation & the Elevator Analogy1:48:00 – Multimodal AI & the Future of Richer Diagnostics1:49:00 – Using LLMs to Query the NTSB Accident Database1:51:00 – Annual Inspections: Are They Helping or Hurting Safety?📍 Subscribe to Aviation Masters for more long-form conversations with the people shaping the future of GA.🔗 Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeVyzerion AI —https://vyzerionai.com/ (https://vyzerionai.com/)Savvy Aviation — (https://savvyaviation.com)savvyaviation.com (http://savvyaviation.com)NTSB Aviation Accident Database - https://carol.ntsb.gov/ (https://carol.ntsb.gov/)
6 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Future of General Aviation with George Braly
In this in-depth episode of Aviation Masters, Mike Busch sits down again with George Braly to tackle some of the most urgent issues facing general aviation today.From aging aircraft fuel system failures to the FAA’s draft unleaded fuel transition plan, and from certification gridlock to PMA delays, this episode dives deep into what aircraft owners, mechanics, and industry leaders need to understand right now.If you own, maintain, or operate piston aircraft — this conversation affects you.⏱ Chapters03:00 – Elastomers, O-Rings & Why Old Seals Are Causing Fires07:00 – Upgrading to Modern FKM (Fluorosilicone) O-Rings11:30 – Why Fuel Leaks Don’t Always Show Up During Inspections18:00 – FAA Draft Plan to Transition to Unleaded Avgas21:00 – The Risks of Modifying Engines for Lower-Octane Fuel26:00 – How Retarded Timing Impacts Horsepower & Twin Safety33:00 – Is There Already a True Drop-In Replacement for 100LL?41:00 – FAA Reorganization: Why Certification Is Slower Than Ever48:00 – DERs, ODAs & Why Delegation Keeps Aviation Alive57:00 – PMA Parts, OEM Shutdowns & The Parts Supply Crisis1:04:00 – Is Certification Still Worth the Cost?1:08:00 – What Aircraft Owners Should Do Now📍 Subscribe to Aviation Masters for more long-form conversations with the people shaping the future of GA.
6 Feb 2026
Six Decades of Aviation Engineering with Jimmy Tubbs
In this episode of Aviation Masters, Mike Busch sits down with legendary aeronautical engineer Jimmy Tubbs for a deep, wide-ranging conversation that spans more than six decades of aviation experience.From military engineering and piston engine innovation to PMA certification battles and the future of autonomous flight, this episode is a masterclass in how general aviation has evolved and where it may be headed next.Jimmy shares the untold engineering stories behind cylinder design, chrome vs. nickel processes, engine certification challenges, and the hard lessons learned while building some of the most influential piston engine components in modern aviation.This is a candid, technical, and deeply human conversation with one of the quiet architects of how we fly today.⏱ Chapters 03:00 – From Small-Town Texas to Aeronautical Engineering07:00 – Military Aviation, Engineering Labs & Learning to Fly12:00 – Inside ECI: Cylinder Reconditioning & Early PMA Work17:00 – Channel Chrome vs. Nickel Cylinders: What Really Matters27:00 – Building New Cylinders & The Birth of Titan Engines36:00 – TBO, On-Condition Maintenance & FAA Certification Reality42:00 – The Titan Cylinder AD: What Actually Happened53:00 – Engine Monitoring, CHT Management & Pilot Responsibility01:05:00 – Life After ECI: PMA Consulting & Supply Chain Challenges01:19:00 – Diesel Engines, Automation & The Future of General Aviation01:30:00 – Final Reflections on Innovation, Aging Aircraft & Passion for Aviation📍 Subscribe to Aviation Masters for more long-form conversations with the people shaping the future of GA.
9 Jan 2026
George Braly on Lean-of-Peak, G100UL, Certification Battles, and Why Aviation Myths Die Hard
If you have ever been told, “That’s just how piston engines work,” this episode of Aviation Masters might make you raise an eyebrow and then start asking more questions.In this episode, host Mike Busch sits down with George Braly, one of the most influential (and unapologetically analytical) minds in modern general aviation. Braly is an inventor, trial lawyer, entrepreneur, and the co-founder and chief engineer of General Aviation Modifications, Inc. (GAMI)—the company behind GAMjectors, Tornado Alley Turbo systems, and the FAA-approved high-octane unleaded avgas G100UL.This is not a surface-level conversation. It is a deep, technical, and refreshingly honest look at how innovation actually happens in aviation and why it is often resisted at every step of the way.⏱️ Chapters01:17 — Meet George Braly02:53 — Early Aviation Roots in Oklahoma04:51 — Learning IFR the Hard Way07:09 — From Aerospace Engineering to Law School08:59 — Buying a Bonanza and Returning to Engineering10:43 — Founding GAMI and Balanced Fuel Injectors12:29 — Calling the FAA Certification Bluff15:24 — Lean-of-Peak: Where Angels Fear to Tread17:10 — Fuel/Air Balance and Engine Monitor Insights19:01 — Validation from a Continental Engineering Legend22:05 — Building the Aircraft Engine Test Cell25:04 — Teaching Thousands of Pilots How Engines Work28:47 — Manufacturer Pushback on Lean Operations30:23 — Airline History Confirms Lean Mixture Operations35:11 — Tornado Alley Turbo and System Improvements38:08 — Flying a Turbo Cirrus SR22 at Altitude42:57 — Cirrus Adopts the Tornado Alley System46:02 — FAA Rule Changes and Engineering Workarounds49:19 — The Long Fight for Unleaded Avgas (G100UL)53:16 — Political Resistance Inside Certification58:15 — Restarting the Fuel Certification Effort01:02:31 — Detonation Testing at the Edge of Failure📍 Subscribe to Aviation Masters for more long-form conversations with the people shaping the future of GA.
3 Dec 2025
About Aviation Masters
Meet Mike Busch & Aviation Masters.Tune in for: ✈️ Expert insights from aviation pioneers and industry leaders ✈️ Deep dives into aircraft technology, maintenance, and engineering ✈️ Candid conversations about leadership, innovation, and problem-solving in aviation ✈️ Forward-looking discussions about where general aviation is headedSubscribe today & never miss an episode!
Inside a recent episode
Inside the Race to 100 Octane Unleaded AvGas : Chris D'Acosta of Swift Fuels:
Published 4 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And I remember, you know, it started as a project at the FAA Tech Center. And there were these candidate fuels from the people you kind of expect to Shell and Chevron and stuff. And somehow or other, over time, and there's all kinds of testing that was going on there, the major oil companies sort of dropped out and decided that they didn't want to play in this game. And so what was left were a bunch of small companies that nobody ever heard of before. including Swift and Gabby, and then the newest one is Lyondale. And it just, it seems like a very unusual situation to me that you kind of would have expected that one of the major oil companies would be the major contender here, and instead that just didn't happen. […]
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
