The Calm Cockpit Podcast

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 ride.

Together, we explore why check ride anxiety is so universal, why it seems to be increasing among today’s pilots, and how fear, self-doubt, and the pressure to perform can interfere with skills that have already been mastered. Chris dispels common myths about DPEs, explaining that the goal of a practical test is not perfection, but verifying that a pilot can operate safely and exercise sound judgment.

The conversation also dives into the psychology of "choking" under pressure and the importance of resiliency when things do not go exactly as planned. You’ll learn why a brief pause can restore clear thinking, how the nervous system affects performance in the cockpit, and why many pilots discover their best flying only after the fear of failure has passed.

Finally, we share practical tools to help regulate stress before and during a check ride, including breathing techniques, grounding exercises, effective preparation strategies, and the value of guided relaxation. Whether you are preparing for your first practical test or simply want to perform more confidently under pressure, this episode offers reassuring perspectives and actionable skills to help your true abilities shine through.

 

 

Links:

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant--in the blink of an eye--that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work--in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others?

 

Crosscheck Mental Performance Training with Tammy Barlette: Elevate your flying, master your mind.

 

Guided Relaxation and Mental Reset Meditations: found on the Bonus Page of the Calm Cockpit Podcast

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.org/), and Dr. Beth Wagner who created special content just for our show.

We recently set up a spot directly on our webpage to highlight these special episodes (https://calmcockpit.com/bonus-episodes), though they of course can be found on any of the podcast feeds you normally find episodes.

Dr. Beth Wagner of the YouTube channel Movement and Function just created a video on her channel specifically to highlight vestibular and posture exercises just for pilots in reference to her episode on our show last year found here (https://calmcockpit.podbean.com/e/beth-wagner/).

We encourage you to watch her special video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTB-4gHwB5o), give the exercises a try, and make sure to like and follow her page! We appreciate her for supporting our show and you are listeners!

Season 2 Episode 11

 

In this episode we explore the phenomenon known as “the yips” — the sudden breakdown of a deeply mastered skill under pressure. Whether it shows up in the cockpit, on a stage, on the golf course, the yips are not simply a matter of nerves or lack of talent. We unpack how anxiety, perfectionism, and over-control can interfere with procedural memory, causing the thinking brain to disrupt movements and decisions that normally happen automatically. The conversation examines why this struggle disproportionately affects experienced performers and how fear of repeating a mistake can spiral into a self-reinforcing cycle of tension, hyper-focus, and diminished performance.

Drawing from examples in aviation, professional sports, and music, this episode looks at practical strategies for recovery and resilience. We discuss the role of breath regulation, nutrition, muscle relaxation, meditation, and attentional control in restoring flow and reducing conscious interference.

 

Most importantly, we examine the mindset shifts that help high performers break free from identity-based thinking — replacing “I failed” with “I am learning.” Calm is not the absence of anxiety; it is the ability to function skillfully in the presence of it

 

Stuff mentioned on this episode:

The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance

 

A Soprano on Her Head: Right-Side-Up Reflections on Life and Other Performances  

 

Crosscheck Mental Performance Training with Tammy Barlette: Elevate your flying, master your mind.

Season 2: Bonus Episode

Monday Briefing 8 

 

In this Monday Briefing, you’ll learn how your breath can become one of the most effective tools for improving focus, reducing stress, and staying calm under pressure in the cockpit. You’ll discover why slowing the breath can help regulate the nervous system, reduce tunnel vision, and improve decision making during high-stress moments. The episode also explores the connection between breathing patterns, anxiety, and mental clarity; including why breath work can feel difficult for some people at first.

 

Whether you’re a seasoned aviator or a student pilot, this briefing offers practical insight into using the breath to support better performance and greater calm.

 

Links:

Bonus Episode: Exhale Your Stress Breathing Exercise

In this special bonus episode, we’re joined by Sarah Gilbert, a Licensed Yoga for All Abilities Practitioner. Sarah guides us through a gentle, accessible breathing practice designed to sharpen focus, reduce stress, and ease anxiety.

This simple yet powerful tool is most effective when practiced daily. Be sure to find a quiet, safe space before you begin—this practice is not intended for use while driving or operating heavy machinery.

Take a few moments to settle in, and enjoy this calming reset.

Season 2 Episode 10

In this episode we sit down with Nate Ehlers of Backseat Pilot to explore how flight instruction is evolving for the next generation of aviators. 

From his own in-flight emergency that sparked the idea for Backseat Pilot, Nate shares how the company grew from cockpit reference tools into a full-scale resource for CFI candidates. We discuss why so many aspiring instructors waste valuable time reinventing lesson plans, and how structured systems can help candidates focus on what really matters; learning to teach, communicate, and lead from the right seat.

We also dive into the future of aviation education, including how AI can be used to sharpen oral exam prep, improve teaching delivery, and create realistic mock check ride scenarios without replacing human instructors. Nate explains the balance every instructor must learn between allowing mistakes and maintaining the “safety bubble,” plus what students should look for when choosing a flight school or instructor. 

If you’re pursuing your CFI, mentoring students, or simply curious where aviation training is headed, this conversation offers a smart look at the resources and mindset that supports aviation educators to achieve the highest standards with maximum efficiency. 

 

Link and Discount Code:
Nate is giving listeners a super-generous 20% off all products from The Backseat Pilot! 

Find everything you need to help support your CFI checkrides and to teach future students: from CFI lesson plans, annotated Airmen Certification Standards, reference cards, CFI prep courses, this is the real deal. Nate provides CFI training that gets you ready for the real world with three ways to support you through your training, from ongoing community practice, to small group focused prep, to one-on-one coaching. No matter where you are in your CFI journey, there's a spot for you at Backseat Pilot. 

 

https://thebackseatpilot.com/

20% discount code: CalmCockpit