Bryan Air

🎙️ EPISODE SNAPSHOT
Welcome to The Bryan Air Podcast. Boardroom decisions land on your flight deck — we translate them first.
This is The Bryan Air Debrief, where we break down airline strategy, economic forces, and the business moves shaping your career. No corporate spin. Just the intelligence pilots actually need.
A colleague sat across from Bryan in a sim briefing and told him the truth: he'd been stuck on an overseas contract he couldn't afford to leave, and it cost him his marriage. That conversation sparked this episode. We've mapped the 2026 first officer hiring landscape — Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Riyadh Air, Flydubai, Cathay, EVA Air, and more — breaking down entry requirements, salary packages, type-rating pathways, training bonds, and the lifestyle trade-offs nobody puts in the recruitment brochure. There's a downloadable research sheet in the show notes with direct links to every airline's career portal. Before you chase the money or follow your mates, make sure the move fits the life you're actually trying to build.
In this episode of The Bryan Air Podcast, Bryan Roseveare and Ryan Parrock break down 2026 first officer hiring requirements, salaries, and lifestyle trade-offs at Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Riyadh Air, Flydubai, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Air Hong Kong, and other Gulf and Asia-Pacific airlines.
📋 EPISODE RESOURCES
📊 2026 FO Opportunities Research Sheet (Requirements, Salaries & Direct Career Portal Links) → https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14FHXZz_RLo6TH2aCYP1b3sjnnZDxTkW0/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=106581127461569103524&rtpof=true&sd=true
 
☕ Pilots Fuel (South African pilot-founded pour-over coffee for the flight deck) → https://www.instagram.com/pilots_fuel/
 
⏱️ TIME-STAMPED FLIGHT PLAN
00:00 Podcast Intro
00:26 The 2026 Pilot Market: The Most Dynamic in a Decade
01:09 Research Sheet Disclaimer — Download the Excel in the Show Notes
02:42 The Story That Sparked This Episode: A Contract That Cost a Marriage
05:07 Career Strategy: Why Your Next Move Defines Your Next Decade
06:12 Gulf Hiring Hotspots — Where South African Pilots Are Looking First
06:37 Emirates B777 & A380/A350 FO Requirements: The Currency Trap
10:14 Etihad A321 & Widebody Options: Frozen ATPL Accepted
12:44 Qatar Airways: 3,500-Hour Minimum and Why Recency Is Everything
14:27 Riyadh Air: The New Kid on the Block and Why Early Movers Win
16:46 Flydubai Pathways: Training Bonds, Salary Ranges & the Emirates Flow-Up
19:27 Asia-Pacific Shift: Post-COVID Rebuilding and Expat Opportunities
19:44 Cathay Pacific Reality: Still Viable, But Not What It Used to Be
22:08 Air Hong Kong A330 Freighter: The Cargo Lifestyle at USD 140k
23:59 EVA Air Taiwan: The Stepping Stone to Heavy Metal
26:10 Air Macau & Stepping Stone Strategy: Building Hours for the Big Move
27:54 China Southern Reality Check: Captains Only, No FO Progression
29:13 Singapore Airlines: Low Entry Hours But Applications Currently Closed
30:33 Local Options: SA Airline Salary Jumps, Lift Global & SAA Lifestyle
34:00 Pilots Fuel: South African Pilot-Founded Pour-Over Coffee for the Flight Deck
38:54 SA Express Final Chapter: Liquidation, Unpaid Debts & Don't Let the State Take Your Money
41:37 News Roundup: LATAM Rejected Takeoff at 174 Knots, Myanmar Drone Strike, Munich Overnight Chaos
46:51 FAA Merit-Based Hiring Rule: Experience and Skill Over Everything
49:12 SuperBru Launch, Predictions & Prizes
💼 FEATURED DIGITAL PRODUCTS
✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command & The Kaizen Command AI Mentor
Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution. A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence. The full product suite includes the *Kaizen and the Art of Command* course, micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.
👉 Get All Products Here (Course, AI Mentor, and more) → https://stan.store/bryanair
 ❤️ A NOTE TO OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne. Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community. Thank you — we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.
👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair
🎧 LINKS
🌐 Bryan's Website → https://www.bryanroseveare.com/
⭐ All Digital Products (Courses & AI Mentor) → https://stan.store/bryanair
✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast
❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🎙️ EPISODE SNAPSHOT
Welcome to The Bryan Air Podcast. Boardroom decisions land on your flight deck — we translate them first.
This is The Bryan Air Debrief, where we break down airline strategy, economic forces, and the business moves shaping your career. No corporate spin. Just the intelligence pilots actually need.
We let the FlySafair–Harith deal simmer over the weekend — and our take has shifted. Strip away the emotion, the Springbok flyovers, and the scars from state-owned failures, and what you're left with is a business deal that could unlock serious upside for both sides. Harith picks up one of the most remarkable airline growth stories on the continent, and FlySafair resolves its foreign ownership headache while potentially gaining a capital partner ready to invest. A standout viewer comment breaks down why the PIC isn't the government — and why this deal deserves to be judged on its own merits, not on the baggage of Mango or SA Express. So is FlySafair about to become SAA 3.0? We don't think so — and here's why.
In this midweek episode of The Bryan Air Podcast, Bryan Roseveare and Ryan Parrock revisit the FlySafair–Harith acquisition, discuss the difference between state-linked and state-owned entities, and explain why the deal could be a win-win for South African aviation.
⏱️ TIME-STAMPED FLIGHT PLAN
00:00 Welcome to the Bryan Air Podcast (Midweek Check-In)
00:25 500 New Subscribers in Days — Thank You & Why It Matters for a Niche Channel
01:41 Revisiting the FlySafair–Harith Deal: What Changed After Letting It Simmer
02:31 Business vs Emotion: Why South Africans Take This Deal Personally
02:59 The Win-Win Breakdown: What Harith Gets & What FlySafair Gains
06:50 Brand Pride, Springbok Flyovers & Why State-Linked Skepticism Runs Deep
09:04 The Comment That Reframed Everything: PIC Independence & Judging the Deal on Merit
10:13 Is FlySafair Becoming SAA 3.0? Why That Comparison Doesn't Hold Up
13:02 Superbru F1 League Update: Nearly 20 Members & Why F1 Fits an Aviation Pod
15:45 Wrap-Up: Share Your Take — Even If You Think We're Wrong
💼 FEATURED DIGITAL PRODUCTS
✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command & The Kaizen Command AI Mentor Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution. A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence. The full product suite includes the Kaizen and the Art of Command course, micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.
👉 Get All Products Here (Course, AI Mentor, and more) → https://stan.store/bryanair
❤️ A NOTE TO OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne. Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community. Thank you — we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.
👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair
🎧 LINKS
🌐 Bryan's Website → https://www.bryanroseveare.com/ ⭐ All Digital Products (Courses & AI Mentor) → https://stan.store/bryanair ✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast ❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair
#AviationPodcast #BryanAir #FlySafair #AirlineStrategy #PilotLife

🎙️ EPISODE SNAPSHOT
Welcome to The Bryan Air Podcast. Boardroom decisions land on your flight deck — we translate them first.
This is The Bryan Air Debrief, where we break down airline strategy, economic forces, and the business moves shaping your career. No corporate spin. Just the intelligence pilots actually need.
Harith Partners just signed a full acquisition of FlySafair. We break down what it means for market dominance, the air service licensing question everyone's asking, and whether "business as usual" can survive a shift this big. Plus — American pilots are revolting against management, the EU got caught in a Qatar Airways bribery scandal, and Bryan's heading to Singapore to speak at the IATA World Data Symposium.
In this episode of The Bryan Air Podcast, Bryan Roseveare and Ryan Parrock analyse the Harith Partners acquisition of FlySafair, state ownership implications for South African aviation, American Airlines pilot unrest, the EU-Qatar Airways open skies scandal, Saudi Arabia's 150-aircraft order, Air Asia's A321XLR long-haul plans, and the launch of The Training Standard podcast.
⏱️ TIME-STAMPED FLIGHT PLAN
00:00 Introduction: South Africa's Private Airline Shakeup, Pilot Revolts, and EU Bribery
00:16 FlySafair Acquired: The Deal That Rocked South African Aviation
00:58 Quick Favour: Subscribe to Keep This Show Airborne
01:46 Inside the Harith Partners Deal: Who's Buying and Why It Matters
02:55 The PIC Angle: Does This Make FlySafair a State-Owned Airline?
05:05 Crew Concerns: "I've Seen This Movie Before"
13:20 Market Dominance: 60%+ of Domestic Seats and Now State-Backed
18:13 American Airlines Pilots Lose Faith in Management
19:49 EU-Qatar Airways Open Skies Scandal: Free Business Class Flights and an Anti-Fraud Investigation
20:50 Saudi Arabia Eyes 150+ Boeing and Airbus Jets
21:40 Singapore Air Show Closes with 125,000 Attendees and Record Deals
22:19 Announcement: Bryan Speaking at the IATA World Data Symposium in Singapore
24:09 Live Show from Singapore: How to Join Us
26:33 Air Asia's A321XLR Long-Haul Gamble — and the Toilet Problem
28:02 British Airways' New Electronic Meal Ordering App
29:17 Elon Musk Pivots from Mars to a Moon City in Under 10 Years
31:15 Announcement: The Training Standard — A New Podcast on CBTA and EBT
37:03 Captain's Announcement: The Bryan Air F1 Super Brew Prediction Group
39:34 Final Thoughts: Share This with Your Crew
📢 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
🌍 IATA World Data Symposium (Singapore, April 2025) → https://bit.ly/3ZBjwqO
🎙️ The Training Standard Podcast (CBTA & EBT with Bryan & Cedric) → https://open.spotify.com/show/6EQjTi2ZJYf4KkKhFrIIaM?si=8664d03e47084d89
🏎️ Join the Bryan Air F1 Superbru Competition → https://www.superbru.com/f1/pool.php?p=13157379
💼 FEATURED DIGITAL PRODUCTS
✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command & The Kaizen Command AI Mentor Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution. A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence. The full product suite includes the Kaizen and the Art of Command course, micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.
👉 Get All Products Here (Course, AI Mentor, and more) → https://stan.store/bryanair
❤️ A NOTE TO OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne. Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community. Thank you — we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.
👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair
🎧 LINKS
🌐 Bryan's Website → https://www.bryanroseveare.com/ ⭐ All Digital Products (Courses & AI Mentor) → https://stan.store/bryanair ✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast ❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair
#AviationPodcast #BryanAir #FlySafair #SouthAfricanAviation #AirlineStrategy

🎙️ EPISODE SNAPSHOT
 
Welcome to The Bryan Air Podcast. Boardroom decisions land on your flight deck—we translate them first.
This is The Bryan Air Debrief, where we break down airline strategy, economic forces, and the business moves shaping your career. No corporate spin. Just the intelligence pilots actually need.
We asked our listeners a simple question: if you could go back and choose a different career path, cargo, corporate, regional, international—would you? The responses hit harder than we expected. One pilot says he'd leave aviation entirely. A 40-year veteran says chase hard currency as fast as humanly possible. A bush flying legend says slow down and enjoy the ride. And one captain loved the job so much he'd almost fly for free. Six pilots, six radically different answers—and buried in all of them is a truth about what this career actually demands versus what Instagram makes it look like. Plus, trade war rhetoric reaches the flight deck as Trump threatens to decertify Canadian jets, the FAA furloughs 10,000 workers during a government shutdown, a new rule means everything you say on the flight deck gets recorded for 25 hours, and we introduce you to AI agents that could change how you prepare for every flight. The question that lingers: are you flying because you love it, or because you haven't stopped to ask yourself honestly?
 
⏱️ TIME-STAMPED FLIGHT PLAN
00:00 Introduction and What's Coming This Week
00:30 Listener Responses: "Would You Choose a Different Path?"
01:40 Gavin Pretorius: "I'd Leave Aviation Entirely"—The Entrepreneurial Case Against Flying
04:03 Mike Mason: Bush Flying, Patience, and Why You Shouldn't Rush Your Career
08:38 Willem van der Merwe: 40 Years In—Why He'd Chase Hard Currency First
13:31 Walter Waldeck: From C-130s to F-27s to SAA—A Legendary Career Spanning Decades
18:03 Jaco Bester: Are Student Pilots Getting Into Aviation for the Instagram?
23:49 Roland Raible: "I Loved My Job So Much I'd Almost Do It for Free"
28:23 The Magic of a Good Crew—And What Happens When It's Not There
29:36 Choosing a Career Path: Begin With the End in Mind
30:46 Trump Threatens to Decertify Canadian Jets—Playground Tactics With Real Consequences
33:20 FAA Furloughs 10,000 Workers During Government Shutdown
34:07 25-Hour Cockpit Voice Recorders: Privacy Concern or Safety Necessity?
37:46 Air India Grounds Dreamliner Over Fuel Switch Defect Linked to Fatal Crash
39:04 Boeing Predicts 2.37 Million New Aviation Jobs by 2044
41:49 Captain's Announcement: AI Agents Are Here—Meet Open Claw
50:30 Super Brew Formula One Challenge: The Bryan Air Prediction League Is Coming
52:02 Conclusion and Sign-Off
 
💼 FEATURED DIGITAL PRODUCTS
✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command & The Kaizen Command AI Mentor
Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution. A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence. The full product suite includes the Kaizen and the Art of Command course, micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.
👉 Get All Products Here(Course, AI Mentor, and more) → https://stan.store/bryanair
 
❤️ A NOTE TO OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne. Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community. Thank you—we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.
 
👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair
🎧 LINKS
🌐 Bryan's Website → https://www.bryanroseveare.com/
⭐ All Digital Products (Courses & AI Mentor) → https://stan.store/bryanair
✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast
❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🎙️ EPISODE SNAPSHOT
Welcome to The Bryan Air Podcast. Boardroom decisions land on your flight deck, we translate them first.
This is The Bryan Air Debrief, where we break down airline strategy, economic forces, and the business moves shaping your career. No corporate spin. Just the intelligence pilots actually need.
When people ask what it takes to become a pilot, they're usually thinking about one thing—the flight deck. But the flight deck is just the beginning of a much bigger question: whose flight deck, and on what terms? This week we dig into career strategy that actually works: begin with the end in mind, then reverse engineer the flying career that gets you there. We also unpack why who you fly with matters more than what you fly—a lesson the industry rarely teaches. Then it's into the news: the NTSB clears the CRJ crew in the DC tragedy, UPS retires its entire MD-11 fleet after last year's crash, Southwest ends 55 years of open seating, and the FAA creates no-fly zones that move with ICE convoys. Plus, a rant about economy cabin behavior that every pilot will recognize.
 
⏱️ TIME-STAMPED FLIGHT PLAN
00:00 Welcome: Boardroom Decisions Land on Your Flight Deck
00:43 Career Paths Decoded: Cargo, Corporate, Regional—Which Suits You?
02:56 Begin With The End In Mind: Reverse Engineering Your Aviation Career
04:37 The New Generation vs. Ours: How Pilot Opportunities Have Changed
10:15 Who You Fly With Matters More Than What You Fly
16:24 PSA Airlines Crash: NTSB Clears the CRJ Crew Completely
21:03 FAA's New ICE No-Fly Zones: Penalties for Drone Operators
22:00 55 Years Gone: Southwest's Open Seating Policy Is Dead
25:00 Delta Orders 31 New Widebodies: The Premium Push Continues
26:12 India's Self-Reliance Play: Building Regional Aircraft Locally
27:02 EasyJet Called Out: The Truth About "Cheap" Bag Fees
28:19 The Economy Cabin Rant: Overhead Lockers, Body Odor, and Bad Behavior
34:59 Closing Thoughts and How to Support the Show
 
💼 FEATURED DIGITAL PRODUCTS
✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command & The Kaizen Command AI Mentor
Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution. A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence. The full product suite includes the Kaizen and the Art of Command course, micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.
👉 Get All Products Here (Course, AI Mentor, and more) → https://stan.store/bryanair
 
❤️ A NOTE TO OUR PATREON COMMUNITY
Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne. Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community. Thank you—we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.
👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair
 
🎧 LINKS
🌐 Bryan's Website → https://www.bryanroseveare.com/
⭐ All Digital Products (Courses & AI Mentor) → https://stan.store/bryanair
✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast
❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair