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Sent us text! We would love to hear from you!  You sent the application. You made the call. You wrote the proposal. And then—nothing. In Episode 267, Commander Drew and Dr. Paul take on one of the most frustrating spots in any career or life: the silent inbox. When do you keep knocking, and when do you take your energy somewhere it will be put to use? Drawing on their years as Black aviators in the Navy, the Wingmen make the case for keeping the mission while being willing to change the route—and for walking away with your dignity intact, not with a fiery farewell email.  Then the theme plays out in real life. Commander Drew shares how a polite “no” from Sailor Services turned into a “yes” from the Virgin Voyages PR team, just ahead of his 21st and 22nd voyages. The Good News continues with a University of Pittsburgh study that paid students to sleep (and saw their grades rise), and Virginia’s expanded Clean Slate law opening doors for people whose old records keep following them. The Jet Jolt goes to sea with the Navy’s new drone that lands on a moving warship with no GPS and no pilot—by sight alone.  An Oklahoma dad who gets a little too fired up in the bleachers gets advice on breathing, being present, and borrowing some calm from his wife. Ace takes on what separates a sharp AI prompt from a lazy one. And the Wingman Story travels to Recife, Brazil, where a futsal coach kept two photos of Matheus Cunha on a small altar at home—and watched the kid he coached at eleven score for Brazil at the World Cup.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you!  Every now and then you have to stop chasing the next thing long enough to ask the big question: what is life really all about? In Episode 265, Commander Drew and Dr. Paul turn to Japan for some strong gouge—five time-tested philosophies that offer practical ways to live with more purpose, gratitude, and peace. From ikigai (your reason for getting up in the morning) to wabi-sabi (finding beauty in a few dents in the fuselage), the Wingmen make the case for living on purpose instead of on autopilot.  The good news is a double feature. Nashville’s airport authority voted unanimously to begin renaming Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton—a tribute to a daughter of Tennessee who never forgot where she came from. Then a major study finds taxi and ambulance drivers had the lowest share of deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s among 443 occupations, and the guys talk about giving your brain new roads to travel.  In the Jet Jolt, we go back to 1942 and the top-secret Bell XP-59A Airacomet—America's first jet, disguised with a fake propeller and a tarp, whose first flight topped out at just 25 feet. The Frequent Flow Line brings a heartfelt letter from a teenager in Philadelphia who wants to help her aunt find mental health support without making her feel judged. Ace joins the Gouge to break down the biggest red flags of a scam and what to do in the first 60 seconds. And the Wingman Story takes us to Cabo San Lucas, where a high school soccer star makes the most important assist of his senior year—off the field.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you!  What actually makes somebody cool? It is a question we have all been asking since middle school, and this week Commander Drew and Dr. Paul finally have some data. Researchers surveyed nearly 6,000 people across 12 countries, from the United States and Mexico to Nigeria, India, China, Germany, and South Korea, and the answer was remarkably consistent. Cool people are seen as outgoing, adventurous, open-minded, independent, influential, and willing to enjoy life. But the research found something even more important: cool and good are not the same thing. The Wingmen make the case that the strongest kind of cool combines confidence and adventure with character, the kind of person who can walk into any room as themselves and still answer the phone at 2:00 a.m. when a friend needs help.  From there, the good news keeps coming. The guys break down time-of-use electricity plans and why when you use power can matter almost as much as how much you use. They share the story of a California resident who gave $1 million directly to the teachers of an underfunded school district, more than $9,000 each, delivered in sealed envelopes. They look at the evolving science on treating sprains and strains, where gentle movement is getting a fresh look alongside the old RICE routine.  In the Jet Jolt, it is China’s TMS-10, an experimental business jet with a goal of carrying passengers at Mach 2 while taming the sonic boom. A fellow Navy veteran in Indiana writes in to the Frequent Flow Line asking how to make peace with a difficult neighbor without starting World War III over the property line. Ace takes on the Gouge question of what to do when your flight is delayed and the gate line is growing. And the episode closes with “The First Word,” the story of a Navy kid in Naples, Italy, and the neighbor boy who showed him that a wingman does not need to speak your language to make room for you.  We Talk About  ■    What makes someone cool: a 12-country study of nearly 6,000 people on what the world considers “cool”  ■    Cool vs. good: why confidence and adventure mean little without kindness and dependability  ■    The smart electricity gouge: time-of-use plans, peak hours, and shifting your biggest loads off-peak  ■    A million-dollar thank-you: one resident’s $1 million gift to Ross Valley School District teachers  ■    A better way to bounce back: rethinking rest, ice, and gentle movement for minor sprains and strains  ■    Jet Jolt: China’s TMS-10 and the push for quieter supersonic travel  ■    Frequent Flow Line: a Navy veteran in Indiana looking for calm seas with his neighbor  ■    The Gouge with Ace: what to do first when your flight is delayed  ■    Wingmen Story: “The First Word,” a Navy kid, a new country, and a friend with a soccer ball

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you! The first book that finds its way into your heart can change everything. This week, Commander Drew and Dr. Paul explore why reading matters beyond school—and why the people we become, the connections we make, and the loyalties we honor are built one quiet moment at a time.  We celebrate a deli manager rewarding student progress, a couple who raised 37 children, a coworker who chose accountability with compassion, and the veterans who refuse to let their brothers and sisters walk alone. Plus: a 24-hour flight, a 24-hour question, and why you should stop waiting for "someday" and get your passport today.  In our Good News segment, we meet Wail Alselwi, who's paid out over $500,000 in cash rewards for student grades and progress. But the real story is how one caring adult can shift the way a young person sees themselves. Then we meet Paul and Jeane Briggs, who raised 37 children—5 biological, 32 adopted—proving that service often begins with an open door but lasts through structure, commitment, patience, and love.  This week's Jet Jolt celebrates Qantas's 24-hour-plus nonstop flight from Melbourne to Toulouse—a test for Project Sunrise that aims to connect Sydney directly to London and eventually New York. It's not just about breaking records. It's about shrinking the world and reminding us what serious long-haul flying demands from the crews who do it.  Our Frequent Flow Line tackles a question every leader and friend needs to answer: How do you know when you're being a loyal wingman versus helping someone avoid accountability? We hear from Linda in Liverpool, who chose the harder path—standing beside a coworker while she faced the truth—and discovered that real loyalty means caring enough to help someone learn, own it, and move forward stronger.  In The Gouge, we break down the 24-hour question: Will this matter tomorrow? It's the practical filter that cuts through noise and helps you focus on what actually counts. And our closing Wingman Story honors intergenerational veteran support—younger veterans showing up on ordinary Tuesdays for older veterans, and older veterans sharing the wisdom that comes from surviving decades of service. Service doesn't end when you leave the military. It changes shape. That's what it means to be a Wingman.  Wingman challenge: Name the moment you've been saving. Do it now. Get your passport. Celebrate the person you love. Show up for someone who needs to feel seen. Stop waiting for a more convenient version of your own life.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you! The Wingmen will take the show somewhere special very soon—the Maldives. But in this episode we tackle a question every dreamer eventually faces: how do you keep grinding when the goal still looks like a speck on the horizon? Commander Drew and Dr. Paul get honest about the unglamorous middle of every big pursuit. The dream is sexy—jets, success, and big moments. The grind is early mornings, late nights, and the same boring reps over and over. But as the Wingmen put it, the grind isn’t the pre-flight. The grind is the mission.  The guys break down why most people bail: the target feels too far away. The Wingman answer is simple — you don’t have to be close, you just have to keep moving. Fly the leg you’re on. Don’t ask “how long will this take?” Ask “what’s today’s step?” And don’t stare at the future so hard you trip over the present — if you only live for the finish line, you miss your whole life at cruising altitude.  The Good News segment delivers three lifts: a Tokyo café where robots are piloted live by homebound people with serious disabilities, giving them a second body and a way back into society; France becoming the first EU country to ban social media accounts for kids under 15; and Michigan’s House passing a bill to free kids’ lemonade stands from permits and fees. The Jet Jolt takes us to the flight deck of the USS Nimitz for FOD walkdowns — and the life lesson that the little junk you ignore is what wrecks your engine. The Frequent Flow-Line answers Tamika in Tacoma on getting unstuck after the kids leave home, Ace weighs in live, and the Wingmen Story follows Senior Chief Santiago’s final PT test aboard his last tour — and the young sailor who helped him cross the finish line with honor.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you! What if thirty seconds of kindness could cut discipline problems in half? In Episode 258, Drew and Paul open with a leadership lesson straight out of an Atlanta middle school, where Principal Kimberly Sewell rebuilt her entire instructional framework around one rule: connection before content. Teachers now spend the first thirty seconds of every class simply connecting with students—favorite pizza toppings, what makes them happy—before a single lesson begins. The results speak for themselves: discipline referrals down roughly fifty percent, better attendance, and kids choosing conversations over fights in a school of nearly 900 students. Paul frames it the way only a carrier pilot can: it’s a pre-flight brief for the heart. Aviate, navigate, and communicate become connect, then teach; then stabilize the plane before you start pushing buttons.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you! The world speaks one sporting language, and it isn’t ours. In Episode 257, Commander Drew and Dr. Paul tackle a question American fans keep asking, especially with the World Cup landing on U.S. soil: why does the country that dominates so many sports still trail the planet in the one game everybody else lives for? The Wingmen break it down piece by piece—a youth culture where the best athletes chase helmets, hoops, and home runs first; a “pay-to-play” pipeline that turns soccer into a country-club sport and filters talent by family bank account instead of raw ability; an MLS structure built for financial safety rather than global firepower; the missing generational superstar who could put a U.S. jersey on every kid’s back; and a commercial-free game that never fit the American TV money machine. The verdict is honest but hopeful: America loves soccer—it just doesn’t lead soccer yet. From the pitch to the diamond, the Wingmen answer a question every fan has wondered about: why do ballplayers paint their faces? The answer blends real science—eye black absorbing glare so a fielder can track a ball against a brutal sky—with something deeper: ritual. That swipe of grease is a ballplayer’s pre-flight checklist, a small habit that locks in focus before the big moment. The lesson travels far beyond baseball: your game face isn’t magic, it’s preparation. The Good News segment delivers a triple play. In New Jersey, while World Cup crowds pack fan festivals, the charity Table to Table runs its “Kick Hunger Out of New Jersey” tour—rescuing hundreds of prepared meals from festivals, restaurants, and food trucks and delivering them straight to families who need them, proving that even when our game isn’t world-class, our generosity can be. In Chicago, Sister Stephanie Baliga—once one of the fastest freshman runners in the country—traded Olympic dreams for a religious calling and never stopped running: her Chicago Marathon team has raised over $2.6 million to feed 400 to 500 families a week. The Jet Jolt takes listeners back to the Thunderstorm Project, when combat pilots and meteorologists deliberately flew war-tested Black Widows into the worst storms on earth—getting flipped, hammered, and bounced thousands of feet—so they could map how thunderstorms live and die. Their courage is the reason today’s worst weather problem is a delayed pushback and a missing pretzel. Every boring, safe flight in rough weather carries their signature.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you! This week, the Wingmen look at what happens when artificial intelligence stops being a buzzword and starts being a Wingman — standing next to farmers, families, and entire communities to fight hunger and food waste around the world. From solar cold rooms that think for themselves to smart logistics that see the whole battlefield, it’s proof that technology becomes heroic only when it’s pointed at real human problems and used with heart. ●   AI That Fights Hunger — Solar-powered cold rooms with AI monitoring predict spoilage, alert farmers which crops to move first, and turn basic refrigeration into an intelligent Wingman for entire villages. ●  Smart Logistics, Full Trucks—AI reads roads, weather, and market demand like a logistics officer with instant intel: fill the truck from two farms, sell where prices are higher, and cut waste and cost at the same time. ●  Data Becomes Motivation — Communities see their impact on a simple screen: meals saved, families fed, and waste kept out of the landfill—fuel to keep going when it gets hard. ●   Good News #1: Daraxonrasib—An experimental pill for advanced pancreatic cancer nearly doubled median survival (13.2 months vs. 6.7 on chemo) by targeting KRAS mutations long considered “undruggable.” Doctors literally cried at the results. ●  Good News #2: The Blue Bags of Texas — Japan’s World Cup fans stayed after a 2–2 draw with the Netherlands to clean the stands—no announcement, no instruction, just culture. Even Jameis Winston grabbed a blue shirt and joined in. ●  Jet Jolt: Project Sunrise—Qantas' A350-ULR with a 5,300-gallon rear center tank is about to make Sydney-to-London nonstop a scheduled reality: 20-plus hours, wellbeing zones, destination-timed lighting, and ultra-long-haul ops turned up to 11.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you!   Why does a championship win feel like you flew the final mission yourself? In Episode 255, Commander Drew and Dr. Paul break down the real psychology behind sports fandom—and why it's anything but "just a game." When your team wins, your brain reacts as if you won: self-esteem climbs, mood lifts, and life feels more meaningful. A major U.K. study of more than 7,000 people found that attending live sports measurably boosts life satisfaction and cuts loneliness—the stadium becomes a temporary squadron ready room, complete with its own colors, chants, and call signs. And the payoff doesn't vanish when your team loses: riding the highs and lows season after season builds real resilience, and the big games become waypoints in the story of your life.  From there, the Wingmen take on hustle culture versus the "soft life." It's not candlelit baths and pretty TikToks—the soft life grew out of Black thought leaders, especially Black women, reclaiming rest, healing, and dignity in a world that demands they push through. Drew and Paul draw the key distinction between reactive escape and proactive slow living, and lay out a practical flight plan: call a factory reset, trade quantity for quality, be where your feet are, and treat real rest as resistance—not weakness.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you!  Team pride is one of the most powerful forces in human psychology — and in Episode 253, Commander Drew and Dr. Paul dig into why that rush hits so hard, where it comes from, and what it means for your real life. Whether your team just won a championship or you're watching someone hold a job offer letter for the first time, the chemistry is the same: identity, belonging, and the electric charge of shared victory.  From the roar of a packed stadium to the quiet dignity of a Korean War vet being walked home by a teenager in a hoodie, this episode is about what it means to win together — and what it costs when pride tips into tribalism. The Wingmen also celebrate a once-in-a-generation moment: the New York Knicks returning to the NBA Finals after 27 years, and a franchise using that spotlight to open doors for kids who never thought they'd get through them.  The Frequent Flow Line letter from Michael in Juneau, Alaska hits differently — a 34-year-old man caught between love for his aging parents and resentment toward sisters who've quietly checked out of caregiving. And The Gouge tackles the single habit that quietly destroys more potential than bad luck ever will.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you! Every man gets handed the same invisible rulebook at some point: don’t talk about your feelings, walk off the pain, say “I’m fine” when you’re anything but. Episode 252 is about what happens when men finally put that rulebook down — and why therapy might be the most underrated power move a man can make.  Commander Drew and Dr. Paul break down what’s really going on behind the silence: anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma quietly stacking up in men of every background while they keep insisting they’ve got it handled. The warning signs don’t always look like a breakdown — they look like disappearing from friends, snapping over nothing, or being physically present but mentally checked out.  The episode reframes what therapy actually is — not a couch and a tissue box, but a structured place to get honest, get tools, and stop white-knuckling it alone. Therapy doesn’t make someone the hero of your story. It just hands you a better playbook.  Good News goes deep into the ocean — literally. Scientists discovered 1,121 new marine species in a single year, including a ghost shark older than the dinosaurs and a worm living inside what researchers call a glass castle. With 86% of life on Earth still unidentified, the message is clear: we are nowhere near done exploring.  Jet Jolt puts the miracle of flight in perspective — roughly 80% of the world’s population has never been on an airplane. Not once. For those who fly regularly, it’s a reminder that what feels routine is actually extraordinary.  The Frequent Flow-Line brings a letter from Brian in Manchester, England, who watches the show every week with his children and asks how Drew and Paul decided to join the Navy and become airline pilots. Their answers go well beyond career choices — they’re about purpose, service, and what it means to keep looking up.  The Wingmen PSA covers EFIL Fact #6: anger is really fear. Stress is the number one killer — and the prescription is simple. Sit down, shut up, and do nothing for 24 hours.  The Gouge with Ace takes on a question every young person needs to hear answered honestly: what’s the real gouge on success that nobody tells you?  The Wingman Story closes the show with Charlie O. and Tyler — a classroom, a partner practice assignment, and one athlete who walks past the cool crowd to sit with the kid everyone else is waiting to see fail. It’s a story about guarding someone’s dignity — and discovering that’s its own kind of greatness.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you! In Episode 251, Commander Drew Brown and Dr. Paul Thompson take on one of the most misunderstood debates in performance culture: talent versus discipline. They make the case that while talent is a gift, discipline is the decision—and when you stack both together, you become truly unstoppable.  Through vivid storytelling from Navy flight school, real-world examples of gifted pilots who washed out and steady grinders who became legends, and the unforgiving standards of carrier aviation, Drew and Paul illustrate that checklist mentality and daily consistency are what separate those who survive from those who thrive.  The episode also features a powerful Good News segment on how positive thinking and brain science can actually boost your immune response—and a moving Wingman Story about Joel, a young man with Down syndrome whose basketball shot brought an entire school to its feet and the internet to tears.    WE TALK ABOUT:  ◆Why talent without discipline is just unused potential—and how discipline is the multiplier that activates it◆Real stories from Navy flight training: the naturally gifted pilot who washed out and the grinder who became the most trusted man in the squadron◆How checklist mentality turns good performance into unstoppable performance—and why 'boring wins' in aviation and in life◆Good News: the neuroscience study connecting positive thinking to a measurable immune response boost after vaccination◆Jet Jolt—Formation Flying: the discipline of sight picture, closure rate, and why you separate immediately rather than guess◆Frequent Flow Line — Amber from Atlanta: navigating a faith transition without destroying your family relationships◆Wingman Story—Joel's Shot: how a young man with Down syndrome hit a bucket that went viral and changed his world

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you!   Episode 250 is a milestone — and Commander Drew and Dr. Paul mark it with a conversation that matters for everyone: the truth about midlife, hormonal change, and how to keep your body flying strong when your system gets a software update you didn’t ask for.  The show opens with a no-excuses fitness brief on the five areas that protect your health through midlife: resistance training, balance, mobility, cardio, and mindfulness. Whether it’s menopause for women or the quiet decline men try to ignore, the message is the same—your airframe changed. Stop pretending you’re 22 and fly what you’ve got with a plan that actually works.  The Good News segment honors Mrs. Susan Young Browne — 108 years old, born in 1918, and still collecting reasons to keep going. She walked ten miles a day for school in a segregated system, taught for three decades, traveled the world in retirement, and recently had a governor show up to her birthday asking for life advice. Her story is a masterclass in purpose and movement.  The Wingmen Longevity Quiz gives every listener an honest look at their long-range flight plan—five key areas: health, home, social connection, care readiness, and purpose. The questions are simple. The answers might sting. Either way, you leave knowing exactly what to fix.  Jet Jolt pulls back the curtain on the night carrier landing—the maneuver most civilian pilots don’t know exists and most Navy pilots never forget. No horizon, a pitching deck, a glowing meatball, and one shot to catch a wire. It’s a controlled crash, and it’s home.  The Frequent Flow-Line brings a letter from Key Largo—a woman preparing for a family reunion with a narcissistic uncle, asking how to protect her peace and model strength for her young son without starting a war. Drew and Paul walk through grey-rock tactics, boundary language, and the ready-room standard for handling someone who mistakes control for leadership.  The Gouge with Ace tackles EFOL Fact #6: the difference between healthy self-confidence and ego that quietly drives people away. And the Wingman story closes the show with Marcus—a man 47 years into bad habits and one early-morning text away from getting his life back.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you!  Commander Drew Brown broadcasts live from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady on a transatlantic crossing, while Dr. Paul holds down the fort on land. Together they explore what it really means to slow down, be present, and recognize the professionals quietly holding everything together around you — the real Wingmen of the operation.    In Good News, the guys salute a historic public health milestone: adult cigarette smoking in America has dropped below 10% for the first time ever, a 70-plus percent decline since the 1960s. Then they pivot to a TIME magazine piece on sarcopenia — the muscle loss that starts sneaking up on people as early as their 30s — and lay out the straightforward prescription: protein, strength training, and just 3% of your waking hours to stay in the fight.    Jet Jolt tackles one of the most common passenger fears — the wing flexing in turbulence — and explains why that movement is exactly what the airplane was engineered to do. The Frequent Flow-Line features a moving letter from Christy, a South African crew member on her first Virgin Voyages contract, who opens up about the quiet loneliness of being far from home even while living what looks like a dream life. And the episode closes with a story that stops you cold: a young man from Bali who left home to support his sick sister, only to return and find his family had quietly been building something to take care of him in return.

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you!   FROM THE COCKPIT — EPISODE 247 SUMMARY: In this episode, Commander Drew and Dr. Paul tackle one of aviation's most dangerous open secrets — the mental health crisis hiding in plain sight behind every cockpit door. They break down the Mental Health in Aviation Act, which just cleared the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously, and explain why that kind of bipartisan agreement tells you everything about how serious this has become. Then the good news: fatal drug overdoses have dropped sharply across the country in one of the longest sustained declines on record, teen pregnancy just hit another historic low, and a 68-year-old Domino's driver in Boise bought a customer's Diet Coke with his own money — and walked away with $130,000 in tips. The Jet Jolt goes deep into high-G flight and what really happens when your body starts to lose the fight against G-LOC. Ray in Biloxi, Mississippi writes in with one of the most honest letters we've ever received — a 60-year-old man who wants the racism he was raised on out of his head for good. And a Wingman Story that will stay with you: "Watching May's Six."  We talk about:  The Mental Health in Aviation Act — what it does, why it passed unanimously, and why it matters right nowThe heartbreaking story of student pilot John Hauser — and what his letters tell us about a system that left him no safe way outWhy the pilot who asks for help is actually the safer pilotHow G-forces narrow your vision the same way stress narrows your life — and what to do about bothFatal overdoses down 20%, teen pregnancy at a historic low — the good news nobody's reportingDan the pizza delivery man, a missing Diet Coke, and $130,000 in tipsRay in Biloxi asks Commander Drew and Dr. Paul how a man rewires himself after 60 years of the wrong programmingAce's Gouge: How to build and keep a real crew of friends in your 40s, 50s, and beyondA Wingman Story about a nurse named May, a man named Marcus, and what it means to watch somebody's six when the room goes quiet Your Wingman Challenge This Week: Think of one person in your orbit who seems a little off lately — quieter than usual, shorter fuse, not quite themselves. Don't wait for them to say something. Send a text. Ask a real question. Be the wingman they don't know they need yet.   The best pilots in the world know when to call for help. Be that pilot. Thanks for flying with us. Your Wingmen, Commander Drew & Dr. Paul — The Wingman Show