The Thrifty Pilot

10/05/2026

🎉 THE WINNER HAS BEEN PICKED! ✈️🎧

The KORE KA-1 Headset Giveaway is officially wrapped up, and the winner reveal goes live tonight at 9:00 PM Eastern.

I recorded the actual random selection so you can see exactly how the winner was chosen.

📺 Watch here tonight at 9 PM ET:
https://youtu.be/3gDGgu4KiWo

A huge thank you to everyone who entered, tagged friends, shared the giveaway, and supported The Thrifty Pilot.

And of course, thank you to KORE Aviation for making this giveaway possible.

No spoilers yet. You’ll have to watch the reveal. 👀✈️

🎉 The KORE KA-1 Headset Giveaway winner has officially been selecte...

09/07/2026

I tried something a little different with flight planning.

I started with a normal Flight Service briefing for a VFR flight from KFCI to KORF, then gave the briefing to ChatGPT and asked it to act as a second set of pilot eyes.

Not to replace Flight Service. Not to make the go/no-go decision for me. Just to look at the same information and see if it noticed anything I might want to think about a little more closely.

It actually picked up on a few interesting things.

Would you use AI this way as part of your preflight planning?

Full video:
https://youtu.be/ewIIM6Od738

Can ChatGPT actually add value to a real-world pilot flight briefin...

09/02/2026

08/27/2026

✈️🎧 **NEW THRIFTY PILOT REVIEW IS LIVE!**

KORE Aviation sent me their KA-1 aviation headset, but I didn't want to just sit at a desk and read specs off the box.

So I took it to the airplane and actually put it through its paces.

✅ Unboxing and first impressions
✅ Real-world cockpit performance
✅ Noise reduction and communications
✅ Comfort and build quality
✅ Value
✅ Official **Thrifty Pilot Score**

The big question:

**Do pilots really need to spend $1,000+ to get a good aviation headset?**

Oh, and I'm giving this exact review headset away to one of you. Details are in the video.

🎥 Watch here:
https://youtu.be/iGRm-PeaigE

If you're already flying with a headset you love, tell me what you're using.

08/27/2026

✈️ **New Thrifty Pilot review drops tomorrow at 7 PM ET!** 🎧

KORE Aviation sent me their KA-1 aviation headset to review, and I wanted to do more than just sit at a desk and talk about specs.

So I took it to the airplane and actually put it to work.

✅ Unboxing and first impressions
✅ Real-world cockpit test
✅ Comfort, audio, noise reduction and build quality
✅ The official **Thrifty Pilot Score**

And there’s one more thing...

🎁 **I’m giving the headset away to one of you.**

The full review goes live **tomorrow, August 27 at 7 PM ET.**

The question I wanted to answer:

**Do you really need to spend $1,000+ to get a good aviation headset?**

We’ll find out tomorrow.

06/09/2026

✈️ Chesterfield Pilots Association 6th Annual Poker Run ✈️
Saturday, June 13, 2026

Join us for a fun flying event, great community, lunch, prizes, and a little friendly competition in the sky.

This year’s Poker Run ends at KFCI - Richmond Executive Airport, with lunch and prizes at Kings Korner Restaurant in the KFCI terminal at 12:00 PM.

Pilots and passengers are invited to participate. Each person plays their own poker hand, so bring a passenger and double the fun.

Poker cards can be picked up at:

* KFVX - Farmville Regional Airport
* W31 - Lunenburg County Airport
* WBKT - Allen C Perkinson Blackstone Airport
* KPTB - Dinwiddie County Airport
* KFCI - Richmond Executive Airport, where your final 2 cards will be picked up

Suggested route:
KFCI → KFVX → W31 → WBKT → KPTB → KFCI

The route is designed to help minimize opposite direction traffic, with short legs ranging from 13 NM to 44 NM. Estimated trip time for all 5 stops is about 3 hours, with a suggested wheels-up time of 8:30 AM.

To be eligible to win, participants need to land at least 3 airports and present 3 different airport cards, plus 2 cards from KFCI. Best 5 out of 6 cards will be played, and yes, 5 of a kind is possible and beats a royal flush.

Prizes include:

🏆 Top 2 poker hand prizes
🎟️ Raffle prizes
🎁 Lots of door prizes

The Aviators Honor System will be in effect. Please do not open any envelopes until check-in and tally at Kings Korner.

Come fly, have lunch, meet other local aviators, and support a great aviation community event.

To sign up or ask questions, contact:
Jim Longstreth
[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
804-852-7567

We hope to see you in the air and at KFCI!

05/23/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHaTF09hUsE

Shop Watches: https://teddybaldassarre.com/ Stream My Documentaries & Exclusive Videos: https://teddybaldassarre.com/pages/member-signupInstagram: https://ww...

05/23/2026

01/31/2026

https://youtu.be/joe6eTeVpXg

Carbon monoxide is one of the most dangerous and least visible risks we face in general aviation. In this video, I review the Radiant CO-Pocket, a compact an...

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas from all of us at The Thrifty Pilot! Thank you for being part of our amazing community. Your support means the world to us! Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful and peaceful holiday season. Here's to more adventures in the skies! Read more here: https://wix.to/teLxDCs

As the holiday season lands softly like snow on a quiet runway, we just want to take a moment to thank you for being part of The Thrifty Pilot community.Whether you're a seasoned aviator or just beginning your journey into the skies, your support and enthusiasm make all the difference. This year has...