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AVIATE with Shaesta

AVIATE with Shaesta

Written by: Shaesta Waiz Michael Wildes
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 AVIATE with Shaesta brings some of the most interesting female aviators together- trailblazers, record-setters, mothers, adventurers, entrepreneurs- to have honest conversations about what it means to be a woman in aviation. Join Shaesta Waiz, the Youngest Woman to Fly Solo Around the World, as she goes around the world (via a podcast) and connects with the industry to have honest conversations about being a woman in aviation. AVIATE, which stands for Acknowledge, Vocalize, Inclusion, Act, Travel, and Evolve, are the themes guiding each conversation. AVIATE With Shaesta is sponsored by Atlantic Aviation.2021 Aviate with Shaesta Drama & Plays Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Aviation Pro Sarah Kalmeta Reveals Why Pivoting Is Power

    Aviation Pro Sarah Kalmeta Reveals Why Pivoting Is Power
    Apr 30 2026
    Sarah Kalmeta built her career around one core truth: a pivot is not a failure. It is feedback. In this conversation, Sarah explains how her own aviation career forced her to confront burnout, health issues, identity shifts, and the pressure to keep performing even when life was clearly asking for change. Her early work in private aviation gave her constant exposure to change, pressure, and high-stakes decision-making, but over time she realized that the pace of the industry was taking a toll on her nervous system, her health, and her sense of alignment. Sarah shares how moving to Asia opened her eyes to a different side of aviation and helped her see that there were other ways to build a career in the industry. But even after reaching the milestones she thought she wanted, the salary, the wedding, the apartment, and the title, she found herself miserable and disconnected. That realization forced her to ask harder questions about what success really meant, what she was trying to prove, and why she had been trying so hard to fit into boxes that were never built for her. The conversation also goes deep into the link between pivoting and mental health in aviation. Sarah explains the real signals that it may be time to pivot: losing joy in work that once energized you, withdrawing from people, procrastinating, making more mistakes, feeling overwhelmed, or realizing your body is no longer recovering. She also makes a clear case for why the aviation industry needs to treat mental health, women’s health, rest, recovery, and human performance with the same seriousness it gives to aircraft performance. Later in the episode, Sarah talks about what it means to pivot at different stages of life, why small one-degree shifts matter, and how women can approach change without making themselves the problem. She also challenges aviation leaders to build healthier systems that support people instead of pushing them into survival mode. Her message is simple: the future of aviation depends on people who can adapt, speak honestly, protect their health, and stop seeing change as failure. Chapters: (00:00) Pivoting Is Not Failure (01:28) Sarah Joins The Podcast (02:09) Her First Aviation Pivot (05:57) The Moment Everything Changed (08:19) Shame And Starting Over (12:14) Real Signs It’s Time To Pivot (17:09) Mental Health In Aviation (20:40) Pivoting At Every Age (27:04) Identity And Mental Health (30:04) Aviation Must Change SPONSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atlantic Aviation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠atlanticaviation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WORK WITH SHAESTA For bookings and inquiries, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shaestawaiz.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠ MORE ABOUT SARAH KALMETA LinkedIn: Sarah Kalmeta Website: https://www.sarahkalmeta.com/ Instagram: @sarahthepivoter MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shaestawaiz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaesta Waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaestawaiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins
  • Tasha Funes: What Private Aviation Flight Attendants Really Do

    Tasha Funes: What Private Aviation Flight Attendants Really Do
    Apr 17 2026
    Tasha Funes built her aviation career across commercial, charter, government, and private aviation, and in this conversation she explains how each chapter taught her something different about the job. Commercial aviation gave her structure. Charter sharpened her professionalism. Private aviation brought those skills together and showed her what full-spectrum service, safety, and adaptability really look like. She also pushes back on one of the biggest misconceptions about flight attendants: the idea that the job is only about service, when in reality the work starts days before a trip and includes preparation, coordination, safety, and constant problem-solving. That behind-the-scenes work becomes even more intense in private aviation. Tasha explains that private flight attendants are not just there to serve passengers. They are stocking the aircraft, handling catering, cleaning, shopping for client needs, protecting confidentiality, and reading the room for high-net-worth travelers who expect excellence without having to ask for it. Her point is clear: to do this well, you need emotional intelligence, flexibility, attention to detail, and the ability to think on your feet when the day changes fast. That experience is what led her to found Exclusive In-Flight. After more than 20 years in aviation, Tasha saw that there was no real roadmap for people trying to break into private aviation, only scattered information online that often left people confused, discouraged, and wasting money. So she built a business focused on mentorship, resume development, hands-on training, and career placement support. Later in the episode, she explains how aspiring flight attendants can get started, why commercial experience can be a strong first step, what skills matter most, and why women in aviation should trust themselves, stay flexible, and stop waiting for permission to build their own path. CHAPTERS(00:00) The job is more than service(01:14) Meet Tasha Funes(03:04) Lessons from each aviation lane(03:33) The biggest misconception(05:01) Discretion and emotional intelligence(05:46) Commercial vs private aviation(07:39) Why she built Exclusive In-Flight(10:56) Mentorship and training services(11:35) Skills that make you stand out(13:56) Trust yourself and go for it SPONSOR⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atlantic Aviation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠atlanticaviation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WORK WITH SHAESTAFor bookings and inquiries, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shaestawaiz.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠ MORE ABOUT TASHA FUNESBusiness: Exclusive In-Flight MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shaestawaiz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaesta Waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaestawaiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & KrooWebsite: ⁠⁠⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    15 mins
  • Katherine Moloney Built a Movement in Aviation — And It Started With 40 Women and Sandwiches

    Katherine Moloney Built a Movement in Aviation — And It Started With 40 Women and Sandwiches
    Mar 26 2026
    Katherine Moloney did not grow up thinking she would become a pilot, even though aviation was in her family. Her father flew, but she never saw herself in the cockpit and brushed off early signs that she might belong there. That changed when she started working at a flight equipment company on an airfield, where daily exposure to aviation turned curiosity into action. A helicopter trial lesson at Brighton City Airport changed everything. She signed up right away, earned her helicopter license at 19, later added a fixed-wing license, and kept chasing every part of aviation that felt new, challenging, and worth learning. That personal journey eventually led to Elevate Her Aviation. Katherine explains that while she had strong support from men in the industry, she still felt isolated because she rarely met other women in aviation. So she created the kind of space she wished she had herself. She booked a room, ordered sandwiches, invited as many women in UK aviation as she could find, and 40 showed up. What started as one gathering became a real community, and now Elevate Her is working across the UK and expanding internationally. In this conversation, she explains why general aviation matters so much, why cost remains one of the biggest barriers to entry, and why more accessible routes like cadets, gliding, and microlights can make a real difference. Later, Katherine gets specific about what inclusion actually means in aviation. Her point is blunt: women do not need special treatment, they need equipment, uniforms, and systems designed with them in mind. She talks about flight suits, helmets, life jackets, seat cushions, and even aircraft seating requirements that still fail many women on basic safety and usability. She also points to the bigger issue underneath it all: if women are pushed out by poor design, lack of support, or the pressure of motherhood and family life, the industry loses talent, experience, and future mentors. Her argument is simple. Better design is not cosmetic. It is a safety issue, a retention issue, and a leadership issue. CHAPTERS (00:00) Katherine’s path into aviation (01:26) The trial flight that changed it (05:12) Why Elevate Her was created (07:18) Why general aviation matters (08:10) The cost barrier to entry (10:40) Building community online (14:46) Why women start behind (18:28) Barriers beyond the UK and US (21:11) Better design, not special treatment (23:48) Retention, motherhood, and safety SPONSOR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Atlantic Aviation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠atlanticaviation.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WORK WITH SHAESTA For bookings and inquiries, visit: ⁠⁠⁠https://shaestawaiz.com/book⁠⁠⁠ MORE ABOUT KATHERINE MOLONEY LinkedIn: Katherine Moloney - Elevate(her) Aviation IG: Katherine Moloney (@moloneykatherine) Website: http://katherinemoloney.com/ MORE ABOUT SHAESTA WAIZ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shaestawaiz.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaesta Waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@aviateplatform⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaestawaiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shaesta.waiz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Production, Distribution, and Marketing By Massif & Kroo Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MassifKroo.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For inquiries/sponsoring: email hello@MassifKroo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
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