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This week the wingmen are logging sea miles instead of flight hours. Commander Drew and Dr. Paul are aboard Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady for a passage through the Panama Canal, and they’re taking you along for the ride. Two retired jet pilots finally get to watch a feat of engineering unfold without being responsible for the checklist, as locks lift a cruise ship about 85 feet up to Gatun Lake and back down again. Along the way, they tip their caps to the workers, many of them recruited from the Caribbean, whose hands built this highway between two oceans.

Back on dry land, Drew is closing in on paying off his house and wondering why the property tax bill didn’t get the memo. The guys sort out what ownership really buys you, why renting isn’t throwing money away, and why “I can afford the payment” and “I can afford the house” aren’t the same sentence. Then a birthday reminder that you’re still becoming at any age, and a Jet Jolt on the Boeing 777X, whose wingtips fold up so a bigger wing can still fit at the gate.

In the Frequent Flow-Line, proud parents from Pittsburgh ask how to help a good son leave a very comfortable nest without making independence feel like punishment. Ace takes on the customer-service phone maze in The Gouge, and the show closes with a Wingmen story about an old squadron crew who kept showing up for a friend until he could stand on his own porch again.

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You fought your way through the door. Now what? In Episode 268, Commander Drew Brown and Dr. Paul Thompson ask a question every person who has made it should answer: Are you holding the door open or telling the next person to fight just as hard? Drawing on their experience as Black naval aviators, the Wingmen make the case that passing on the gouge isn’t lowering the standard. It’s knowing where to put the work. Explain the process, make the introduction, give specific help, and then let the next generation take responsibility for their own flight. Pass down the wisdom, not the unnecessary hardship.

The good news this week is all about people stepping up. Seven strangers in Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, lifted a car off a trapped e-bike rider with nothing but teamwork. New FBI figures show violent crime fell across the country last year, and the Wingmen talk about how to tell that story honestly without dismissing anyone’s pain. And high schooler Sarah Shelke built Mind4Youth, a youth-led organization helping young people get access to mental health support.

In the Jet Jolt, the guys explain the emergency button that can actually land an airplane: Garmin Autoland. In the Frequent Flow-Line, Sophie, a bartender in Belgium, wants a bigger life but is afraid to leave what she knows. Ace takes the first answer, then Drew and Paul share what the Navy taught them about preparing for the next step. Ace also leads The Gouge on why learning and using people’s names matters. And the episode closes with a Wingmen story about a teenager who learns he isn’t half of anything. He’s twice blessed.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.