The Death to Downtime Podcast
The Death to Downtime Podcast dives into the gritty, behind-the-scenes world of keeping planes in the air—whether it's commercial jets, private jets, cargo haulers, or choppers. Host Andy Hakes pulls back the curtain on the real challenges tech ops teams face when things go sideways, spotlighting the unsung heroes who fight to keep downtime to a minimum. From surprise maintenance nightmares to sky-high costs, he doesn’t sugarcoat it. But he also reminds us: aviation is safe, the systems are strong, and the people keeping us flying are some of the best in the business. Tune in, drop a review, and share the love—because downtime isn’t just expensive... it’s personal.
The Death to Downtime Podcast
Leadership by Accident: Tech Ops’Hidden Problem
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Airlines spend millions fighting downtime, but what if the real bottleneck isn’t technical—it’s leadership?
In this episode of The Death to Downtime Podcast, Andy sits down with Oscar Roman, VP of Maintenance Operations at Saudia, to explore aviation’s hidden crisis: “leadership by accident.” Together they dive into:
✈️ How COVID permanently reshaped aviation strategy
⚙️ The dangerous gap between technical and commercial teams
👨🔧 Why great engineers often fail as leaders
💡 The case for two career paths: technical mastery vs. leadership
🚨 The true cost of bad leadership on culture, safety, and revenue
🤖 Can regulators and AI help close the leadership gap?
If you’re an aviation professional—whether on the line, in maintenance control, or in leadership—this episode will make you rethink how the industry develops its people.