Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Join us on the Travis Makes Friends podcast as we dive into an incredible conversation with Michelle 'Mace' Curran, a decorated U.S. Air Force veteran and former Thunderbird lead solo pilot. From her small-town roots in Wisconsin to flying F-16s in combat and inspiring audiences as a motivational speaker, Michelle shares her journey, the challenges of being a female fighter pilot, and insights from her new book, The Flip Side: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower. Buckle up for an inspiring episode filled with high-flying stories and life-changing lessons!
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Follow Travis on:
Instagram: @travischappell
TikTok: @traviscchappell
Facebook: /traviscchappell
Twitter: @traviscchappell
Chapters
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:39 - Interest in Air Force Career
00:05:49 - Switching to Fighter Pilot Goal
00:11:27 - Female Fighter Pilots Stats
00:15:08 - Unexpected Career Challenges
00:21:19 - Japan Assignment and Gear
00:24:05 - Book: The Flip Side
00:29:04 - Call Sign Story
00:35:54 - Lessons from Dog Fight
00:37:25 - Book Writing Process
00:43:51 - Where to Buy Book
#TravisChappell #BuildYourNetwork #TravisMakesFriends #MichelleCurran #AirForcePilot #ThunderbirdSolo #F16Viper #CombatVeteran #FemalePilot #MaceCallsign #FlipSide #FearSuperpower #PilotTraining #DropNight #RuralWisconsin #StThomas #LukeAFB #MisawaJapan #AfghanistanDeployment #NVGCombat #DogFight #BestsellerList #MotivationalSpeaker #TopGun #BlueAngels #NicoleMalachowski #MilitaryTrends #AviationNews #WomenThunderbirds #F35Stealth
If you like this, click subscribe, like and share with a friend.
Follow Travis on:
Instagram: @travischappell
TikTok: @traviscchappell
Facebook: /traviscchappell
Twitter: @traviscchappell
Join us on the Travis Makes Friends podcast as we dive into an incredible conversation with Michelle 'Mace' Curran, a decorated U.S. Air Force veteran and former Thunderbird lead solo pilot. From her small-town roots in Wisconsin to flying F-16s in combat and inspiring audiences as a motivational speaker, Michelle shares her journey, the challenges of being a female fighter pilot, and insights from her new book, The Flip Side: How to Invert Your Perspective and Turn Fear into Your Superpower. Buckle up for an inspiring episode filled with high-flying stories and life-changing lessons!
If you like this, click subscribe, like and share with a friend.
Follow Travis on:
Instagram: @travischappell
TikTok: @traviscchappell
Facebook: /traviscchappell
Twitter: @traviscchappell
Chapters
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:39 - Interest in Air Force Career
00:05:49 - Switching to Fighter Pilot Goal
00:11:27 - Female Fighter Pilots Stats
00:15:08 - Unexpected Career Challenges
00:21:19 - Japan Assignment and Gear
00:24:05 - Book: The Flip Side
00:29:04 - Call Sign Story
00:35:54 - Lessons from Dog Fight
00:37:25 - Book Writing Process
00:43:51 - Where to Buy Book
#TravisChappell #BuildYourNetwork #TravisMakesFriends #MichelleCurran #AirForcePilot #ThunderbirdSolo #F16Viper #CombatVeteran #FemalePilot #MaceCallsign #FlipSide #FearSuperpower #PilotTraining #DropNight #RuralWisconsin #StThomas #LukeAFB #MisawaJapan #AfghanistanDeployment #NVGCombat #DogFight #BestsellerList #MotivationalSpeaker #TopGun #BlueAngels #NicoleMalachowski #MilitaryTrends #AviationNews #WomenThunderbirds #F35Stealth
If you like this, click subscribe, like and share with a friend.
Follow Travis on:
Instagram: @travischappell
TikTok: @traviscchappell
Facebook: /traviscchappell
Twitter: @traviscchappell
