About this episode

Evan Davis shares his inspiring journey of overcoming addiction and becoming a pilot in Alaska.

NEW SPONSOR ALERT!! Truly honored to have Avemco as new sponsor for the podcast. save 5% on your aircraft insurance by with Avemco. Call (888) 635-4297 or visit www.avemco.com/4297-owner - www.avemco.com/4297-nonowner ! Subscribe to the Pilot to Pilot Magazine This is one of the most raw, honest, and inspiring aviation stories you'll ever hear. Evan Davis didn't take a traditional path to becoming an Alaska pilot—he fought through addiction, FAA scrutiny, and personal demons to get there. His story proves that your past doesn't define your future, and that the aviation community has room for second chances when you're willing to do the hard work. Evan Davis was eight hours into his flight training when his AME asked the question that changed everything: have you ever struggled with alcohol? He told the truth — and the FAA grounded him before he ever soloed. More than a decade later, Evan is a PC-12 medevac captain based in Wasilla, Alaska, flying out of Kotzebue two weeks a month, north of the Arctic Circle. In this conversation, he walks Justin through the whole arc: getting honest on his medical application, a Valentine's Day slip two months into sobriety, the HIMS program, and…

People in this episode

Host: Justin Siems

Guest: Evan Davis

Topics covered

• aviation
• addiction recovery
• personal stories
• flight training
• second chances

Keywords

• aviation
• addiction
• FAA
• flight training
• PC-12
• medevac
• sobriety
• HIMS program

Sponsors

Avemco

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Alaska, Kotzebue, Frank Church, Homer, Arctic Circle

More episodes of Pilot to Pilot

• E356: From SWAT to Corporate Jet Pilot - How Josh Changed Careers and Built a Life in Aviation · April 14, 2026 · 1h 13m
• E355: From 9/11 to Special Ops: Flying Secret Missions · March 3, 2026 · 1h 9m
• Ep. 354: Trent Palmer | FAA Called On Me Twice, Lost My License, and Almost Quit Flying · February 24, 2026 · 1h 26m
• Flying the San Diego Coastline at 15 Knots | Chancy Arnold · February 11, 2026 · 43 min
• E352: From Oshkosh to Lakeland: Gene Conrad on Running Sun 'n Fun's $7M Aviation Spectacular · February 3, 2026 · 58 min
• E351: Type Rated at 800 Hours: Building a Corporate Aviation Career Early | Ariel Johnson · January 27, 2026 · 56 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Pilot to Pilot podcast page.