Aviation Masters Podcast

General aviation doesn’t change in sudden revolutions. It evolves quietly: through material choices, certification decisions, engineering tradeoffs, and lessons learned the hard way over decades. In this episode of Aviation Masters, host Mike Busch sits down with Jimmy Tubbs for a wide-ranging conversation that spans more than sixty years of aviation engineering, from Cold War military programs to the future of piston GA. From Small-Town Roots to Aeronautical Engineering Jimmy Tubbs’ path into aviation began long before general aviation became what it is today. Growing up in small-town Texas, he developed an early curiosity about how things worked, which naturally led him toward engineering—and eventually aerospace. That path took him into military aviation during a period when engineering rigor was non-negotiable. Tubbs spent 17 years as a civilian engineer and engineering supervisor for the U.S. Air Force, working on aircraft programs such as the F-102 Delta Dagger and the T-38 Talon. In these unforgiving environments, Tubbs learned quickly that materials, structures, and systems had to perform exactly as designed. Those early years shaped how Tubbs would approach aviation for the rest of his career: with discipline, skepticism, and a strong preference for data over assumptions. Engineering, Materials, and the Birth […]

If you have ever been told, “That’s just how piston engines work,” this episode of Aviation Masters might make you raise an eyebrow and then start asking more questions. In this episode, host Mike Busch sits down with George Braly, one of the most influential (and unapologetically analytical) minds in modern general aviation. Braly is an inventor, trial lawyer, entrepreneur, and the co-founder and chief engineer of General Aviation Modifications, Inc. (GAMI)—the company behind GAMjectors, Tornado Alley Turbo systems, and the FAA-approved high-octane unleaded avgas G100UL. This is not a surface-level conversation. It is a deep, technical, and refreshingly honest look at how innovation actually happens in aviation and why it is often resisted at every step of the way. Meet George Braly: Engineer, Heretic, Problem-Solver Mike introduces Braly with equal parts respect and amusement, describing him as an iconoclast, a destroyer of old wives’ tales, and the “Archbishop of the Church of Lean-of-Peak.” The titles fit. Braly grew up in Ada, Oklahoma, building model airplanes as a kid and catching the aviation bug early. He soloed at 17, earned his private certificate shortly after, and went on to study aerospace engineering at Brown University. While still a student, he […]