Cirrus Is a Chinese Company? Plus CO Risk and DPE Shortage

Is Cirrus secretly owned by a Chinese company, and could carbon monoxide be hiding in your training aircraft right now? ✈️

In this episode of the Aviation Mentors Podcast, Brandon and Carson tackle a stacked listener Q&A covering the biggest questions general aviation pilots are asking right now. Carson also catches Brandon off guard with breaking news about Cirrus. They cover:

• Carson asks Brandon if he's heard the news: the Pentagon just added Cirrus to its list of Chinese military companies, and Brandon's reaction says it all
• Whether carbon monoxide poisoning is a real risk in training aircraft, including a real ATC story that shows why CO sensors matter
• How the DPE shortage is affecting checkride scheduling and training timelines for student pilots
• Whether you can really afford to own an airplane, and why the dream isn't as out of reach as people think
• What basic med actually requires, and whether it's a better option than a regular FAA medical for most GA pilots
• Where the unleaded fuel transition for general aviation actually stands today

🚀 Whether you're a student pilot, private pilot, or CFI, this episode breaks down real questions affecting your training, your aircraft, and the industry news you need to know about.

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Sponsored by Stratus Financial: stratus.finance/scholarship-2026/ Ascend Flight Training Summit: ascendflighttrainingsummit.com