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Early in my career, I learned something that changed how I operate. I was a young dispatcher trying to find my footing in business aviation — and I realized there were things I didn't know. Not just gaps I could see and fill. Gaps I couldn't even see yet. Things I didn't know I didn't know.

That's a humbling place to be. And it's where most of us start.

So I did what any smart person does. I stopped trying to have all the answers myself, and I started building relationships with people who'd been where I hadn't. I compared notes. I asked hard questions. I listened to the people who'd already made the mistakes, navigated the difficult airports, managed the impossible trips, and came out the other side with hard-won knowledge.

That network became one of the most valuable things in my career. The Ramp exists to build that network for everyone.

This is a community for the people who actually do this work — pilots, dispatchers, flight coordinators, operations managers, handlers, and the professionals behind the scenes who make business aviation run at the highest level. People who love what they do and understand that sharing knowledge makes all of us better.

We're not here to impress you with credentials. We're here to have honest conversations about what this industry really looks like from the inside — the decisions, the challenges, the hard lessons, and the wisdom that doesn't make it into any manual.

If you've ever been on the ramp at 2 am in a city you've never been to, trying to solve a problem nobody prepared you for — this community is for you.

Pull up a chair. You're among your people.

The Ramp — Mission & Heart

The Ramp exists because of a feeling I had early in my career.

I was a young dispatcher, newly arrived at Texas Instruments, and I was surrounded by some of the best operators in business aviation. I knew I was good. But I also knew there were things I didn't know — and worse, I didn't know what I didn't know. That gap kept me up at night.

So I did what made sense. I built a network. I found the smartest, most experienced people in every corner of this industry, and I started comparing notes.

Everything we do comes back to this.

Built for
The people who make the flight actually work.
International Flight Dispatchers
Corporate Aviation Schedulers
FBO & Ground Handling Leaders
Corporate Pilots Operating Internationally
Permit Specialist & Regulatory Experts
Flight Department Directors & DOMS

FAA Licensed Dispatcher

The Host

25 years on both sides of the operations

Duke LeDuc is an FAA Licensed Aircraft Dispatcher with over 25 years in business aviation — building international dispatch operations, managing IS-BAO Stage III flight departments, and leading regional operations across some of the most complex airspace in the world.

He's seen what happens when information is fragmented, vendors are conflicted, and crews are left to figure it out on the ramp. The Ramp exists to change that — by surfacing real operational intelligence from the people who live this every day.

01

Licensed

FAA-Licensed Aircraft Dispatcher with more than 25 years of experience across corporate aviation, global trip support, and international operations.

02

UAS International Trip Support

Former Senior Leader at UAS International Trip Support, overseeing global operations strategy, VVIP mission support, and the development of worldwide standards and training.

03

Texas Instruments

Operations & Dispatch Manager for Texas Instruments’ IS-BAO Stage III Flight Department, managing international trip planning, crew legality, and operational initiatives for a world-class corporate aviation program.

04

Air Routing International

10+ Years at Air Routing International, supporting corporate, government, and charter operators with worldwide permits, handling, routing, and mission coordination.

05

U.S. Navy

U.S. Navy Aviation Background, serving in multiple aviation units in maintenance control, operations, and readiness management.

06

Industry Leader

Industry Contributor & Leader, including service on the Texas Corporate Aviation Schedulers & Dispatchers (TCAS) committee and co-presenting on aviation digital transformation and operational efficiency.

Season One

Meet the season one guests

Now streaming.
Tap a guest to read their story and watch or listen to their episode.

JC

Episode 01

Jeff Coggins

Told He’d Never Fly, Now He’s a Chief Pilot

Chief Pilot & Assistant Director of Operations · Phoenix Air Group

I began flight training in 2003 after a long two-year recovery from a traffic accident that cost me my ability to walk for quite a while. Every rating I have, except my MEI, was signed off by the same cowboy instructor in East Texas including my A&P. After finishing my ratings in both a 150 & a Mooney we purchased, I finished my B.S. in Aviation Management at Jacksonville University where I met my wife, the mother of my 3 boys.

I flew in Alaska for about a year and then made the transition to tactical unmanned aircraft flying them on three continents over 4 deployments. One to the Middle East, two to South America, and one to Afghanistan with NSW and Army 3SFG. After 3 years of that I got a job flying a Learjet for an oil company in Oklahoma where I worked as a mechanic in addition to my FO duties. From there, I was recruited by PAG where I have been ever since. My career with them started flying our highly modified Learjets providing training for the US Navy. In 2021 I was promoted Asst. Director of Operations and later Chief Pilot. We have 55 pilots, 37 airplanes, two OCONUS bases, one CONUS base, and we are about to open two more CONUS bases. I am also a LCA on the G-3 and a “all-checks” checkairman on the Learjet in both the aircraft and simulator.

To date I have 5 type ratings, two UAV type ratings, and have landed on 6 continents.

SD

Episode 02

Dr. Scott Dennstaedt

Introduction to Weather and Aviation Journey

Founder, EZWxBrief · Meteorologist · Commercial Pilot & CFI

Dr. Scott Dennstaedt, founder of the EZWxBrief progressive web app, is a nationally recognized expert in aviation weather and has been a meteorologist for over 45 years. He holds a Ph.D. in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Combining his background as a research meteorologist with his credentials as a commercial pilot and Certified Flight Instructor — logging over 4,000 flight hours over the past quarter-century — he delivers a distinctive, practical methodology to help general aviation pilots manage and minimize their exposure to adverse weather.

A prolific author, Scott has penned more than 400 articles for leading aviation publications since earning his flight instructor certificate in the late 1990s. He currently serves as a contributing editor for FLYING magazine and authored Weather Essentials for Pilots: The Skew-T Edition (2023). Additionally, Scott co-authored Pilot Weather: From Solo to the Airlines, widely regarded as the new gold standard for aviators across all skill levels.

For 25 years, Scott has been a featured speaker on various aviation weather topics at major industry events across the nation. As he continues to expand features for his EZWxBrief progressive web app, Scott prepares for his upcoming retirement at the end of this year to dedicate his time to community service and supporting underserved populations.

RZ

Episode 03

Richard Ziskind

Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better in Private Aviation

Founder · Ziskind Aviation Advisory LLC

Richard Ziskind is a senior aviation executive, strategic advisor, and industry thought leader with more than four decades of experience across commercial aviation, business aviation, aircraft management, luxury aviation, aircraft acquisitions, leasing, and emerging aerospace technologies.

Throughout his career, Mr. Ziskind has held senior leadership positions with airlines, private aviation companies, and specialized aviation platforms serving corporations, high-net-worth individuals, government entities, and international clients. His experience encompasses executive management, commercial strategy, business development, aircraft management, sales and marketing, client services, fleet planning, regulatory oversight, and aircraft acquisition and leasing.

Mr. Ziskind previously served as Chief Commercial Officer and later as Chief of Staff to the Board at Alerion Aviation, where he was involved in commercial strategy, business development, aircraft management, client experience, sales, and organizational initiatives. He also served as Vice President and Managing Director of Crystal Luxury Air, the private aviation division of Crystal Cruises, where he helped oversee the development and operation of a luxury aviation platform utilizing Boeing Business Jet and Bombardier aircraft.

His broader aviation career has included significant involvement in aircraft sales, leasing, fleet development, international aviation programs, and the creation and implementation of new commercial aviation concepts. This combination of operational, commercial, and strategic experience has provided him with a comprehensive understanding of both the traditional aviation sector and the evolving business models shaping its future.

Today, as Founder of Ziskind Aviation Advisory LLC, Mr. Ziskind provides strategic guidance to aircraft owners, operators, investors, aviation companies, and other industry stakeholders. His advisory work focuses on aircraft management, operating economics, commercial strategy, business development, industry consolidation, strategic partnerships, and growth opportunities within the private and business aviation sectors.

Mr. Ziskind is also actively engaged in the evolution of next-generation aviation, including electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, Advanced Air Mobility, unmanned aircraft systems, hybrid-electric aviation, and emerging transportation technologies. He regularly contributes commentary and analysis on the changing structure of private aviation, Part 135 operations, aircraft management, industry consolidation, and the technologies expected to influence the future of flight.

With a career spanning both established aviation operations and emerging aerospace innovation, Mr. Ziskind brings a distinctive combination of executive leadership, commercial insight, operational knowledge, and long-term industry perspective to his advisory and professional activities.

RM

Upcoming episode

Rhonda Martin

From the Front Office to the Flight Department

Senior Aircraft Scheduler at Nationwide

Rhonda Martin is a Senior Aircraft Scheduler at Nationwide, where she coordinates the movements of two corporate aircraft and ensures every passenger’s experience is seamless, safe, and positive. With more than 15 years of executive support and operational coordination experience, she brings a rare blend of precision, empathy, and relationship‑driven leadership to the aviation environment.

After serving in multiple high‑level support roles across Nationwide, Rhonda transitioned into corporate aviation — a move that allowed her to combine her operational discipline with her passion for learning and problem‑solving. She continues to expand her expertise in scheduling, communication, and flight department operations, contributing to a smoother, more connected experience for crews and passengers alike.

What you’ll
hear on
The Ramp

Every episode is built around a single question: What do you need to know before you land? Guests bring real operational experience — not theory, not marketing — intelligence you can use.

Season One · TopicsGate / Subject

01

Airport Intelligence That Doesn’t Exist Anywhere

What the charts don’t tell you. What the handlers know and aren’t saying. What the last three crews got wrong.

02

The Real State of International Handling

FBO leaders and ground handlers share the unfiltered operational truth — capacity, reliability, and what actually happens at their airports.

03

Regulatory Reality from the People Who Write the Process

Permit specialists, regulatory experts, and compliance professionals on what flight departments consistently get wrong before they even call.

04

How Elite Flight Departments Think About International Risk

Directors of Flight Operations and DOMs on how they pre-trip, how they evaluate vendors, and how they protect their crews when things go sideways.

05

Technology, Tools & What’s Actually Changing Ops

Avionics leaders, software builders, and tech-forward operators on what’s genuinely improving international operations — and what’s noise.

06

Corridor Deep Dives — Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Asia

Region-specific intelligence from people who operate there every week — the airports, the vendors, the politics, and the surprises.

    Airport intelligence✈International handling✈Regulatory reality✈International risk✈Tools and technology✈Corridor deep dives✈
    Airport intelligence✈International handling✈Regulatory reality✈International risk✈Tools and technology✈Corridor deep dives✈
  

Launching July 2026

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The Ramp Podcast

Real intelligence. Real people. Real operations.

duke@theramppodcast.fm

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Website Privacy PolicyPrivacy PolicyLast modified: October 16, 2026

This policy explains what information The Ramp collects, why we collect it, and the choices you have.

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The Ramp Podcast
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These terms apply to theramppodcast.fm, the early-access email list and The Ramp podcast content.

01About The Ramp

The Ramp Podcast (“The Ramp,” “we,” “us”) is an operational intelligence podcast for the people who plan and execute international business aviation, hosted by Duke LeDuc. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of theramppodcast.fm (the “Website”), our early-access email list, and the podcast content we publish.

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18Contact

The Ramp Podcast
Email: duke@theramppodcast.fm
Website: theramppodcast.fm

Welcome toThe Ramp.

The Ramp exists because of a feeling I had early in my career.

The people who make the flight actually work.

International Flight Dispatchers

Corporate Aviation Schedulers

FBO & Ground Handling Leaders

Corporate Pilots Operating Internationally

Permit Specialist & Regulatory Experts

Flight Department Directors & DOMS