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Stories about Flying: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Rob Mark
Adventures both in-the-air and surrounding the topic of flying airplanes
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 weeks ago17 min
Labor Day Explained
Much about the American Labor movement has changed dramatically in the past 100 years. But some of the more unsavory aspects of labor remain exactly the same as they were a century ago.Here's why.
- 3 weeks ago14 min
Airplanes and Water Can Mix
I reminisce about the adventure and the fun of adding a single-engine seaplane rating to my pilot certificate.
- Jul 31, 202620 min
ATC: 45 Years After the PATCO Strike
August 3 is the 45th anniversary of the infamous PATCO strike that cost 11,435 air traffic controllers their careers after they called a strike against the FAA.Nearly five decades later, the nation's air traffic control system remains short of enough controllers to keep the system humming like it did before the strike. And since August, 1981 air traffic numbers have tripled.Join Rob Mark as he blends a bit of aviation history with the realities of what the FAA is doing to make the ATC system work safely in 2026.
- Jul 12, 202612 min
Aircraft Emergencies & the Saga of Speedbird 009
Ever wonder how pilots think during an emergency and why they never seem to panic? Listen as I describe what happened aboard a British Airways 747 flight when they encountered the ash cloud created by the eruption of a volcano on the island of Java.
- Jun 25, 202613 min
Work Life Balance ... for Pilots?
At a recent CAP Squadron meeting, a cadet officer commented about how unsavory the schedules could be for pilots. Having spent much of my life in a cockpit, I took his comment rather personally.I thought more about his words over the next few days and came to realize that the aerospace industry really does need to get its act together to better balance an employee's personal life with their job if we want to attract more young people to the industry.
- May 22, 20268 min
Are You a Space Geek
Rob's personal reflection on his lifelong fascination with space exploration and astronauts. It was recently highlighted by attendance at the Chicago premiere of Spacewoman, a documentary about Eileen Collins, a retired Air Force Colonel and the first woman to pilot and command a space shuttle. The story explores a bit of Rob's identity as a “space geek,” shaped by growing up during the era of the American space race, including the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. The author recalls admiration for astronauts such as Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, Gene Cernan, and Charlie Precourt, emphasizing the excitement and wonder of human spaceflight.The article concludes with the author admitting limited knowledge of international space programs, particularly Singapore’s efforts, before introducing aviation podcaster Grant McHerron, who attended the Singapore Air Show and offered to share his insights about the country’s developing space ambitions.
- May 6, 202612 min
When a Standard Instrument Departure Becomes Hazardous to Your Professional Health
A routine instrument departure turns into a career-defining moment when poor cockpit communication and rushed decisions lead to a serious ATC deviation.In this episode, Rob Mark shares how one flight exposed the dangers of weak Crew Resource Management (CRM) - and the hard lesson that remaining silent can be just as risky as making the wrong call.
- Apr 11, 202622 min
The Coveted 1500 Hours
Before 2009, pilots who wanted a career as an airline pilot could easily be hired with as little as 300 hours total time in their logbooks. That all changed after the crash of a Continental Express Bombardier Q400 turboprop with the loss of all aboard while on approach to Buffalo, New York.Following an outcry from survivors of the Q400's victims, the FAA changed the rules the airlines would need to follow to hire new crewmembers. All new Part 121 pilots - both captains and first officers - would be required to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate.Louis Smith from FAPA.aero outlined the pay scales for the airlines which makes it pretty clear why airline pilot jobs are so highly sought after.When a pilot earns their commercial certificate, it can seem like a very, very long road to earn the remaining hours needed to qualify for an ATP certificate. Myself, I towed banner and flew night aerial advertising aircraft, flew a couple of light twins for a company.Some pilots see flight instructing as the only way to earn this additional time. But for me and a few others, there's an adventure awaiting if they choose to make the effort.For me, logging the needed 1500 hours included many hours of ferrying aircraft around the country as you'll hear. But my friend Tom Horne - editor-at-large - for AOPA Pilot dove headlong into aircraft ferrying in his early years.He shares stories about his adventures traveling around the world delivering aircraft across the ocean, at night and in IFR weather ... like his longest trip from St. Johns Newfoundland, to Bangkok, Thailand.Rob Mark, Stories about Flying
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Stories about Flying covers topics including Leisure, Education, Aviation. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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