Stories About Flying
While aviation certainly has its ups and downs, it's an industry chock full of exciting adventures at every turn. In this podcast, award-winning aviation journalist Rob Mark shares stories about the people who make the industry work, as well as the safety lessons each flight can teach us. He'll pull stories from the archives of his 50+ years of flying for the airlines, corporate, charter, and as a flight instructor, as well as his previous life as a tower and radar air traffic controller for the FAA and while in the US Air Force. He'll also share some of the terrific tales he's gleaned from other respected podcasters.
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Stories About Flying
While aviation certainly has its ups and downs, it's an industry crammed full of exciting adventures at every turn. Award-winning aviation journalist Rob Mark shares stories that anyone who flies, or is even interested in flying airplanes, or anything related to flying, won't be able to turn off. He...
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11
July 31, 2026
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
Recent Episodes
12
Aug. 24, 2026
Airplanes and Water Can Mix
I reminisce about the adventure and the fun of adding a single-engine seaplane rating to my pilot certificate.
11
July 31, 2026
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
10
July 12, 2026
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 emergency through the lens of the near catastrophe of Speedbird (British Airways) flight 009.
9
June 25, 2026
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.
8
May 22, 2026
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 astro
7
May 6, 2026
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.
Recent Blog Posts
Aug. 1, 2026
ATC: 45 Years After the PATCO Strike
Welcome to another episode of Stories about Flying I’m Rob Mark Air Traffic Control 45-Years After the PATCO Strike Giving credit where it’s due, Sean Duffy’s leadership of the Department of Transportation, over the past 18 months, has led to m…
May 7, 2026
Armchair Accident Investigators
Welcome to another episode of Stories about Flying. I'm Rob Mark. Av Web published a poll last year asking readers whether armchair accident analysis had gotten out of hand. Slightly more than 600 people responded, claiming it absolutely was beca…
May 7, 2026
Flight Instructing is About More Than Just Logging Hours
No individual can enhance aviation safety as much as a flight instructor. Here’s why I’ve held my flight instructor certificate for more than 50 years. After earning my private pilot certificate in the early 1970s, I couldn’t think of anything …
About the Host
Rob Mark