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.
Choose your favorite podcast player
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...
Play Latest Episode
New to Stories About Flying?
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.
Recent Episodes
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.
6
April 11, 2026
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 - wou
5
March 13, 2026
Flight Instructing is About More Than Just Logging hours
No individual can enhance aviation safety as much as a flight instructor. Flight instructors possess a powerful opportunity to make a tangible difference in someone’s life, very possibly the rest of their life. Whatever a student pilot learns – good or bad – they learn from us. The habits we teach them, not only how they fly but also how they think about flying, will stick with them long after their flying lessons are over too. Some instructors today seem to believe their job is to log as many
Recent Blog Posts
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 …
May 7, 2026
When a Standard Instrument Departure Becomes Hazardous to Your Professional Health
A routine standard instrument departure turns into a career-defining moment when poor cockpit communication and rushed decisions lead to a serious SID deviation. In this episode, Rob Mark shares how one flight exposed the dangers of weak Crew Re…
About the Host
Rob Mark