Best Pan Am Museum Foundation Podcasts (2024)

1
Episode 49: Edith Head, A Hollywood Legend 1:21:37

1M ago1:21:37

1:21:37

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we explore the life of legendary Hollywood costume designer Edith Head who designed uniforms for Pan American World Airways introduced in 1975 and used until the early 1980s. Then we will be joined by actor Susan Claassen who plays the Hollywood legend in her one-woman production called A CONVERSATION WITH ED…

1
Episode 48: The Archer's...A Family of Aviators 1:13:02

1M ago1:13:02

1:13:02

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we celebrate the Archer’s...a family of aviators. 89-year-old Pan Am Captain Stu Archer joined the airline in 1965 as an engineer after serving in the U.S. Air Force. Stu began flying the 727 and then was promoted to captain on the 747 and later Airbus A300 and A310. He stayed with Pan Am until 1991 and then …

1
Episode 47: The "Nisei" Stewardesses of Pan Am 57:11

4M ago57:11

57:11

Send us a Text Message. The Pan Am Museum Foundation recognizes the month of May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and in this episode we explore the history of Pan Am’s “Nisei” Stewardesses with Dr. Christine R. Yano, retired professor of anthropology at the University of Hawai’I and author of the book, Airbour…

1
Episode 46: Capt. Mike Bannister, Chief Pilot of British Airways Concorde 57:57

5M ago57:57

57:57

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we welcome back to the program Captain Mike Bannister, the chief pilot of British Airways' Concorde fleet from 1995 to 2003. He is also the author of a recently published book titled Concorde. This book is available through your favorite bookstore or online retailer. Also coming out to great fanfare in 2023 w…

1
Episode 45: National Airlines 1:39:05

6M ago1:39:05

1:39:05

Send us a Text Message. Pan American World Airways acquired National Airlines in 1980 and preserving the history of National is now the responsibility of the Pan Am Museum and we take this duty seriously. In this episode we explore the fascinating history of National Airlines. Then we will be joined by four veterans of National Airlines: Captain Ro…

1
Episode 44: Capt. Robert Ford and the Long Way Home 1:15:27

8M ago1:15:27

1:15:27

Send us a Text Message. In this special episode we will be exploring the incredible life of Pan Am Captain Robert Ford, a trailblazing flying boat aviator that found international fame with an unscheduled flight round the globe. And we welcome back to the program Pan Am 747 Captain John Marshall that knew Pan Am legend Captain Robert Ford and recor…

1
Episode 43: Terror at the Rome Airport, December 1973 Attack 1:37:39

9M ago1:37:39

1:37:39

Send us a Text Message. This is a special memorial edition of this program and recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Rome airport attack. We are joined by two survivors that were on a Pan Am plane that was firebombed at the Rome airport on December 17, 1973: Pan Am Flight Engineer Ken Pfrang and Pan Am passenger B.J. Geisler. B.J. is the author of…

1
Episode 42: Operation Babylift: The 1975 Saigon Evacuation 1:20:54

9M ago1:20:54

1:20:54

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we explore Operation Babylift, the historic April 1975 evacuation of more than 3,000 Vietnamese war orphans just before the fall of South Vietnam. We are joined by Thoa Bui, Vice President of Programs and Services for Holt International and Al Topping, Pan Am’s Country Director for South Vietnam. This episode…

1
Episode 41: The Stewardess Labor Movement of the 1960s and 1970s 1:02:01

11M ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by Nell McShane Wulfhart, author of the book The Great Stewardess Rebellion: How Women Launched a Workplace Revolution at 30,000 Feet. Nell is a frequent contributor to the New York Times travel section and wrote the column “Carry On” from 2016 to 2019. She has written for Travel + Leisure, Bon …

1
Episode 40: Tom Betti and a Rock Song About History 1:09:55

1y ago1:09:55

1:09:55

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are turning the tables…the interviewee becomes the interviewer. Guest host Phillip Keene interviews the host of The Pan Am Podcast, historian Tom Betti to bring our listeners his story. Phillip is a podcast guest in episodes 18, 29, and 30. This program is marking a milestone as this is the 40th episode an…

1
Episode 39: Madeline Smith and a Romance in the Sky 1:08:40

1y ago1:08:40

1:08:40

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by 98-year-old Madeline Smith and her daughter Valerie Smith O’Grady Skinner. Both were Pan Am flight attendants…Madeline joined the airline right after the war in 1946 and Valerie, following in her mother’s footsteps, joined the company in 1977. Madeline was a stewardess until 1951 when she res…

1
Episode 38: Dan Colussy, Pan Am's President and Chief Operating Officer in the 1970s 1:26:13

1y ago1:26:13

1:26:13

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by Dan Colussy who served as Pan Am’s President and Chief Operating Officer in the 1970s. Dan will share his experiences of working in the airline industry during a pivotal point in Pan Am history. This interview provides a unique look inside the workings of the executive leadership of the airli…

1
Episode 37: Lester Kappel, World War II Aircraft Mechanic with Pan Am 1:04:21

1+ y ago1:04:21

1:04:21

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by 99-year-old Lester Kappel. He worked for Pan Am during World War II beginning in early 1942 until mid 1946. He was stationed for the majority of World War II in Casablanca with the African-Orient division of Pan Am under the Air Transport Command. Lester provides a unique perspective of what …

1
Episode 36: Sam Donaldson, Legendary Newsman 1:37:12

1+ y ago1:37:12

1:37:12

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by legendary journalist Sam Donaldson where we will talking about traveling with Pan Am on assignment, covering presidents as White House correspondent, tracking down a Nazi war criminal, deregulation of the airlines, and everything in between. He is best known for his distinguished 52 year care…

1
Episode 35: Pan Am's Diversity in the Cockpit 1:40:37

1+ y ago1:40:37

1:40:37

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we continue to celebrate Black History Month and are joined by veteran Pan Am pilots Captain Perry Jones and Ed Moon. Perry was the first African American to be hired by Pan Am in late 1965 and Ed was the third to be hired in early 1967. The second African American hired by Pan Am was Otis Benjamin Young in 1…

1
Episode 34: Junius Kellogg and the Pan Am Jets Wheelchair Basketball Team 1:14:57

1+ y ago1:14:57

1:14:57

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we celebrate Black History Month and are joined by author Bruce Wolk to explore the inspiring life of sports legend Junius Kellogg and his incredible connection to Pan American World Airways. Junius Kellogg was born on March 16, 1927 in Haverstraw, New York to Lucy Lee Williams and Theodore Kellogg. Young Jun…

1
Episode 33: Dr. Johanna O’Flaherty, Helping Others With Weighted Wings 1:02:01

1+ y ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by Dr. Johanna O’Flaherty. Johanna joined Pan American World Airways in 1970 as a flight attendant, and was later promoted to purser, trainer, and in 1986 was appointed Corporate Manager of Pan Am’s new Employee Assistance Program (also known commonly today as EAP). In this role, Johanna was res…

1
Episode 32: Terror on the Airline, New Lockerbie Arrest, and the Quest for Justice 1:22:28

1+ y ago1:22:28

1:22:28

Send us a Text Message. On December 11, 2022, Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi (Mas’ud), the suspected bomb maker in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, was arrested by the U.S. Department of Justice and brought to the United States for prosecution. In this episode we are joined by two distinguished guests, Fred Burton and Mark Zaid, who dis…

1
Episode 31: The Last CEO and the Last Clipper 1:39:49

1+ y ago1:39:49

1:39:49

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we will be recognizing the 31st anniversary of Pan American World Airways ceasing operations and explore the lead up to and the tumultuous year of 1991 which ended with the shutdown of Pan Am. For the first interview, we are joined by the last CEO and Chairman of Pan Am, Russell L. Ray, Jr., and talk about hi…

1
Episode 30: The Art of Travel Posters 59:08

1+ y ago59:08

59:08

Send us a Text Message. In this 30th episode of The Pan Am Podcast we will be exploring the Art of Travel posters! We are joined by guests Phillip Keene, a Pan Am veteran flight attendant and collector and Meg Williams of the company Stick No Bills which restores and recreates high quality travel posters in stunning detail with rich and vibrant col…

1
Episode 29: AIDS Epidemic of the 1980s, Remembering Those We Lost 1:32:26

2y ago1:32:26

1:32:26

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we will be discussing the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and begins with a report from ABC News on the evening of December 17, 1982. Five veteran Pan Am employees (David Hinson, Phillip Keene, Linda Freire, Becky Sprecher, and Linda Reynolds) join us to share their experience during this time period and memories …

1
Episode 28: The Flying Piano Player 49:48

2y ago49:48

49:48

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by Captain Beau Brant of United Airlines. He started flying for United in 2005 and has flown regional jets, 757s, 767s, and 787s throughout his career. He currently flies the Airbus A320. When he is not in the air, his other passion is music…and today, in addition to being a commercial airline p…

1
Episode 27: Flight 73 Hostage Negotiations and Hijacking Aftermath 1:49:51

2y ago1:49:51

1:49:51

Send us a Text Message. This episode is a continuation of Episode 26 about the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73. On September 5th 1986, at around 5:10am local time in Karachi, Pakistan, a Boeing 747 named Clipper Empress of the Seas was hijacked by four armed Palestinian commandos on the ground during the boarding process with almost 400 people on the…

1
Episode 26: Flight 73 Hijacking Remembrance 2:37:59

2y ago2:37:59

2:37:59

Send us a Text Message. On September 5, 1986 at around 5:10am local time in Karachi, Pakistan, a Pan Am Boeing 747 named Clipper Empress of the Seas was hijacked by four armed Palestinian commandos on the ground during the boarding process with almost 400 people on the aircraft. A total of 20 people, including two Pan Am crew members and 18 passeng…

1
Episode 25: An Airline Romance, Marriage in the Middle East During a Coup, and Neighbors with a Pan Am Connection 1:12:08

2y ago1:12:08

1:12:08

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by Barbara Morris Wood and Karen Wallin Usas. Barbara will be celebrating her 100th birthday on September 13, 2022! A very special early happy birthday greeting from all of us here at the Pan Am Museum! Barbara worked for Pan Am for five years between 1944 and 1949. Her time at Pan Am, while sho…

1
Episode 24: Catch Me If You Can…An Interview with Frank Abagnale 59:11

2y ago59:11

59:11

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by Frank W. Abagnale, Jr. to talk about his interesting background. He will also provide tips on protecting your identity and wallet and how to avoid scams. The 2002 academy award-nominated film by Steven Spielberg, Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks was loosely based …

1
Episode 23: The Stratocruiser, Tragedy Over the Amazon, and a Concert in the Sky 1:13:42

2y ago1:13:42

1:13:42

Send us a Text Message. In this episode Barbara Sharfstein, 92, a veteran Pan Am flight attendant, joins us to talk about her flying career, tragedy over the Amazon, and a concert in the sky with Louis Armstrong. Barbara joined Pan Am in 1951 and after 35 years of service with the airline as a flight attendant, purser, check purser, and 747 in-flig…

1
Episode 22: Max Gurney - WWII Hero, Airline Legend, and Renaissance Gentleman 1:04:25

2y ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Send us a Text Message. In this special episode we are joined by Max Gurney, who will celebrate his 101st birthday on June 10, 2022! The Pan Am Museum and the entire worldwide Pan Am community wish him the happiest of birthdays! Max is a 45-year veteran of Pan Am and a living legend within the airline community. He is also the godfather to His Seri…

1
Episode 21: White House Press Charters and Flying with Air Force One 1:43:02

2+ y ago1:43:02

1:43:02

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we will be exploring Pan Am’s prestigious role in White House Press Charters travelling as part of the entourage of the President of United States and his aircraft, Air Force One. Then we are joined by three special guests. Our first guest is Dwight Chapin who was a top aide to President Richard M. Nixon. He …

1
Episode 20: Flying for TWA, Pan Am, and Living in Afghanistan 1:20:06

2+ y ago1:20:06

1:20:06

Send us a Text Message. In this 20th episode, we are joined by Mary Lou Bigelow, a former TWA air hostess from 1959–1962 and a Pan Am stewardess/purser from 1962-1964. She discusses working for the two airlines and what it was like to live in Afghanistan. In 1964, Mary Lou married a pilot, whom she met in Beirut, Lebanon while working a 14-day NYC-…

1
Episode 19: Concorde 1:57:41

2+ y ago1:57:41

1:57:41

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we explore the fascinating history of Concorde from British Airways. This episode is a direct follow up to “Episode 7: Supersonic Transports, An Angry JFK, and Flying the Line.” In that episode we explored the race for the first passenger supersonic aircraft between a British and French partnership, the Unite…

1
Episode 18: Pan Am in the Movies, From Flight Attendant to Hollywood Actor 1:36:31

2+ y ago1:36:31

1:36:31

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we explore the history of Pan Am in the Movies! Then we will be joined by two guests to talk about Hollywood and Pan Am! Mark Carlson is our first guest. He is the author of the book, Flying on Film: A Century of Aviation in the Movies, 1912 to 2012. Legally blind, Mark also wrote the award winning book, Conf…

1
Episode 17: Tenerife Airport Disaster Remembrance 1:44:18

2+ y ago1:44:18

1:44:18

Send us a Text Message. We dedicate this episode to all the 583 victims of this tragedy. They are remembered. To the family and friends of the victims...our sincerest condolences. Special Guest: Dorothy Kelly, a Pan Am Flight Attendant who survived the accident, tells her harrowing and heroic story of survival and helping those in need. On March 27…

1
Episode 16: Aviation Pioneers, Birth of an Airline, and Dodging the KGB 1:11:57

2+ y ago1:11:57

1:11:57

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we explore the founding of Pan Am and the early years of the airline. Juan T. Trippe is widely known as the principle founder of Pan Am and rightly so. However, the early history of Pan Am is very complex and at times quite confusing with multiple people and mergers involved. Then we are joined by George Hamb…

1
Episode 15: Pan Am International Flight Academy and Stories From the Flight Deck 56:16

2+ y ago56:16

56:16

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we explore the only division of Pan Am American World Airways that survived bankruptcy liquidation and emerged as an independent company called the Pan Am International Flight Academy headquartered in Miami, Florida. Then we welcome back Pan Am Captains Paul LaCheppelle and John Marshall. Captain Lachapelle i…

1
Episode 14: Panamac Computers, the Dawn of the Information Age, and Global Trailblazing Women 47:04

2+ y ago47:04

47:04

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we will be exploring another innovation of the early 1960s, Pan Am’s worldwide reservation and communications system called Panamac. Then we are joined by Julia Cooke, the author of the best-selling book Come Fly the World which was recently nominated for the Goodreads Best Books 2021 Choice Awards. To purcha…

1
Episode 13: The TWA Edition! Exploring the TWA Museum and TWA Hotel 1:28:31

2+ y ago1:28:31

1:28:31

Send us a Text Message. Welcome to a special TWA Edition of The Pan Am Podcast! In this episode we are joined by Pam Blaschum, the director of the TWA Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Then we are joined by Tyler Morse of MCR Hotels who developed the former TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport in New York City into today’s TWA Hotel. It is important to …

1
Episode 12: Lockerbie and Flight 103 Remembrance 1:36:43

2+ y ago1:36:43

1:36:43

Send us a Text Message. We dedicate this episode to all the 270 victims of this tragedy. They are remembered. To the family and friends of the victims...our sincerest condolences. Special Guests: John Reina, brother of victim Jocelyn Reina, with Pan Am veterans Linda Freire and Myron “Rosie” Rosenstein. Pan Am Flight 103 Memorial (Lockerbie Memoria…

1
Episode 11: The Legacy Endures 30 Years After Closing, A Conversation with Ed Trippe 1:30:40

2+ y ago1:30:40

1:30:40

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we commemorate the sad 30th Anniversary of Pan American World Airways ceasing operations on December 4, 1991. To mark this special milestone, we are joined by Ed Trippe, the youngest son of Pan Am’s legendary founder Juan Trippe and his wife Betty Stettinius Trippe. Ed is the founder and chairman of our siste…

1
Episode 10: The Pan Am Building, A Landmark of New York City 1:19:15

3y ago1:19:15

1:19:15

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, we explore the history of the Pan Am Building in New York City. This 59-story skyscraper is located at 200 Park Avenue and shares a lot with the beaux-arts icon, and National Landmark, New York’s Grand Central Terminal. Later in the program we are joined by Richard Roth, Jr., the grandson of Emery Roth, a pr…

1
Episode 9: JFK's WorldPort, Global Bargain Hunters, and a Jet-setting Mom 1:01:13

3y ago1:01:13

1:01:13

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, we will be exploring the history of the Pan Am WorldPort, and Unit Terminal Building (UTB), which was located at Terminal 3 within John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Later we are joined by author Wendy Sue Knecht to discuss her book, Life, Love, and a Hijacking: My Pan Am Memoir. Wendy j…

1
Episode 8: A Lifetime of Romantic Adventure…From Flying Boats to Jumbo Jets 1:04:06

3y ago1:04:06

1:04:06

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by a very special guest: Pan Am Captain Dave Bridges, Centenarian. He celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year and he just might be one of the oldest people to ever be on a podcast! A 37-year Pan Am veteran, Captain Bridges joined the company in 1943 and retired in 1981. He began as a rel…

1
Episode 7: Supersonic Transports, An Angry JFK, and Flying the Line 1:30:22

3y ago1:30:22

1:30:22

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we will be exploring the 1960s race for the first supersonic passenger aircraft between the United States, the Soviet Union, and a British-French partnership. Then we are joined by Becky Sprecher, a Pan Am flight attendant and co-author with Paula Helfrich of “Flying: A Novel,” a historical fiction book about…

1
Episode 6: Hijackings and the Dawn of Global Terrorism 1:26:06

3y ago1:26:06

1:26:06

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we explore the coordinated terrorist hijackings of four passenger airliners all bound for New York on the same day on September 6, 1970. The events were a watershed moment and aviation would never be the same again. The four planes involved were: a TWA Boeing 707, a SwissAir DC-8, a El Al Boeing 707, and a Pa…

1
Episode 5: Missiles, Hotels, and Rebranding an Icon 50:32

3y ago50:32

50:32

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we explore two of the subsidiaries of Pan Am: the InterContinental Hotels Corporation and the Pan Am Guided Missiles Range Division. Yep, you read that right, the airline company had its own hotel chain for about 30 years, and Pan Am did aerospace work for the U.S. government including the space program for a…

1
Episode 4: Evacuation of Saigon, Wings of Freedom Mission 1:19:19

3y ago1:19:19

1:19:19

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we are joined by Allan Topping, a Pan Am employee who evacuated almost 500 people out of Saigon days before the city fell. On April 24, 1975, at the conclusion of the Vietnam War, with time running out as Saigon was surrounded by North Vietnamese troops, a Pan Am 747 jumbo jet carried 463 American and South V…

1
Episode 3: Flying Boats, Irish Coffee, and a Hollywood Star 48:36

3y ago48:36

48:36

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we explore Pan Am’s Boeing 314 Flying Boats. Then we are joined by Margaret O’Shaughnessy of our sister museum, the Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum in Ireland. Check out their website: https://www.flyingboatmuseum.com/ Margaret will tell us all about her museum which has the only full scale replica in …

1
Episode 2: The First Presidential Flight and the Last Pan Am Flight 34:36

3y ago34:36

34:36

Send us a Text Message. In this episode we explore the first presidential flight. Then we are joined by Pan Am Captain John Marshall to share memories of the very last flight of Pan Am. The mission of the Pan Am Museum Foundation is “to educate, celebrate,and inspire present and future generations by preserving historical and diverse personal stori…

1
Episode 1: Welcome to the Pan Am Podcast and the Pan Am Museum 40:55

3y ago40:55

40:55

Send us a Text Message. Opened to the public in 2016 in Garden City, Long Island, New York (outside of NYC), the Pan Am Museum presents the Pan Am Podcast! The Museum’s mission is “to educate, celebrate, and inspire present and future generations by preserving historical and diverse personal stories of Pan American World Airways.” In this inaugural…

1
The Pan Am Podcast Trailer 1:53

3y ago1:53

1:53

Send us a Text Message. Welcome to The Pan Am Podcast, the podcast series from the Pan Am Museum Foundation. Pan Am was a pioneer in air travel and still stands as one of the most iconic and innovative airlines in aviation history. That legacy lives on at the Pan Am Museum in Garden City, New York, where you can explore the rich history of the airc…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Pan Am Museum Foundation Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide