Aviation News Episodes

Welcome back to the Black Box Aviation Podcast, where Tom and Mike break down aviation news, airline operations, pilot life, and the stories you don’t hear anywhere else. In this episode, we cover a wide range of topics—from critical MD-11 fleet updates to big career news, unexpected travel chaos, and a JetBlue flight that narrowly avoided a military tanker near Venezuela. ✈️ What’s in this episode: • MD-11 Update – New insight into bearing recommendations, inspection differences between F...

Welcome to the Black Box Aviation Podcast, where Tom and Mike break down the latest in aviation news, airline industry updates, pilot stories, air travel trends, and real-world flying experiences. This episode is packed with surprises, industry drama, and jaw-dropping aviation stories — including a live FedEx delivery surprise that shows up during the recording! ✈️ What we cover in this episode: • A surprise gift delivered by FedEx LIVE during the show • Flying with dogs on seats — a real ...

Buckle up — this week in aviation has been absolute turbulence. From major software recalls to a global cargo fleet grounding, winter runway scares, and wild stories from the road, Aviation Chaos Week breaks down everything shaking the industry. ✈️ This Episode Covers: 🔹 Airbus A320 global software recall impacting airlines worldwide — what caused it, who’s hit hardest, and how long disruptions may last 🔹 UPS MD-11 inspection crisis — why the fleet grounding now appears to be months, not week...

It's Thanksgiving — aviation style. 🦃✈️ On this episode of the Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom & Mike dive into the emotional, hilarious, and downright chaotic reality of spending the holidays as a pilot. We cover: 🍽 Childhood Thanksgiving traditions (and the family chaos that came with them) 🌨 New England vs Florida — the wildest Thanksgiving weather events ever recorded ⚠️ The Portland Gale tragedy: the 1898 storm that reshaped New England history 🚢 The grounded Venezuelan freighter and Pal...

Welcome back to The Black Box Aviation Podcast, where Tom & Mike dive into aviation, travel, and everything you need and WANT to know about the world of flying. This week is PACKED: ✈️ Breaking News — MD-11 Grounding FAA Air Directive grounding the MD-11, DC-10 & MD-10 fleet No inspection or repair guidance released yet NTSB briefing findings — CVR captured final 2 hours of audio What this means for pilots currently flying the MD-11 Simulator concerns, schedule...

The skies are turbulent this week — literally and politically. 🛫 In this action-packed episode of The Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom and Mike welcome Heather back in studio to unpack major breaking aviation news and real-world travel chaos. ✈️ Here’s what we’re covering: UPS Flight 2976 Update: Inside the investigation of the Louisville MD-11 crash and what the NTSB found in the recovered black box. MD-11 Fleet Grounding: Why UPS and FedEx grounded all MD-11 aircraft — and what it me...

In this special breaking news edition of The Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom and Mike dive deep into the tragic crash of UPS Flight 2976, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 that went down shortly after takeoff from Louisville, Kentucky. This episode hits close to home — Tom is currently qualified and flies the same aircraft type involved in the accident. With that insider knowledge, the hosts break down what’s known so far about the takeoff fire, engine failure, and possible uncontained engine event t...

This week on the Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom & Mike share real stories from the cockpit and the road: FedEx substitution vs. industry standards Riding Delta to Anchorage, hitting Diamond Status, and getting reprimanded for recording inflight 🎥 FAA landing currency rules and what happens when your trip gets dropped McDonald’s new “value” meals vs. $18 airport Big Macs 🍔 Breaking news: The Pilot Mental Health Bill (H.R.2591) passes the House — what it means for ...

In this powerful episode of The Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom & Mike reflect on September 11, 2001—walking through the timeline, sharing where they were in their own pilot training, and discussing how 9/11 reshaped aviation forever. We cover the hijackers’ path from Portland to Boston, the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the heroic stand of United Flight 93. We also discuss the long-term impact on flight training, passenger vigilance, and how “Let’s Roll” became a symbo...

This week on the Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom & Mike cover everything from music icons to major aviation headlines. Tom visits New York, takes in the USS Intrepid Air Museum, and maybe even spots Lady Gaga — but is he really a fan? We break down the WestJet 2276 hard landing in St. Maarten that forced a passenger evacuation and shut down the airport, plus a discussion on jumpseat etiquette following news of the Alaska Airlines pilot who took mushrooms and tried to shut down the engines — n...

In this Hot Topic Briefing episode of the Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom & Mike dive into the fascinating world of drones — past, present, and future. We trace drone flight from its surprising beginnings in 1849 unmanned balloons to modern military UCAVs, kamikaze drones, and modified commercial UAVs. We also look at the civilian side: FAA regulations, Part 107 licensing, and how drone pilots can turn their skills into an $80K career. But it’s not all smooth flying — we cover drone near-m...

Welcome back to the Black Box Aviation Podcast with Tom & Mike — where we talk about aviation, travel, and the things you NEED (and want) to know about flying. In this episode, we cover it all: 🌪️ Landing in San Juan with Hurricane Erin on the radar 🚨 A Southwest pilot arrested for DUI on the jetbridge 🌴 Hawaiian adventures — snorkeling with manta rays, golfing on lava fields, and the quirks of “island time” ✈️ Plus: lounge drama, tipping debates, and the sweaty palms of an MD-11 landing at S...

Welcome back to the Black Box Aviation Podcast! In this episode, Tom & Mike take you inside the cockpit to discuss layover fatigue, crazy stories from the road, and the latest aviation headlines you NEED to know about. ✈️ Topics We Cover: ✅ Layover Fatigue Reality Check: Why fatigue is more dangerous than you think OAK to ANC trip chaos and why timing matters Navy SEAL breathing tips for staying sharp ✅ Stories from the Road: Midnight street fight in NYC outside the cra...

Buckle up for an Episode of the Black Box Aviation Podcast as Tom & Mike take you behind the cockpit door for an action-packed discussion on the latest in aviation. ✈️ Main Topics: ✅ GPS Jamming & Aviation Safety – How modern warfare tech is now disrupting civilian aviation and what pilots do when GPS fails. ✅ Air Rage Epidemic – Why unruly passenger incidents are skyrocketing, shocking stories from real flights (including a Halloween flight gone completely off the rails), and the jaw-droppin...

In Episode 28 of the Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom & Mike dive deep into the just-released preliminary report on Air India Flight 171, the tragic 787 crash out of Ahmedabad. What initially looked like a puzzle of flap settings, weather, and electrical theories now zeroes in on a chilling cockpit moment: both engines lost power after the fuel cutoff switches were mysteriously triggered just seconds after takeoff. Was it mechanical failure or human error? We break it all down. We also hit: ...

It’s a jam-packed episode of the Black Box Aviation Podcast with Tom & Mike, where we talk aviation, airlines, travel chaos, grilling food, and the wild world of airline policy. This week we dig into everything from 4th of July cookout trends to TSA controversies, historic crashes, and whether Southwest Airlines is losing its soul. Here’s what’s on the flight plan: 🌭 4th of July Food & Fireworks Mayhem From baby back ribs to flying bratwurst — and a reminder that 14,700 people landed in th...

Welcome to another episode of the Black Box Aviation Podcast, where we talk all things aviation, flying, travel — and the occasional wild conspiracy. Your hosts Tom & Mike are back with stories from the road, industry news, and an unsolved mystery from aviation history. Here’s what we dive into this week: 🇺🇸 4th of July in the Airline World — Why holiday pay isn’t always guaranteed, contract frustrations, and how the system should work. ✈️ Stories from the Flight Deck — From Memphis to Anchor...

Welcome to Hot Topic #8 on the Black Box Aviation Podcast with your hosts Tom & Mike, where we break down the latest and most pressing events in aviation. Today’s episode takes a hard look at the tragic Air India crash involving a Boeing 787 that went down on June 12th shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London. We examine: The sequence of events captured on video, including the unusually high angle of attack, gear still down, and ultimate impact beyond the runway. Pos...

Welcome back to the Black Box Aviation Podcast with your hosts Tom & Mike, where we dive into all things aviation, travel, and the stories that come with life in the skies. This week we kick things off with our review of the Netflix documentary “Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds” — our takeaways, the behind-the-scenes reality of these elite aviators, and how this film stacks up to the Blue Angels docs we've seen before. Spoiler alert: the “ThunderChickens” nickname made the cut, and yes, we laugh...

Welcome back to the Black Box Aviation Podcast with Tom & Mike — where we break down the latest in aviation, travel, and everything you need to know about life in the skies. This episode is a full plate! We start with the Hot Topic — the Air India incident — and we’re currently working to bring in a safety expert to go even further. We also dissect a JetBlue A220 landing incident at BOS in strong crosswinds, a dramatic heavy landing we recently had ourselves, and a few stories from our time o...

Welcome back to The Black Box Aviation Podcast, where Tom & Mike take you through everything from fighter jet flight plans to sushi near train stations in Tokyo. In this episode, we kick things off with Navy sweatshirts and golf tournaments, touch on Greta Thunberg’s headline-making arrest, and revisit the mystery of D.B. Cooper. Listener Bentley (not the car, but close!) asks how pilots really get weather updates—prompting a full breakdown of flight planning in the digital age, the old-schoo...

In Hot Topic #7, we dive into the future of flight: Sustainable Aviation. From contrails and carbon to biofuels and bizarre theories, this episode explores what’s really going on up there. We break down: ✈️ How much aviation contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions 🌫️ Why contrails matter more than you think 🛢️ What sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is—and who’s actually using it 💡 Airline efforts from United to Delta and FedEx to JetBlue 🚀 A shoutout to one of our buddies working on high...

Tom’s back from a monster trip across the globe, and he’s got stories to prove it—Shanghai customs chaos, underground Rolex deals with a scooter locker twist, executive lounge mochi mishaps, and a VIP connection in the infamous Fake Market. Plus, Mike teases an upcoming guest who’ll give us the controller’s-eye view of air traffic misunderstandings (and BBQ complaints). We answer listener Jameson’s question about the current status of the DC-10 in commercial service and spotlight ORBIS, the f...

In this high-flying episode of The Black Box Aviation Podcast, we’re diving into one of the most mysterious unsolved cases in aviation history—the legend of DB Cooper. On November 24, 1971, a man in a modest suit boarded a Northwest Orient Airlines 727 in Portland, Oregon. He handed a note to a flight attendant, claimed he had a bomb, demanded $200,000 in cash, parachutes, and a flight to Mexico... and then disappeared—literally—into the night sky over the Pacific Northwest. We’ll break do...