Stay ConnectedCurious about aerospace? This podcast is for you! Tune in to hear inspiring stories from professionals in the field. Learn new concepts and more about the FAA’s role in keeping our airspace safe. Find out about careers, programs, and organizations that can help you in your journey. We hope this podcast ignites your enthusiasm – because aerospace is for everyone!
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It's Women's History Month and we're celebrating women in aviation! Before we glide into this episode, can we take a moment to celebrate the amazing women on the FAA podcast team who did all the groundwork to make this episode take flight? *round of applause*
Speaking of gliding and taking flight, the women featured in this episode know all about that and were excited to share their experiences with us. We talked with Lorry Faber, FAA lead test pilot; Marissa and Aerial (how fitting) Colclasure, a mother-daughter glider team; and Shannetta Griffin and Winsome Lenfert, an engineer and a pilot who lead the FAA's Office of Airports.
We celebrate the Bessie Colemans and Amelia Earharts of the world who paved the way in aviation today. This episode features stories of people who paved the way for women, and for everyone, in aviation tomorrow.
Listen in and be inspired. Happy Women's History Month!
We've got the inside scoop for one of Alaska's most iconic events — the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race! The Iditarod race is celebrating 50 years, and FAA's podcast team jumped on the opportunity to join the celebration. The FAA is well connected with Iditarod officials who are passionate about all things aviation, and FAA is full of dog lovers, thus making the 50th Iditarod race the perfect topic for an epic episode of The Air Up There podcast.
Are you wondering what the connection is between aviation and Iditarod? Tune in to this episode to find out! We're going behind the scenes with Iditarod Air Force Chief Pilot Ed Kornfield; Musher Richie Diehl, a pilot who has multiple top 10 finishes in the Iditarod; and our very own Mike Holey and Sam McQuillin, members of an FAA Flight Service team who keep flights safe before, during, and after the last team has finished the race in Nome, Alaska.
The Iditarod temperatures are cold, but the topics about all things Iditarod in this episode are hot! Want to learn more after listening to this episode? Check out our blog post "Iditarod from the Air … Up There."
Our holiday wish — give flight attendants chocolate, not problems. In this episode, we provide tips on how to get to your destination safely and on time for the holidays. Maximize your travel experience and enjoy the magic of flight. Get the inside story on why it's so important to follow cabin crew instructions, how to deal with disruptive passengers, and how to prepare for flying with children, and more. Also, learn about what FAA is doing to prepare for major traffic changes during the holiday season and beyond.
You'll hear from: Sara Nelson, the International President of the Association of Flight Attendants, and LaKisha Price, the Air Traffic Manager at FAA's Command Center.
Remember, flight attendants are trained professionals who are on board for your safety. Thank them for their service with good behavior, kind words, and chocolate (as you'll hear in this episode)!
To learn more about safe holiday travel, listen to our previous podcast episode, Travel Safe this Holiday Season.
The holiday season is upon us! Are your travel plans underway? Make sure safety is at the top of your itinerary. In this episode, we explore safety precautions you should take when you fly, as well as the dos and don'ts for packing your bags. If you're thinking about chartering an airplane, we'll help you learn the rules, regulations, and requirements so you can easily identify a safe air charter service. You'll hear from: Jay Sorah, an FAA Hazardous Materials Aviation Safety Specialist; Don Riley, an FAA Safety Inspector; and Ryan Waguespack, Senior Vice President of Aircraft Management and Air Charter Services for the National Air Transportation Association.
To learn more, visit FAA's Safe Air Charter Operations and PackSafe for Passengers pages.
The use of drones for fighting wildfires is a "hot" topic, with more than 6 million acres of forest burned this year. When they are used by emergency responders they have proven to help suppress and contain massive blazes, and save lives on the ground and in the air.
Drones have revolutionized wildland firefighting, and can come equipped with infrared cameras and ignition payloads for wildfire control. The FAA works with federal and state agencies to find ways to support firefighting efforts, including approving hundreds of emergency airspace authorizations to fly drones.
Tune in as we discuss various drone initiatives and programs, and their role in redefining aviation operations for wildfires. You'll hear from Mike Sheldon, an air traffic security expert for FAA, Dirk Giles, the Forest Service's drone program manager, and Pete York, a CAL FIRE captain.
Read our latest blog "Drones Revolutionize Wildland Firefighting." If you're interested in more stories on drones and public safety, check out our episode from Season 1 titled Drones for Good.
If you're interested in a career in aviation but not quite sure where you want to land, your future as an Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI) might take flight after this episode!
Today, we're learning all about ASIs and their critical role in maintaining safe skies. ASIs administer, investigate and enforce safety regulations and standards for the production, operation, maintenance and modification of all aircraft.
You'll hear from: Patricia Mathes, the new national FAA Safety Team manager in the General Aviation and Commercial Division, and Shawn Toth, an ASI working in Anchorage, Alaska. Listen as they welcome you to the world of Aviation Safety Inspectors.
For more information about aviation careers, visit our careers page. Or, if you're curious about other types of careers at FAA, visit our jobs page.
Welcome to the first installment of our summer career series! We're answering your questions and doing a deep dive into careers in aerospace and the steps you can take to get started in the field. Today's episode is one of our most requested topics — how to become an air traffic controller as an entry-level applicant. FAA experts will walk you through everything from the application process to training at the FAA Academy and certification.
Visit our BeATC page to learn more about the application process, hiring windows, and how you can prepare. Explore other FAA careers and jobs.
On a flight back to his home airport in a Cherokee 140, pilot Truman O'Brien ran into engine trouble. FAA air traffic controllers at the Portland, Oregon TRACON were in close communication with the pilot, offering him multiple landing options and working hard to help guide him to safety. But, flying at 8,000 feet, the aircraft lost altitude quickly. Even with top-notch air traffic control services, O'Brien had no choice but to make an emergency landing in the trees, deep in the forest of southwest Washington.
In this episode, we hear from the people on both ends of the transmission — Krissy Lewandowski, Portland TRACON Controller; Patrick Elmore, Portland TRACON Operations Supervisor; and the pilot himself. It's a story that underscores why clear pilot-controller communication is so critical.
The FAA's WINGS program has resources to help general aviation pilots stay proficient and enjoy stress-free flying. You can learn more about WINGS at faasafety.gov/wings.
In Season 2, Episode 11, we spoke with FAA drone expert Danielle Corbett to gain a better understanding of how drone pilots can fly safely and in line with FAA rules. That episode is packed with lots of information that will help you to be a great drone pilot!
In today's episode, we're talking about drone entrepreneurship. Drones can be used for a variety of business purposes, like photography, to survey agriculture, to conduct building inspections and a variety of other important functions. You'll hear first-hand from a drone entrepreneur, Eno Umoh, co-founder of the Global Air Drone Academy, an organization working hard to help young people realize the entrepreneurial benefits of drone piloting. Eno gives us insight into the endless possibilities in the drone world, and why it is so important that we're teaching future generation of drone pilots how to fly safely as they consider those opportunities.
Want to know more about drone piloting, but don't know who to ask? Feel free to contact the UAS Support Center, where they'll answer all of your burning drone questions. The FAA has countless resources, as well as drone specific social media accounts for the drone community on Facebook and Twitter.
Bonus tip: The FAA recently implemented two new rules, Operations Over People and Part 107.
Disclaimer: Reference in this podcast to any specific commercial products, process, service, manufacturer, company, or trademark does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. government, DOT, or FAA. As an agency of the U.S. government, the FAA cannot endorse or appear to endorse any specific product or service.
Last year, there were nearly 7,000 reported laser strikes against pilots — and those are just the ones that were reported. In fact, laser strikes increased during 2020 despite a lower number of air traffic operations. Laser lights can pose a serious safety risk to pilots flying aircraft, and pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime.
Learn what a laser strike is, what impact they have on pilots, and how FAA partners with law enforcement to stop them on this episode of The Air Up There.
Find out more about laser strikes and read this blog post for tips on using a laser safely. Want to report a laser strike?
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