Holiday Pay, Conspiracies & The National Airlines Flight 967 Mystery — Plus Travel Gear Talk!

Holiday Pay, Conspiracies & The National Airlines Flight 967 Mystery — Plus Travel Gear Talk!

Author: The Black Box July 2, 2025 Duration: 47:33

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 Anchorage to dodging thunderstorms in Memphis, hear how weather, windshear alerts, and good old-fashioned pilot instinct played out.
🚫 TSA’s Latest Ban — High-proof alcohol is now off-limits on flights. We discuss the reason (hint: it involves an infamous Guam crash and duty-free booze).
💣 The National Airlines Flight 967 Mystery — A vanished airliner, a convicted con-man, a briefcase, life insurance, and one of aviation’s eeriest unsolved disasters. Was it an accident — or a faked death?
🔌 Travel Gear Review — Mike shares his take on the Tessan Universal Travel Adapter and how to avoid international power problems with your devices.

We’ve got true crime, travel tips, pilot rants, and aviation history all packed into one episode.

📬 Connect with Us:
📧 theblackbox01@yahoo.com
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📱 Hotline: (203) 699-6792 — Leave us a message with your name and you might make the next episode!

Black Box Aviation Podcast — Honest flying stories. Real travel advice. A little conspiracy on the side.



Ever wondered what it’s really like to sit in the cockpit, not just during a smooth flight but through the challenging moments that define a career in the sky? The Black Box Aviation Podcast pulls back the curtain, offering a rare seat at the table with the people who live and breathe flight. Hosted by The Black Box, each conversation features airline pilots, military aviators, and seasoned industry experts sharing unfiltered stories from their professional journeys. You’ll hear more than just technical discussions; this podcast delves into the human side of aviation-the daily realities, the tough decisions, and the unique culture that comes with a life spent above the clouds. It’s about the airline industry’s inner workings, the transition from military to civilian flying, and the sheer curiosity that drives a passion for aviation. Whether you’re an aspiring pilot, an aviation enthusiast, or simply fascinated by the stories behind the controls, these discussions provide a genuine, grounded perspective you won’t find in a manual. Tune in for honest reflections and personal experiences that capture the true essence of flying.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 91

The Black Box Aviation Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Is Your Flight Path Giving You Radiation? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Tom and Mike explore the "silent hazard" of aviation: Cosmic Radiation. We compare pilot exposure to nuclear workers and discuss the FAA's lack of protection for crews.In this episode:Top 18 Ranking: We celebrate our Pod…
The Ghost Plane: Payne Stewart and the Silent Killer at 39,000 Feet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:08
On October 25, 1999, a luxury Learjet 35 departed Orlando with PGA legend Payne Stewart on board. Minutes later, the cockpit went silent. What followed was a four-hour "ghost flight" across America, pursued by F-16s as t…
Flight Sim Mastery, Navy Checkrides, and the Pilot Stripe Mystery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:52
Can virtual flying prepare you for a real-world Navy checkride? This week, Tom and Mike sit down with Wide-body Captain and simulation pro Jovan J. to explore the high-stakes world of online flight simulation. From the t…
Air France 447: The Pilot Errors that Caused a High-Altitude Stall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:34
The "unstallable" plane fell from 35,000 feet in just 4 minutes. On June 1, 2009, Air France Flight 447 vanished over the South Atlantic. In this episode of the Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom and Mike analyze the offici…
ExecJet 901: Citation Latitude vs. 4 Deer (ATC Breakdown) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:21
What happens when a mid-sized business jet hits a herd of deer at 100 MPH? 🎧In this episode of the Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom and Mike analyze the recent emergency involving ExecJet Flight 901 out of North Palm Beac…
Pilot Career Tips & Flight Training with Ava Almquist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:10
How do you balance an airline career, a social media brand, and a healthy lifestyle? In this episode of the Black Box Aviation Podcast, we sit down with Ava Almquist (@pilot.avabelle) to discuss the modern path to the fl…
DCA Mid-Air Collision: The 2025 Potomac River Tragedy & NTSB Report [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:57
Why did a commercial jet and a military Black Hawk collide over the Potomac River? In this episode of The Black Box Aviation Podcast, we analyze the NTSB final report on the 2025 DCA mid-air collision. We dive into the s…
The MD-11 Mystery & Winter Ops Chaos: Pilot Stories from the Blizzard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:24
Why do airplanes hate the cold? In this episode, we’re breaking down the high-stakes world of Winter Aviation Operations. From Mike’s "sketchy" blizzard departure in Providence to the "cockpit gremlins" that appear when…
The Mount Erebus Disaster: A Fatal Error in the Flight Plan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:51
What really happened to Air New Zealand Flight 901? 🏔️✈️In our first "Hot Topic" episode, Tom and Mike dive deep into one of the most controversial aviation accidents in history: the 1979 Mount Erebus disaster. What was…
From Audio to Video: Black Box Aviation’s First Studio Episode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:14
In this milestone episode of the Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom and Mike officially bring the show to video for the very first time.This special episode goes behind the scenes into their home studio setups, aviation mem…