The Pan Am Podcast

Pan American World Airways operated for 64 years and essentially invented international commercial aviation as we know it. The Pan Am Podcast, hosted by historian Tom Betti and produced by the Pan Am Museum Foundation in Garden City, New York, tells that story through the people who lived it, and the results are genuinely remarkable. With 61 episodes on a monthly release schedule, Tom conducts long-form interviews with former Pan Am employees, passengers, historians, and cultural figures connected to the airline's legacy. The guest list reads like an awards ceremony -- George Takei, former Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, and Jack Epps Jr. (who wrote the screenplay for Top Gun) have all appeared. But some of the most compelling episodes feature regular people: former flight attendants recounting what service looked like in the 1960s, mechanics who maintained the Clippers, and passengers who remember when flying Pan Am meant something specific and glamorous. The production quality reflects the show's multiple award wins, including a Platinum 2025 Muse Creative Award and recognition from the National Audio Theater Festivals. Tom's interviewing style is patient and detailed, giving guests room to tell their stories fully rather than rushing through talking points. The perfect 5.0 rating from 140 reviews is earned. This isn't a show about aviation news or flight training -- it's oral history preserved in audio form, focused on a single airline that shaped the modern world. For anyone interested in aviation history, airline culture, or mid-century American life, The Pan Am Podcast is a treasure.