The Pan Am Podcast

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Experience the legacy of the world’s most iconic airline, Pan American World Airways! This award-winning history and humanities program brings Pan Am’s 64-year history to life through engaging storytelling and insightful interviews from Pan Am employees, passengers, historians, authors, fashionistas, and aviation enthusiasts! Hosted by historian Tom Betti, the program has won the following awards: Platinum 2025, Gold 2024 & 2023, Silver 2022 - Muse Creative Awards; Gold 2024, Silver 2023, Arcturus 2022 - Vega Digital Awards; Gold Award from the 2023 Hear Now Palooza of the National Audio Theater Festivals; and Arcturus 2022 Vega Digital Award (Best Host). The Pan Am Podcast is brought to you by the Pan Am Museum in Garden City, New York and is sponsored by the generous personal support of Mr. Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Theatres and President of the Pan Am Historical Foundation. The Pan Am Museum Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and would appreciate your consideration of tax-deductible donations to support our work.

Recent Episodes

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Recent Reviews

QE48

Highly recommend this podcast

Tom Betti and the team at the Pan Am Museum Foundation have provided a remarkable and lasting memory of Pan Am’s role in aviation, paving the way for global travel, and relevance to world history in the 20th century. It has brought back memories of my first ride on a Pan Am 747 across the Atlantic in the summer of 1970 to the symbolism that Pan Am represented to an American kid (me) who grew up in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. The stories told by the Pan Am crew members, fellow aviators, friends and fans of Pan Am bring smiles, tears, that are so rich, powerful, and important whether you are young and interested in aviation or you’re old enough to remember the days of climbing on a Pan Am plane half way around the world in an exotic location. I am grateful to Tom and the Pan Am family for this important body of excellent work and memory preservation.
flymamashannon

Pan Am Podcast

It’s such a wonderful way to take a trip down memory lane! When I listen to this podcast it takes me back to the day when I was a Pan Am Flight Attendant and traveling the world. It stirs up memories that I had forgotten as well! Thank you Tom! You are a wonderful historian 💙🌐✈️
Law stew

Great human-centered podcast

This is a wonderful and informative podcast. I have been enjoying listening to it while traveling the world in a job, wondering what my life would have been like as a pan am stewardess. The podcast has added a lot of new museums to my bucket list to travel to. My one comment is that the few episodes with 100-year-old guests can be unintelligible at best. While I love and appreciate Tom’s patience and dedication to getting down these stories, it’s hard fodder for a podcast, which is based solely on story telling. You can tell how much love is put into these episodes.
Samppppmm

Great podcast !!

I am a United F/A and in 1986 I was new in SFO - all the ex Pan Am flights attendants arrived to fly the pacific routes - I would love to know more about that transition for them - I was too junior and couldn’t hold those routes - recently I did an international trip and there were 2 ex Pan Am women that had come over in 1986 - they were from Honolulu - I wonder how many Ex Pan Am are still flying ?
Brunswickfire

A great history and educational podcast!

I’m biased because I’m the father of historian and host Tom Betti, but I must say…I’m very very proud of his work! What Tom is able to do is explore 20th century world history through the prism of an American international airline. This podcast is an incredible educational program, but it’s also very entertaining! Again, I might be a bit biased, but give it a listen and I have no doubt that you will be pleasantly surprised.
BillBlaster1

Great History! Well Done

This podcast is very entertaining for anyone interested in airline history or interested in Americana, or nostalgia in general. This description of events that led to Pan Am’s tragic demise was like a trip down memory lane for me. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to take a journey back to the 1970s-1990s.
Melissa080808

Episode 17

Wow, this was very well done. I am so astounded by this accident having just now heard about it in 2024. I’m having heard Dorothy‘s firsthand experience and her bravery and her selflessness during the tragedy is just amazing.
Goldfish getting

Episode 43

My name is Thomas Presnell, Bonnie Presnell was my cousin and I just want to thank you for doing this episode. Our family learned so many details about what happened that were previously unknown to us. Bonnie’s mother, my aunt, and Robin are both still living and reside in East Tennessee. I would love to try and set up a meeting with Robin and B.J.
Ms_Helen

To add to your summation…

I loved your summation Tom about why study history… as a history major who now works for an airline. I think to me something that makes the 20th century different is the worldwide connections that were now easy because of the travel that was now so readily available. The people that could easily meet across the world. Of course, that’s essentially what every other episode of this podcast is about. Thank you! I guess the 21st century is likely to be about near instant connections through the internet but like you, I’ll stick with reveling in the wonders of the 20th. Alex.
SprintMan1x

Wow!!!! Do it!

The stories are incredible and the history is alive forever!
blakebunyard

An excellent history podcast, not just about the airline

This podcast does an excellent job of telling the stories of Pan Am but it also contextualizes them in that period in time. I enjoy the format - factual reporting about an aspect of the airline followed by an interview that adds detail.
Hotguyfornow

Pan Am Podcast is Pure Gold

So many stories - the history - Pan Am Is the gift that keeps on giving us valuable lessons going forward. Thanks to the Thomas Betti and the Pan Am Podcast - Pan American may be gone but most certainly is not forgotten😎
policeRus

Love this podcast!

I flew for Pan Am from 1978-1983. What a wonderful experience. I love hearing the rich history from so many people telling their stories. Great job.
myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics

a goodie.

Very good podcast stories of piano players in the sky, hostage taking, being a flight attendent, flying with Nixon and other stories... host does a good job and you can tell he loves the subject.
RichGoon1980

My favorite

Absolutely love this podcast! Interviews with real former pilots is the best part.
AA User1

Thrilling and Inspiring

I have listened to all of the Pan Am podcast, with great appreciation and amazement. However, Episode Six raises the bar to an even higher and extraordinary level. Captain Paul Lachapelle’s account of Flight 93 is both riveting and inspiring, while adding a lite dose of unique (yet typical) pilot personality and humor. As a current cabin crew member for a major/international airline, I cannot even imagine how each crew member even began to truly processed such a complex and constantly evolving event. The Flight Director’s frank response to the hijacker after learning of the ultimate goal to blow up the aircraft (while humorous today) is most likely the same words that would have come from my mouth if faced with a similar catastrophe! Bravo Pan Am Museum for keeping alive the legacy of a once great American institution which pioneered today’s commercial avaition. Cheers to Episode Six and the many more historic adventures yet to be shared about the great people behind a once world class airline called Pan American.
Pan Am Fan!

Love, love, love it!!

Thank you, Tom! The history of Pan Am is fascinating.
adisoarte

Love it!

These podcasts are compelling and often exciting. I highly recommend them to anyone…avgeek or not! Thank you Tom Betti!
SPS-MSY

Podcast

Always enjoy learning more about Pan Am and the people who made it such a legendary part of aviation history…
WC is terrible

Absolutely awesome!

A wonderful tribute to a legendary institution. Although I spent the first 15 years of my career in aviation, I learned a great deal about the importance of Pan Am to civil aviation and their role in WW2. Tom Betti does an excellent job as host and the guests are awesome. Many great stories through the eyes of those that lived the Pan Am experience. Visit the museum when you have the opportunity. Support the podcasts and the museum so more people can learn more about the importance of Pan Am and, as Capt. Dave Bridges explains in episode 8, the romance of aviation.
Dakota Flores

Review

Great podcast! Lots of in-depth history of Pan Am and very interesting to listen to! My favorite episode was the tenirrefe disaster. Loved hearing the pursers story, gave me chills and made my mind wonder.
Flybooter

Great show

Loving this podcast. As an avid airline history fan I’ve found a ton of value in this podcast. Each show is unique and shares a wonderful story. Thank you!!
B Mart 84

Top Notch!

Great production. Excellent storytelling, history and remembrance of the world's greatest airline- Pan American World Airways. Please keep the shows coming!
dnettunojr

Flight of memories

I’m a huge airline history buff and PanAm has always been my passion. While I never got to work for PA, many family friends were involved with the airline. Thanks for putting this together and it’s a flight down memory lane.
Mxsandy12

Wonderful aviation pod

Adore this show!
Hobbie05

Well Researched with Relevant Guests

Very well researched with great guests
irene dell'orto

here's to pan am!

fantastic podcast... so interesting about all the backstory. thank you
Shawnski01

Must listen to podcast

Love the passion and history devoted to the greatest airline in history
AvGeekSteve

Five stars are not high enough!

The most riveting, fascinating, spellbinding and harrowing Podcast I’ve ever listened to. What a triumph of professional storytelling . Mixed with first-rate production content. Especially the CBS News clips. Five Stars are not enough!
Mikeyboyg

Absolutely awesome

Absolutely awesome podcast. The history of Pan American is such an important part of aviation history. Looking forward to visiting the Pan Am museum and many more inspiring episodes of this podcast. The host and the guests of this podcast are a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for preserving the amazing history of Pan American!
Abdbarista

Unknown history that should be known!

I didn’t expect this podcast to be so fascinating and have such insight and relevance to our current economic, geopolitical situation in the US and the world! What a pleasant surprise this podcast is! I recommend it for any history or documentary junkies such as myself. The interviewer is SO well informed and has a great voice and feel for story telling!
Ryanb450

Very good

Well done, very interesting podcast. Thank you!
SteveintheDesert

Deep Dive into the Wonderful History of Pan Am

I eagerly await each new episode of this podcast, both for the memories of Pan Am they evoke, as well as the added insight into the company's fascinating history. There is so much about Pan Am awaiting to be discovered. This podcast reminds me what it *felt* like to work for and fly on this ground breaking airline. How I miss that feeling, but thank you all so much for putting this podcast together!
Mary ODoherty

Cylinder of coffee

I just listened to the first episode, which was well done. Loved the stories about the coffee pot and cylinder of coffee when the plane dropped and Rod Stewart’s sunglasses.
wiisabi

I’ve been waiting for this podcast.

As a current airline pilot, one of the things that keeps me going during this chaotic time in the industry is the rich history that I feel every day I do this job. As an admitted “Panamaniac”, I cannot wait to visit the museum. I love aviation, history and the sixties. Pan Am embodies all three of those characteristics, and I love that the museum has decided to continue to grow the experience by launching a podcast. A well produced, immersive podcast at that. A must listen for anyone who loves history, aviation and of course anything PanAm!