#92 Captain Nick Anderson: Fast Jets, Phantoms, and Commercial.
Buckle up for a masterclass in aviation history! In this episode, we are joined by the legendary Captain Nick Anderson, a pilot whose career spans the absolute peak of Cold War fast-jet action and decades of commercial airline captaincy. Nick takes us inside the cockpit of some of the world's most iconic aircraft. From intercepting Soviet targets over the North Sea in the legendary McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom to pulling Gs in the F/A-18 Hornet with the RAAF, he shares what it was truly like to fly on the front lines of defense. We also dive into his transition to civil aviation, where he spent 25 years commanding heavy jets like the Airbus A340 and A330 for Virgin Atlantic, including firsthand accounts of tackling the infamous checkerboard approach into Hong Kong’s legendary Kai Tak Airport. Whether you are a die-hard aviation geek or just love an incredible story of life at 40,000 feet, you won't want to miss this one.
Airline Pilot Guy: You can find the main show and all general episodes directly on the official Airline Pilot Guy Website. Aviation Podcast - Airline Pilot Guy (https://airlinepilotguy.com/)
Plane Tales: To jump straight into Captain Nick's dedicated storytelling episodes and logbook entries, head directly to the Plane Tales Category Page. Plane Tales | Airline Pilot Guy - Aviation Podcast (https://airlinepilotguy.com/category/plane-tales/page/3/)Support the Show: Enjoying the hangar talk? Help us keep the engines running by dropping a donation on Cash App: Pay $HistoryOfAviation on Cash App (https://cash.app/$HistoryOfAviation)
#AviationPodcast #AviationHistory #HistoryOfAviation #AvGeek #AviationLovers #F4Phantom #FA18Hornet #ColdWarAviation #RAAF #MilitaryAviation #CommercialAviation #AirlinePilot #VirginAtlantic #AirbusA340 #AirbusA330 #KaiTak #PilotLife
1 Jul 2026
#91 Shadows in the Cockpit: A Decade with Air America’s Captain Neal Hansen
Behind the frontlines of the Vietnam War was a shadow network of pilots who flew where regular military couldn't go. On this episode of The History of Aviation, Captain Neal Hansen joins us to share his incredible journey as an Air America pilot. Captain Hansen opens up about the adrenaline-fueled, high-stakes flying that defined his ten years in Southeast Asia. He shares thrilling accounts of dodging enemy fire, surviving a harrowing shoot-down in Laos, and the emotional weight of piloting the last plane out of Cambodia in April 1975. Grab your headset for an unforgettable, raw conversation with a pilot who lived life on the edge of history.
Neil's book is available at:
https://www.amazon.com/FLIGHT-America-Adventure-Descent-Redemption-ebook/dp/B0CTGH26P7?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1✈️ Support the Podcast: If you enjoy our episodes, consider supporting the show directly at: https://cash.app/$HistoryOfAviation (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://cash.app/%24HistoryOfAviation)#HistoryOfAviationPodcast #AviationHistory #AirAmerica #CIAHistory #SecretWar #VietnamWar #CaptainNealHansen #PilotStories #AvGeek #FlightHistory #CovertOps #MilitaryHistory #NewEpisode #avgeek
10 Jun 2026
#90 Pete Owen - Fighting Falcons: The Campaigns of VMF-221 in the Pacific
In this episode, Julien and Shae dive deep into WWII aviation history with marine-turned-author Pete Owen. >Get ready for a masterclass on wartime survival, leadership, and the sheer grit of VMF-221—the Marine Fighting Squadron that flew straight into some of the Pacific’s most harrowing campaigns. Pete breaks down the incredible stories of these pilots, what they went through to earn their wings, and what "you had to be there" truly means.
About the Guest:Pete Owen enlisted in the Marines in 1981, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and deployed to Iraq as a platoon commander (2d Recon Battalion) and XO (First Marine Regiment). Holding a PhD in war studies, he has led historic battlefield walks from Belleau Wood to Iwo Jima and authored multiple definitive books on Marine Corps history.
Grab your copy of his books here:🛒 AMAZON: www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001JRXA78 (https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001JRXA78)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
48,718
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.2 / 5
10 ratings
Spotify
4.3 / 5
24 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
50
Social presence
91
YouTube
72
Engagement
75
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