To fly a plane, pilots must prove to the Federal Aviation Administration that they’re physically and mentally fit. But when it comes to mental health, the rules are complicated and, some say, outdated.
Pilots who need antidepressants are limited to a short list of approved medications and must take a mandatory six-month leave. Even common diagnoses like anxi ... Show More
Oct 7
A War Photographer on the Limits of Bearing Witness
When Peter van Agtmael went to Iraq in 2006 to embed with the U.S. military, he was 24 years old and confident that his pictures could help end an unjust war. Two decades later, after documenting combat deaths overseas and then turning his camera lens on America, he's learned the ... Show More
56m 4s
Sep 30
Why Job Hunting Feels So Grim Lately, Especially for Gen Z
This week, Anna learns about how frustrating it is to apply for jobs these days, especially for early-career folks, even those with college degrees. First, Jeopardy champion Brendan Liaw talks about what it was like to list his job as “stay-at-home son” on national television. Th ... Show More
50m 29s
Sep 23
From Brazilian Butt Lifts to Botox: Your Beauty Confessions
Over the past few months, we've been asking you to tell us stories about your beauty interventions. You told us about feeling caught between viewing appearance improvements as vanity and recognizing how much looking a certain way affects your relationships, career, and self-worth ... Show More
1h 3m
Mar 2025
The Sunday Read: ‘Why Airline Pilots Feel Pushed to Hide Their Mental Illness’
Troy Merritt, a pilot for a major U.S. airline, returned from his 30th birthday trip in Croatia in October 2022 — sailing on a catamaran, eating great food, socializing with friends — and cried. This wasn’t back-to-work blues but collapsed-on-the-floor, full-body-shaking misery. ... Show More
47m 52s
Nov 2024
90. How to abolish the 3rd class medical, with Brent Blue
The success of BasicMed proves the third class medical is obsolete—that’s according to senior AME Brent Blue. He covers a wide range of medical topics in this episode, including how to fill out the FAA medical application, what the latest rules are on mental health treatment, and ... Show More
38m 51s
Aug 2024
OB346: Big Brother is Watching You
Episode 346 Show Notes Topic of the show: On this week’s show, AG and RH discuss ADS-C and the information available to non-US controllers, busy tracon controller communication issues, and a mountain of Patron feedback. We also share our views and opinions about a recent inte ... Show More
1h 18m
Sep 3
328. How to travel well in your 20s ft. Dr. Henry Ting
Travel is something many of us in our 20s aspire to do well and to do more of. Whether it’s the quintessential Europe summer, road trips to the next city or town over, or exploring forgotten trails and paths, travel impacts us deeply and of course, psychologically. But it can als ... Show More
53m 38s
Nov 2023
Hear Me Out: Psychiatry Alone Can’t Heal You Completely
On today’s episode of Hear Me Out… great, but not enough.
Mental health is on a lot of minds as we enter the holiday season — a time when we know many people struggle.
So this week, we talk candidly about what it means to treat mental illness… and what it should mean, if we want ... Show More
41m 24s