645. Is the Air Traffic Control System B...

It regulates 20 percent of the U.S. economy, and its commissioner has an aggressive agenda — faster drug approvals, healthier food, cures for diabetes and cancer. How much can he deliver? (Part two of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”) SOURCES:Marty Makary, commis ... Show More

We all want to stay sharp, and forestall the cognitive effects of aging. But do brain supplements actually work? Are they safe? And why doesn’t the F.D.A. even know what’s in them? (Part one of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”) SOURCES:Marty Makary, commissioner ... Show More

One Yale economist certainly thinks so. But even if he’s right, are economists any better? We find out, in this update of a 2022 episode. SOURCES:James Choi, professor of finance at the Yale School of Management.Morgan Housel, personal finance author and partner at the Collaborat ... Show More

A longtime educator discusses getting an aviation education. In the news, companies partner to address corporate aviation safety and security, an A321 engine shutdown after a birdstrike, a proposal to remove ATC from the FAA, and when pigs fly. Also, notable flybys, AI flight con ... Show More

We speak with a KC-135 pilot and licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic who runs a business specializing in aircraft maintenance, avionics upgrades, and aircraft management. In the news, budget cuts at NOAA’s Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Office, a ruling in the so-called “ ... Show More

A look at aviation ground operations technology, recent fatal aviation accidents, fire aboard an A321, the successful XB-1 supersonic flight, the sentencing of a drone operator, and the threatened readiness of the US Air Force. Guest Loren Mathis is the Chief Strategy Officer of ... Show More

The Department of Transportation announced it will build a “brand new air traffic control system” by 2029. It follows more than a week of massive delays and cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport sparked by a frightening communications blackout. We look at the plan ... Show More

A guest panel discusses aircraft accidents, air turbulence injuries, airline and airframer culture, pilot training and experience, FAA shortfalls, and other topics that impact the flying public. In the news, the 90-second evacuation rule, the fatal Jeju Air crash at Muan Airport, ... Show More

Datshiane Navanayagam talks to controllers from the UAE and Sweden about guiding aeroplane take-offs and landings and dealing with the extreme stress of the job.Helena Sjöström Falk is the first woman president of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associati ... Show More

We look at Spirit Airlines exiting bankruptcy, fundamental changes at Southwest Airlines, the non-functional CVR in the Philadelphia Learjet crash, helicopter route restrictions around DCA, a bill permitting property owners to shoot down drones, the JetZero blended wing body (BWB ... Show More

A look at the fly-in at the Spurwink Farm grass field. In the news, the EASA AD for Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, Boeing and DOG agree to a plea deal, 737 oxygen generators, United travel delay messages, 107-II/CH-46 helicopter upgrade, and air travel complaints. Spurwink Farm ... Show More

The FAA roadmap for Artificial Intelligence in aviation, clean aviation fuel setbacks, aviation fire-fighting foam, blended wing body aircraft, and the new Sikorsky VH-92A Marine One helicopter. Also, a first-timer’s experience at EAA Airventure Oshkosh. Aviation News FAA lays ou ... Show More

Air traffic controllers for Newark Liberty International Airport have recently experienced several frightening incidents. Their radars and radios have gone dark, potentially risking the lives of hundreds of passengers. The resulting chaos and delays are forcing government officia ... Show More