Welcome back to the Black Box Aviation Podcast, where Tom, Mike, and special guest Travis dive deep into aviation history, industry news, and the stories that shape the world of flying.

In this episode, we cover two very different but equally fascinating sides of aviation—modern airline consolidation and the brutal realities of World War II bomber operations.

We break down the reported Allegiant–Sun Country merger, what it means for the low-cost leisure market, and why consolidation may be unavoidable for airlines like Spirit and Frontier.
• Leisure airline business models explained
• Why fleet commonality (737 vs Airbus) matters
• Are mergers the only path to survival for ULCCs?
• How politics and regulation affect airline consolidation

The heart of this episode features Travis sharing the remarkable story of his grandfather, a WWII bomber crew member in the legendary 100th Bomb Group — “The Bloody 100th.”
• Discovering an original WWII flight logbook
• Missions flown over Europe in the B-17 Flying Fortress
• The brutal loss rates of daylight bombing missions
• Nine-month pilot training pipelines during wartime
• Pathfinder missions, early radar bombing, and the Norden bombsight
• Survivor’s guilt, crew camaraderie, and the human cost of air combat

We also connect these real stories to the Apple TV+ series Masters of the Air, explaining what the show gets right—and how close it hits to the real experiences of bomber crews flying unescorted over Germany.

This episode is a powerful reminder of how aviation evolves—from life-or-death combat missions in WWII to corporate strategy and survival in modern airline operations—and how the people behind the controls are always at the center of the story.

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Real pilots. Real stories. Real aviation history. ✈️

🛫 Airline Industry News: Allegiant & Sun Country🪖 Aviation History: A WWII Logbook Comes to Life

Welcome back to the Black Box Aviation Podcast, where Tom and Mike talk aviation, travel, and the real-world experiences flyers and crews deal with every day—covering the things you need and WANT to know about flying.

This episode blends technical aviation insight, travel chaos, and classic road stories, with plenty of humor along the way.

• Heather joins us while navigating a difficult family loss—huge thanks for powering through
• Producer tracks in the studio failed to record
• A strong follow-up discussion on LVTO (Low Visibility Takeoff) and Heather’s technical feedback
• Why technical conversations matter—and how we sometimes lose listeners when things get too deep
• Our commitment to doing a better job bridging technical aviation topics for the entire audience
• Florida iguanas falling out of trees 🦎
• Olive Garden… with no salad dressing 🥗

• Tom’s daughter Anna flying JetBlue to Florida
• Mike’s England recap: MCO–HPN connections and Uber decisions
• A standby return from London that went so badly it cost $10,000 to get home
• Why we’d probably be great (or terrible) running a travel agency
• Mike’s story of getting stuck in Hawaii
• The Terminal 5 waiting game
• Uber to T5 or the TWA Hotel—the real debate

• Reaching out to Delta pilots for insight—surprisingly little clarity
• Flying pets in cargo: what actually happens
• A real-world example of a dog flying Hawaiian Airlines from Boston to Honolulu

• U.S. strikes in Venezuela and the resulting FAA no-fly zone
• Massive airline disruptions
• JetBlue cancellations (CNX 290 flights)
• Combined with winter weather, nearly 4,000 delays by early Saturday morning
• Why every airline was affected

• Managing anxiety during major travel disruptions
• How the family handled the chaos
• Airline support during the disruption
• Would she fly that airline again?
• Loyalty programs and reward considerations
• Choosing a hotel under pressure
• Transportation challenges
• Prepping the family for the next day’s travel
• Seat availability issues and how it worked out
• Full Turks and Caicos resort review

📩 Contact the Show: theblackbox01@yahoo.com
📞 Hotline: (203) 699-6792 (Leave your name!)
📱 Instagram / X: @the_black_box01

⭐ Support the Podcast
Please head to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Music and smash the 5-STAR rating. Reviews help push the show into more searches and bring new listeners into the cockpit.

Real aviation talk. Real travel chaos. No autopilot. ✈️

🎙️ Recap of Last Week’s Technical Mishap🧳 Stories From the Road🐾 Pet Transport Services🌍 Breaking News: Venezuela & Airspace Disruptions🌴 Heather’s Turks & Caicos Travel Story

In this post-Christmas episode of the Black Box Aviation Podcast, Tom and Mike recap the holidays, listener corrections, airline life on the road, and dive deep into recent aviation accidents and industry discussions.

The guys break down listener call-outs and corrections from the Christmas episode, talk airline schedules, training culture, and what it’s really like balancing family life with flying during the holidays. From childhood Christmas nostalgia to international travel prep, nothing is off the table.

The conversation turns serious as Tom and Mike revisit the Greg Biffle Citation 550 crash, analyzing what we currently know from the NTSB preliminary findings, including flight path data, CVR recovery, emergency communications, and potential power or configuration issues. They also compare this tragedy to other notable business jet accidents, including the Thurman Munson Citation crash and the Learjet 60 accident involving Travis Barker.

This episode blends aviation safety analysis, airline culture, personal stories, and industry insight—the exact mix that makes the Black Box Aviation Podcast a must-listen for pilots, aviation professionals, and anyone fascinated by flying.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music
📩 Contact the show: theblackbox01@yahoo.com
📞 Listener Hotline: (203) 699-6792 (leave your name!)
📱 Instagram / X: @the_black_box01

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