Tom Betti

A Norwich University Alumni with a Masters in History, Author, and former Pan Am Passenger.

“I am most honored to be a part of the Pan Am legacy. As a young boy on the upper deck of a 747 in 1991, my imagination was forever captured by this great airline. Today as a historian and storyteller, what excites me is there’s so much yet to be told. Though the six-decade history of the airline is best remembered for its numerous technical advancements in aviation history and standards in luxury air travel, it is the past stories of the people at the heart of Pan Am that resonate and inspire across generations.”

Tom is dedicated to bringing history to life through entertaining story telling. He served on the board of Columbus Landmarks Foundation and has co-authored five books on Columbus, Ohio history available through The History Press. He currently serves on the board of the Pan Am Museum Foundation.

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; Platinum 2025, 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.

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Linda Freire (Pan Am Museum Foundation)

This individual is the Chairwoman and Co-Founder of the Pan Am Museum Foundation and a former Pan American World Airways employee.

• Career: She worked at Pan Am from April 1980 to October 1991, starting as a Flight Attendant and eventually becoming the JFK Personnel Manager and Shuttle Operations Manager. After Pan Am, she worked as a Regional Manager of Hospitality for Delta Air Lines.
• Museum Role: As the chair, she has been instrumental in the establishment and operations of the Pan Am Museum, located within the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York. She is passionate about preserving the legacy of the airline and has spoken on its history and impact.
• Involvement: She was part of the Pan Am Emergency Response Team for the Lockerbie tragedy and was presented with a town proclamation in recognition of her contributions to the airline and museum.
• Media: She is known for her work as a producer on projects related to aviation history, including Pan Am: The Rise and Fall of an Aviation Icon (2022) and the upcoming Operation Babylift, 50 Years Later: 1975-2025, A Celebration of the Human Spirit(2025).

Al Topping joined Pan Am Airlines in 1969, and by November 1972, he was the Director of Operations for Vietnam and Cambodia, living in Saigon with his wife. In April 1975, Al had 62 employees working for him, one American and the rest Vietnamese. As the North Vietnamese continued to push south, Pan Am Airlines committed to their employees to evacuate them and their immediate families. Watching the last World Airways passenger plane from Da Nang land in Saigon was a shock. The plane was full of bullet holes, and blood was dripping from the wheel wells where Vietnamese who tried escape were crushed to death as the landing gear were retracted. Early in April, Topping facilitated the departure of two Pan Am 747s (Operation Babylift) with over 600 children aboard. Pan Am’s final flight out of Vietnam was scheduled for Thursday, April 24, 1975, a normal flight departure day, so as not to arouse any suspicion of it being the last flight. There was not enough time to secure visas and passports for his employees and their families to get out of the country. However, the children who escaped on Operation Babylift were granted waivers for adoption paperwork, and Al seized the opportunity. He arranged to “adopt” 311 of his employees and their families to get them out of the country. Pan Am’s last 747 to depart Vietnam flew with 463 souls on a plane designed to hold 375. As the days of April 1975 dwindled in Saigon, Al Topping told his concerned employees, “Just have faith, we’ll figure something out,” and he did.

Get Your Copy of "Wings Of Freedom"

https://www.amazon.com/Wings-Freedom-Allan-H-Topping/dp/1604521716