AvTalk Episode 248: Our favorite conversations of 2023

What this episode covers

As we close out the year we look back on our a few of our favorite AvTalk conversations from 2023. There were many great ones to choose from, so visit our archive to hear them all. We’ve picked out a pair that were crowd favorites. First up we have our conversation with former National Transportation Safety Board Chair Robert Sumwalt. We spoke with Sumwalt on episode 216 as he prepared to participate in the FAA’s Independent Safety Review Team over the summer. The review team’s report came out just a few weeks ago and you can read the full report here. And we close the year with the conversation that topped nearly everyone’s list. We had more listener emails about this episode than any other, by far. In November, Norse Atlantic Airways became the first airline to bring a 787 to Antarctica. The aircraft landed on the blue ice runway at Troll Airfield carrying researchers and equipment to the Troll Research Station operated by the Norwegian Polar Institute. A few weeks after the flight we sat down with Norse fleet chief pilot and captain of that flight, Olov Lindström, to learn how the airline and crew prepared for the historic flight. Thank you all so very much for listening! Have a safe and happy new year and happy tracking!