The Pan Am Podcast

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In this episode, we are joined by Cheryl Boone Isaacs, a former Pan Am stewardess from 1972 to 1974 who went on to build an extraordinary career in Hollywood. 
Her journey is a remarkable one that spans aviation, Hollywood, and film education. She began her professional career as a Pan Am stewardess from 1972 to 1974, an experience that gave her a global perspective and a deep appreciation for storytelling and human connection.
After leaving Pan Am, Cheryl moved to San Franscico where she held various jobs. However, she always thought about either going back into aviation or pursuing her dream of being in the film business inspired in part by her brother, Ashley Boone, a pioneering film executive. 
Learn more about Ashley here: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/he-was-star-wars-secret-weapon-why-was-he-forgotten-1275211/
Through him, she attended an advanced screening of Star Wars before its release in May 1977. That moment proved transformational and solidified her belief that the motion picture industry was where she belonged. So, she packed her bags and moved to Hollywood. 
Over the decades that followed, Cheryl worked on the marketing, publicity, and release of some of the most iconic films in cinema history. 
Her credits include Forrest Gump, Titanic, The King’s Speech, Braveheart, The Artist, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Right Stuff, Once Upon a Time in America, The Wedding Singer, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Spider-Man 2. She also worked on two Indiana Jones films and five Star Trek films.
Behind the scenes, Cheryl broke significant barriers. She became the first African American woman to lead a major studio marketing department at New Line Cinema, and later the first African American to serve as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where she guided the organization through a pivotal period of reflection and change.
Today, she continues shaping the future of storytelling as the Founding Director and Professor of Practice at the Sidney Poitier New American Film School at Arizona State University (film.asu.edu). 
In that role, she mentors students and builds a program grounded in Sidney Poitier’s legacy, emphasizing inclusion, leadership, and real-world industry experience.
From the skies of Pan Am to Hollywood studios and now the classroom, Cheryl Boone Isaacs’ career reflects a lifelong commitment to storytelling, leadership, and opening doors for future generations. 
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A very special thanks to Mr. Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO of AMC and president of the Pan Am Historical Foundation and Pan Am Brands for their continued and unwavering support!

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In this episode, we’re joined by Tania Anderson, who served as a Pan Am flight attendant from 1986 to 1991, navigating a pivotal era of transition, resilience, and global adventure for the world’s most iconic airline. 
Today, she still flies, carrying forward the spirit of Pan Am on international charter missions, and she is usually flying on a Boeing 747!
But Tania’s story reaches far beyond her years in uniform. She is an avid lifelong learned traveler and is always making connections and seeking adventure. 
Tania has been a Hollywood film extra on productions such as the films Catch Me if You Can and War of the Worlds, as well as, the television series The West Wing.
She is the author of the powerful memoir On Butterflies’ Wings, a deeply personal journey through loss, renewal, and the healing power of human connection.
In her book, Tania intertwines her Pan Am experiences with the transformative events that shaped her life, offering readers a story that is both uplifting and profoundly human.
We’ll talk about Tania’s time with Pan Am, the soul of the airline’s culture, the moments in the sky that changed her, and the experiences—some beautiful, some heartbreaking—that ultimately became the heart of her book, On Butterflies’ Wings. Her book reminds us that even in our most difficult moments, there is grace, strength, and, as she writes, the chance to rise—just like a butterfly.
Click here to purchase On Butterflies' Wings: An Anthology of International Escapades.
She also has an exciting new project in the works for 2026 as the host of an international radio show called “The Global Gratitude Show with Tania Anderson” that will be beamed to more than 150 countries from Brushwood Media. 
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Visit The Hangar online store for Pan Am gear!
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A very special thanks to Mr. Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO of AMC and president of the Pan Am Historical Foundation and Pan Am Brands for their continued and unwavering support!

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In this episode, we’re joined by screenwriter Jack Epps, Jr. and his student, up and coming screenwriter Kate Ginley, who is writing a screenplay about Pan Am and Tenerife.
Jack is now a professor and Chair of the Writing for Screen and Television Division at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, also known as USC. 
But you probably already know of him from the most iconic aviation films ever made — the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, which he co-wrote with his longtime screenwriting partner, Jim Cash. Starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, Top Gun didn’t just redefine aviation movies — it became a cultural phenomenon. It inspired generations of aviators, reignited pride in flight, and set the gold standard for how aviation could be portrayed on screen.
The film was also a popular hit during its run as a featured movie of Pan Am’s Theatre in the Air. 
Beyond the breathtaking aerial footage, Top Gun is a brilliant study in the craft of screenwriting — how character, emotion, and story structure come together to create cinematic magic.
After Top Gun, Jack Epps, Jr.  and Jim Cash went on to write a series of major Hollywood hits, including Legal Eagles, The Secret of My Success, Dick Tracy, and Turner & Hooch. 
Today, Jack brings that same storytelling mastery to his students at USC — shaping the next generation of screenwriters and filmmakers.
In our conversation, we’ll talk about Jack’s remarkable career, his insights into the art and discipline of screenwriting, the enduring legacy of Top Gun, and how Kate is carrying that storytelling spirit forward in her new screenplay about Pan Am and the tragedy at Tenerife.
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Visit Us for more Pan Am History!
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Donate to the Museum!
Visit The Hangar online store for Pan Am gear!
Become a Member!
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A very special thanks to Mr. Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO of AMC and president of the Pan Am Historical Foundation and Pan Am Brands for their continued and unwavering support!

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In this episode we are joined by two special guests, Steve Ford (the youngest son of President and Mrs. Ford) and adoptee Thuy Williams to mark the 50th anniversary of Operation Babylift, the frantic evacuation ordered by U.S. President Gerald R. Ford of Vietnamese war orphans in the final days of Saigon in 1975. 
The Pan Am Museum, in partnership with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum, commissioned filmmaker Dirk Braun to create the documentary short film, Operation Babylift: 50 Years Later: 1975-2025, A Celebration of the Human Spirit.
Steve Ford has enjoyed a remarkable acting career spanning over 40 years, with appearances in more than 800 hours of film and television productions. He has worked on over 25 films and numerous guest-lead roles in television. 
Early in his career, Steve spent six years playing Andy Richards on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless. His film and TV credits include Transformers, Black Hawk Down, Contact, Armageddon, Starship Troopers, Eraser, Heat, When Harry Met Sally, J.A.G., Columbo, Murder She Wrote, Happy Days, along with many others.
Steve is the third and youngest son of President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford. He currently serves on the Board of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. 
Adoptee Thuy Williams was born in Ho Chi Minh City in 1970. 
When she became an adult, she wanted to serve the country that gave her a second chance by joining the U.S. Army as a tank mechanic. 
After serving for eight years, Thuy returned to her adoptive hometown of Portland, Oregon and started her own business, a construction and roofing company called Acme High Performance. 
She is also a missionary with One Challenge and a coach of soccer, track, and lacrosse…spending her time traveling the world, using sports to bridge the gap with traumatized people in refugee camps in third-world countries and helps these kids process trauma by using sports as a way to create friendships and smiles. Thuy is on the board the nonprofit Breaking Boundaries, which takes kids from the US to do community service projects in third-world countries. 
Like Steve Ford, Thuy is also motivational speaker encouraging people to make a difference in their communities that leaves a lasting legacy for generations to come. 
Support the show
Visit Us for more Pan Am History!
Support the Podcast!
Donate to the Museum!
Visit The Hangar online store for Pan Am gear!
Become a Member!
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

A very special thanks to Mr. Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO of AMC and president of the Pan Am Historical Foundation and Pan Am Brands for their continued and unwavering support!

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In this episode we are joined by Donald Devito who worked for the Pan Am board of directors from the early 1960s until the end of the airline. Also, joining us is his son, Dr. Donald DeVito, a renowned musical educator. 
The senior DeVito will share stories working for the Central Intelligence Agency in the 1950s and being hired by Pan Am in the early 1960s to work for the corporate board of directors and founder Juan T. Trippe. He was on a first name basis with Mr. Trippe and coordinated the materials and presentations for board members such as aviation legend Charles Lindbergh and banker James Rockefeller, among others. 
His hiring by Pan Am was tied to his cryptography training in the U.S. Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency where he served in the 1950s during the Cold War in Rangoon, the Philippines and Libya. 
Don’s son, the junior Dr. Donald DeVito, will share his memories of traveling around the world as a Pan Am kid and how that shaped his career in education. Dr. Don is a music educator at the Rawlings Elementary Center for Fine Arts since 2018 and is an adjunct instructor in the University of Florida Online Masters in Music Education program. 
From 2001 to 2018 he was the music director and special education teacher at the Sidney Lanier Center, a public school in Gainesville, Florida, for students with disabilities between 3 and 22. The music programs are global in scope and linked online with universities and music programs internationally through research, cooperative music making, and professional music education organizations.  
Dr. DeVito was named the 2011 National Teacher of the Year by the Council for Exceptional Children.
The elder Mr. DeVito, his sons, and their families live in Florida. They even have a rescue horse that lives on their farm affectionally named "Clipper" in honor of Pan Am! 
Support the show
Visit Us for more Pan Am History!
Support the Podcast!
Donate to the Museum!
Visit The Hangar online store for Pan Am gear!
Become a Member!
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

A very special thanks to Mr. Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO of AMC and president of the Pan Am Historical Foundation and Pan Am Brands for their continued and unwavering support!