With all the chaos recently at airports across the country dealing with
long passenger lines waiting to be processed through airport security I
wanted to take a look back at how the system was working in the late
1990's, before 9/11 happened, before DHS and TSA were created. Are
things any smoother? Better? I wondered.
John J. Nance is an authority on aviation. He had a half century career
as a pilot, both military and civilian. When I spoke to him in 1998
about his best-selling novel "The Last Hostage" we spent a lot of time
talking about how air travel was then and what was impacting it, for
instance, deregulation.
Nance provided listeners with a fascinating insider's view of how the
system was functioning then. As you listen please compare that situation
to what is happening now. Are we better off? Have things gotten better?
Or, has it gotten worse? Bear in mind in 1998 things were not exactly
wonderful. During this interview the author observed that "airline
service has become an oxymoron."
The Book Nook airs Saturdays at 7 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WYSO 91.3 FM and streams at WYSO.org or wherever you get your podcasts.The Book Nook on WYSO is presented by the Greene County Public Library with additional support from Washington-Centerville Public Library, Clark County Public Library, Dayton Metro Library, Wright Memorial Public Library, and Tipp City Public Library.
