What It's Like To Be... with Dan Heath

A Civil Aviation Engineer

Designing runways for hot air and heavy planes, inspecting pavement cracks with measuring wheels, and protecting vicious little owls from construction crews with Eileen Vélez-Vega, a civil aviation engineer in Puerto Rico. What does the color of runway lights reveal to a pilot? And what's a "spall"?WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

An Air Traffic Controller

Sequencing departures like a moving puzzle, scrambling when a jet takes off without clearance, and catching what radar misses with a glance out the window with Michael Rejent, an air traffic controller. What does "tally ho" mean to a pilot? What phrase makes every controller in the cab look up?WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

A Flight Attendant

Hugging a mother through an anxiety attack, bidding for the best routes, and absorbing strangers' confessions at 35,000 feet with Linda Beall, a flight attendant. What does it mean when the cabin bells ring three or four times? And what makes a trip a “dog”?WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

An Airline Pilot

Shooting cat-three landings in the fog, using the “voice of God” on unruly passengers, and declaring Mayday after an engine fire with Paul Drusch, a commercial airline pilot. Why does the pilot’s paycheck start with the parking brake? And what does “sterile cockpit” mean? (Spoiler: it doesn’t mean “clean.”)WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.

(Bonus) From StoryCorps: "Sideliners"

Athletes get all the glory, but there are countless people around them making the games happen - from referees making judgments, to vendors in the stands hawking snacks and beer. In this episode from The StoryCorps Podcast, drawn from our archive of the largest single collection of human voices ever recorded, you’ll hear from the people on the sidelines.WANT MORE EPISODE SUGGESTIONS? Grab our What It's Like To Be... "starter pack". It's a curated Spotify playlist with some essential episodes from our back catalogue.GOT A COMMENT OR SUGGESTION? Email us at jobs@whatitslike.comFOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Email us at partnerships@whatitslike.comWANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Leave us a voicemail at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:1. What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?2. What’s a specific story you tell your friends that happened on the job? It could be funny, sad, anxiety-making, pride-inducing or otherwise.We can’t respond to every message, but we do listen to all of them! We’ll follow up if it's a good fit.