Above the Clouds: The Untold Stories of Aviation

In “Global Reach: When Private Aviation Conquered the World,” explore how private jets reshaped international travel—connecting continents, industries, and people like never before. From Europe’s aviation boom to Asia’s emerging markets, discover how private aviation evolved into a truly global network that redefined business, leisure, and opportunity.

Host Robert Wilkos takes you behind the scenes of this worldwide transformation—...

The Technology Revolution: How Digital Transformed Private Aviation explores how data, connectivity, and software reshaped every aspect of private flight. Host and aviation expert Robert Wilkos, founder of VIP Jets, takes you behind the transformation that made private aviation faster, safer, and more transparent than ever. 

From the days of phone calls and paper manifests to today’s seamless digital experiences, this episode revea...

Charter vs. Ownership: The Great Private Aviation Debate breaks down the most important choice flyers make: own, share, or access on demand. VIP Jets Founder Robert Wilkos compares ownership, fractional, jet cards, memberships, and charter—through real-world use cases, cost drivers (fixed vs. variable), liability and risk, operational control, and future flexibility. You’ll learn which model fits your flight profile: predictable r...

The Fractional Revolution: Making Private Aviation Accessible reveals how fractional ownership and jet card programs rewrote the rules of private flight. VIP Jets Founder Robert Wilkos breaks down the model that let successful professionals tap private aviation without buying a whole aircraft—guaranteed access, transparent pricing, right-sized aircraft for each mission, and a concierge experience from booking to wheels-down. See ho...

Sky High Status: When Private Jets Became the Ultimate Symbol traces how private aviation leapt from boardroom tool to cultural icon. VIP Jets Founder Robert Wilkos unpacks the 1970s–80s shift—Hollywood’s red carpets, media glamour, and elite networking at 40,000 feet—revealing why jets came to signal freedom, achievement, and control over time. From image and influence to real business leverage, discover how status and utility fus...

The Birth of Business Jets: Engineering Luxury at 40,000 Feet takes you inside the design revolution that created modern private aircraft. VIP Jets Founder Robert Wilkos explores how pioneers like Bill Lear and the teams behind the first Learjet and Cessna Citation solved unprecedented challenges—pressurization, short-runway performance, quiet turbofans, and cabins built for productivity and comfort. Discover how swept wings, T-tai...

Corporate Wings: When Business Discovered Flight reveals how visionary leaders in the 1950s–60s—at companies like IBM, GE, and Coca-Cola—turned aircraft from “executive perks” into powerful business tools. VIP Jets Founder Robert Wilkos traces how private aviation unlocked speed, flexibility, and face-to-face connection—reshaping strategy, sales, and global expansion. Learn how policies, ROI, and culture transformed aviation into a...

The Jet Revolution: How Speed Changed Everything explores the breakthrough that redefined aviation forever. In this episode of Above the Clouds: The Untold Stories of Aviation, VIP Jets Founder Robert Wilkos uncovers how jet propulsion transformed aircraft from slow propeller-driven machines into high-speed marvels — making modern private aviation possible.

From Frank Whittle’s groundbreaking designs to Bill Lear’s first business j...

The Golden Age of Air Travel: When Flying Was Luxury transports you back to the 1930s — an era when every passenger was treated like royalty and air travel was an exclusive privilege of the elite. In this episode of Above the Clouds: The Untold Stories of Aviation, VIP Jets Founder Robert Wilkos explores how commercial aviation set new standards of elegance, service, and prestige that continue to inspire private aviation today.

Fro...

Beyond the Military: When Flight Became Personal uncovers the fascinating era when aviation shifted from war machines to personal freedom. In this episode of Above the Clouds: The Untold Stories of Aviation, VIP Jets Founder Robert Wilkos explores the overlooked pioneers of the 1920s and 1930s who transformed military aircraft into symbols of independence, adventure, and luxury.

You’ll hear the stories of early private pilots, weal...

The Dream of Flight: When Humans First Looked Up takes you on a captivating journey from ancient myths of Icarus to the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight at Kitty Hawk. In this premiere episode of Above the Clouds: The Untold Stories of Aviation, VIP Jets Founder Robert Wilkos explores how humanity’s oldest dream evolved into the foundation of modern private aviation.

From the kites of ancient China to Leonardo da Vinci’s sketc...