Afro, Altitude, and Ambition: Tal Harris’ Flight Path to History

Host: Dr. Sheila E. Nutt 

Guest: Tal Harris – Pan Am Blackbird, Author, Marquette University & Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumnus 

Episode Description: 

 

Join Dr. Sheila Nutt as she sits down with Tal Harris, one of Pan Am’s pioneering stewards and author of In Flight Entertainment. Originally from Milwaukee, Tal shares his journey from aspiring astronaut to globe-trotting flight attendant, following a serendipitous encounter at Marquette University. 

Discover his experiences as a trailblazer in aviation, including training in Miami, navigating turbulence—literal and figurative—on his early flights, and the cultural exchange of working with a multinational crew. Tal also reflects on the microaggressions he faced, the height of the AIDS crisis, and the camaraderie of the Pan Am family. 

From anecdotes about “lounge lizards” in Rio to being awed by Japan’s grace and the grandeur of Paris’ Intercontinental Hotel, Tal’s stories will inspire and entertain. Listen in as he shares life lessons about seizing opportunities, living without regrets, and cherishing human connections. 

Don’t forget to subscribe and share the Sheila ‘N Her Fab Friends podcast, and grab your copy of Tal’s memoir, In Flight Entertainment, to dive deeper into his remarkable adventures. 

For more information and exclusive photos of the Blackbirds, visit SENmedia.online!