Scandalous

Today on AirSpace: the scandal of the century! Matt and Emily are joined by friend of the show and Museum curator Bob van der Linden to learn all the twists and turns of the Air Mail Crisis of 1934. The controversy centered on one question: who should fly the mail? Conflicts between brand-new commercial airlines, Congress, and the Roosevelt administration reached a boiling point that led to lucrative contracts being cancelled and the disastrous involvement of the Army Air Corps. In the aftermath, new regulation shaped commercial flight and the Postal Service for generations. This story is a political drama, a postal drama, AND an aviation drama. What more can you ask for? Thanks to our guest in this episode: Dr. Bob van der Linden, Curator for Commercial Aviation, National Air and Space Museum Find the transcript for this episode and more information at s.si.edu/airspaces11e8 . To learn even more about the Air Mail Crisis, check out the Museum's website .

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Scandalous is an episode from AirSpace by National Air and Space Museum.

This episode is 25:01 long.

This episode was published on Mar 12, 2026.

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