University of Wisconsin-Superior professor Daniel Rust is featured in the PBS documentary Flight Check, highlighting the history of aviation in St. Louis.
Flight Check made its debut May 18 and is now available online at Nine PBS. From Pioneering Past to Cleared‑for‑Takeoff Future(opens in a new tab)
Rust’s appearance stems from years of research and engagement tied to the region. Before joining UW-Superior, he spent more than a decade at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where a daily drive past St. Louis Lambert International Airport sparked his interest.
“I wanted to learn more about the airport since I had an interest in aviation history,” said Rust, author of Flying Across America: The Airline Passenger Experience and Come Fly With Me: The Rise and Fall of Trans World Airlines.
As a founding board member of the Missouri Aviation Historical Society, Rust led research that resulted in the book Aerial Crossroads of America: St. Louis’s Lambert Airport. His work and public talks on the region’s aviation legacy led to a recommendation to the documentary’s producer.
The film explores St. Louis as a major center of aviation, from early balloon flights to modern air travel.
“The St. Louis region has been an epicenter of aviation activity,” Rust said.
Rust focused on the legacy of Albert Bond Lambert, who founded the airport in 1920 and helped support Charles Lindbergh’s historic 1927 transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis.
Rust said he was pleased with the final product, noting it effectively balances past, present and future aviation in the region.
The interview was recorded in the Yellowjacket Union during spring break, with the producer joining remotely via Zoom.
Rust, chair of UW-Superior’s School of Business and Economics and professor of transportation and logistics management, plans to incorporate the documentary into his air transportation management course to show how regional aviation leaders build on long-standing innovation.
Written by UW-Superior
Link to original story: https://uwsuper.edu/about/news/uw-superior-professor-featured-in-pbs-aviation-documentary/