Kathleen Bangs – Aviation Expert and Investigator

Who is Kathleen Bangs?

Kathleen Bangs offers extensive aviation expertise as a former commercial airline pilot, holding an Airline Transport Pilot rating and accumulating over 10,000 flight hours across diverse aircraft—from massive wide-body jets to nimble amphibious seaplanes. Her career includes roles as an airline training instructor, check airman, and an internationally recognized aerospace journalist whose work has earned industry acclaim.

With over 18 years of on-air experience, Bangs has established herself as a trusted network television aviation contributor. She specializes in explaining complex industry developments for general audiences. Currently, she’s crafting a memoir that chronicles her aviation adventures against the backdrop of a Caribbean island setting.

Kathleen Bangs’ Background and Education

Career Highlights in Aviation

Investigating the Dave Shipped Case

Beyond the cockpit, Bangs applies her investigative skills to investigating missing person cases—most notably the haunting 1990s disappearance of Dave Shipped. This enigmatic case has captivated her attention, demonstrating her investigative talents extend far beyond aviation’s boundaries.

Shipped vanished from a friend’s remote cabin nestled deep in northern Minnesota’s wilderness, just as deer hunting season approached. He simply stepped outside one evening and never returned. No trace. No clues. The mystery has confounded search efforts for decades.

Throughout her investigation, Bangs has meticulously examined multiple theories surrounding Shipped’s fate, paying particular attention to the treacherous natural environment that may have claimed him.

The Peat Bog Mystery

The Dave Shipped case presents a formidable puzzle, largely due to northern Minnesota’s distinctive and unforgiving landscape. Bangs has focused on how peat bogs—integral features of the region’s boreal forest and marsh ecosystem—could explain his disappearance.

These peat bogs harbor deceptive dangers that Bangs has carefully studied in her case analysis. What appears to be firm ground can actually be a treacherous trap—thick layers of partially decomposed vegetation floating precariously on water or waterlogged soil.

Perhaps most chilling is the theory she has investigated: that Shipped was “swallowed whole” by a bog—essentially drowning on what seemed like solid ground. This rare but documented phenomenon could explain why extensive search efforts have yielded absolutely nothing.

Kathleen Bangs in Aviation Media

In aviation media circles, Kathleen Bangs is highly regarded as both an award-winning journalist and strategic media relations consultant. Since 2021, she has served as the authoritative voice for Flight Aware—Raytheon’s premier flight-tracking platform—delivering expert analysis on aviation developments and industry trends.

Aviation Safety and Training Insights

Using her experience as both pilot and instructor, Bangs has become an authority on aviation safety matters. She frequently examines how crew training evolved dramatically after 9/11, when the industry was forced to rapidly adapt to unprecedented security challenges through comprehensive protocol overhauls.

Her media advocacy consistently champions continuous improvement in training standards and security measures. As she often points out: aviation safety isn’t a destination but an ongoing journey demanding unwavering vigilance and constant adaptation to emerging challenges.