Quick Info
Late one night in 1997, a woman frantically faxed Art Bell’s studio. Her boyfriend was flying a small homebuilt plane north of Las Vegas and heading straight for Area 51. Moments later he was live on Coast to Coast AM with wind screaming through his cell phone. This chaotic call became one of the most entertaining and legendary moments in radio history.
The Fax That Started It All
The girlfriend kept sending faxes begging Art to take the Wild Card line. When he finally did, she patched her boyfriend through from the cockpit. The pilot sounded excited, a little nervous, and very much aware he was doing something extremely risky.
Live From the Cockpit
The connection was terrible. Heavy wind noise blasted through the speakers as the pilot described the dark desert below him. Listeners could hear the engine and the strain in his voice as he flew closer to the restricted base. Art Bell, trying to keep things under control, gave one of the most memorable instructions in his entire career.
“Turn your radio up so you can hear the show while you’re flying!”
- Art Bell
That single moment instantly became radio legend. Art almost never gave instructions like that, which made the whole call feel even more electric.
Peak Tension and Adrenaline
The pilot kept pushing forward. You could feel the mix of thrill and “what am I doing” energy coming through the phone. Millions of listeners across America were glued to their radios wondering if this guy was really going to get intercepted or shot down live on air.
The Call Ends
The conversation went on for several minutes until the signal eventually dropped. No explosions, no missiles, just a crackling cell phone going silent. The call instantly became radio folklore and perfectly captured the unpredictable late-night magic of Coast to Coast AM.
Timeline of the Pilot Call
- Late Night 1997 - Girlfriend sends multiple faxes to the studio.
- Live Patch - Pilot calls in from his small homebuilt plane north of Las Vegas.
- Famous Moment - Art Bell tells him to turn his radio up.
- Peak Tension - Pilot describes flying closer to restricted airspace.
- Call Ends - Connection drops and the legend is born.
Listen to the Legendary Call
More clips of this call on YouTube
What Do You Think?
After hearing the full chaotic call, the girlfriend’s frantic faxes, the terrible cell connection, and Art Bell telling the pilot to turn his radio up mid-flight, what’s your take? Was this just simply two adrenaline junkies having the time of their lives live on the air with Art, or something more? Either way, this remains one of the most entertaining moments in Coast to Coast AM history I've ever heard and it always makes me smile.
