Dan Bubb

Aviation Historian and Associate Professor in Residence, UNLV Honors College
Coordinator of Academic Affairs
Expertise: Commercial Aviation, Airport History, World History, U.S. History, American Western History

Biography

Daniel "Dan" Bubb  — a former airline pilot — is an expert on commercial aviation and airport history in the American West. His other research areas include United States, American Western, and world history.

An associate professor in residence with the UNLV Honors College, Bubb also serves as the college's coordinator of academic affairs.

In 2012, he published his first book, Landing in Las Vegas: Commercial Aviation and the Making of a Tourist City (University of Nevada Press). Currently, Bubb is researching and writing a second book that examines the role airlines and airports play in connecting Western American cities with the world.

Bubb serves as the deputy director of the Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame.

Education

  • Ph.D., History, University of Missouri, Kansas City
  • Ph.D., Political Science, University of Missouri, Kansas City
  • M.A., History, UNLV

Search For Other Experts On

history, Las Vegas, transportation

Dan Bubb In The News

Travel + Leisure
Picture this: It's about 20 minutes after takeoff, and you hear your captain make an announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached our cruising altitude of 35,000 feet," they say. Or, maybe they say 36,000 feet, or 40,000 feet, or 33,000 feet. Cruising altitude isn't actually a fixed number — there are many factors that go into computing this for every flight.
The US Sun
Passengers were stunned when they discovered the real reason planes are nearly always painted white. Holidaymakers have often pondered the question why aircraft are usually all the same colour. And, it's for a good reason, as explained by former pilot Dan Bubb, now a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Express
When boarding and exiting a plane you can feel excited or exhausted - and perhaps a bit of both.  So maybe it’s little wonder that plane flyers haven’t really considered why they would be getting on or off on the left side of the craft. That is until now…
The National Desk
Boeing is facing high levels of public and government scrutiny amid a rush of allegations accusing it of putting profits above safety when manufacturing airplanes and retaliating against employees who speak up about problems in the process after a pair of Senate hearings where the company’s culture came under fire from whistleblowers and aviation experts.

Articles Featuring Dan Bubb

Spring Flowers (Becca Schwartz)
Campus News | April 1, 2024

A roundup of the top news stories featuring UNLV students and faculty.

The Las Vegas strip as seen on Super Bowl weekend (Josh Hawkins/UNLV).
Campus News | March 1, 2024

A collection of news stories and highlights featuring UNLV students and faculty.

a UNLV football helmet placed on the turf with an Allegiant Stadium sign and empty bleachers visible in the background
Campus News | January 31, 2024

As the nation's most-watched sports entertainment event rolls into town, UNLV researchers are available to provide expertise.