Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Fred Smith's Yale term paper reportedly earned a C grade before it became FedEx — the company behind overnight shipping as we know it. This is the story of his Marine Corps service, FedEx's near-collapse in its earliest years, and how Memphis International Airport came to be renamed in his honor on August 11th, 2026.
— PARTNERS & SPONSORS —
▸ For business inquiries → takingoff@outloudtalent.com
▸ Serendipitous Films – Need a video for your company? → sales@s-films.com
▸ AEROVERSE – Use code TakingOff for 15% off! → aeroverse.com
▸ FlyingEyes Optics – Get 10% off pilot glasses → flyingeyesoptics.com/pages/taking-offs-discount
▸ Colten Mortgage – Residential mortgage & refi, run by a pilot! → coltenmortgage.com/takingoff
▸ XeVision – Extreme LED Landing Lights. The only competitor is the sun! → xevision.com (xevision.com/)
▸ Clemens Insurance – Your broker should be fighting for you. Call Clemens! → clemensinsurance.net
▸ Marshal Protective Services – Private Security Elevated! → mpsprotects.com
▸ METAR Maps – The large METAR map on our set! Mention TakingOff when you order → metarmaps.com
▸ Lightspeed Headsets – Support us by buying through our link → lightspeedaviation.com/?ref=13
Fred Smith's Yale term paper reportedly earned a C grade before it became FedEx — the company behind overnight shipping as we know it. This is the story of his Marine Corps service, FedEx's near-collapse in its earliest years, and how Memphis International Airport came to be renamed in his honor on August 11th, 2026.
— PARTNERS & SPONSORS —
▸ For business inquiries → takingoff@outloudtalent.com
▸ Serendipitous Films – Need a video for your company? → sales@s-films.com
▸ AEROVERSE – Use code TakingOff for 15% off! → aeroverse.com
▸ FlyingEyes Optics – Get 10% off pilot glasses → flyingeyesoptics.com/pages/taking-offs-discount
▸ Colten Mortgage – Residential mortgage & refi, run by a pilot! → coltenmortgage.com/takingoff
▸ XeVision – Extreme LED Landing Lights. The only competitor is the sun! → xevision.com (xevision.com/)
▸ Clemens Insurance – Your broker should be fighting for you. Call Clemens! → clemensinsurance.net
▸ Marshal Protective Services – Private Security Elevated! → mpsprotects.com
▸ METAR Maps – The large METAR map on our set! Mention TakingOff when you order → metarmaps.com
▸ Lightspeed Headsets – Support us by buying through our link → lightspeedaviation.com/?ref=13
