William Langewiesche (/lɑːŋ.ɡəˈvi.ʃə/)[1] (born June 12, 1955)[2] is an American author and journalist who was also a professional airplane pilot for many years.

He has written articles covering a wide range of topics from shipbreaking, wine critics, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, modern ocean piracy, nuclear proliferation, and the World Trade Center cleanup.

[4] After college, Langewiesche moved to New York City and went to work as a writer for Flying, a large-circulation publication for general aviation pilots.

The travels eventually took Langewiesche to the most remote parts of the Sahara desert and sub-Saharan West Africa.

[5] In 2006, while living in Baghdad to cover the Iraq War, Langewiesche left The Atlantic and went to work for Vanity Fair.