The Damcasters - The Aviation History Podcast

The Hump was the air bridge between India and China during the Second World War. The men of the Air Transport Command would face then unknown weather systems flying between Himalayan mountains that forever towered over them. New York Times bestselling author Caroline Alexander joins us to tell us about the men who flew The Hump, which is the subject of her book, Skies of Thunder.Buy Skies of Thunder: The Deadly World War II Mission Over the Roof of the World at The Damcasters Bookshop (UK Only) - 10% of each sale goes to supporting the pod: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781984879233Many thanks to the PR Team at Penguin Viking for supplying a review copy.Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum through the links below:★Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website here: https://pimaair.org/ ★Learn more about the Titan Missile Museum here: https://titanmissilemuseum.org/ ★Find out who is in the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame here: https://pimaair.org/about-us/arizona-aviation-hall-of-fame/ ★Want to know how the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is progressing? Find out more here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/ ★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

In this second part of our interview with WW2 Veteran Bob Reierson, Bob tells us about heading to the Pacific, flying the A-20 in combat over the Philippines, and, after 80 years, Bob climbs into the cockpit of the Pima Air and Space Museum's Douglas A-20G Havoc. Catch up on part 1 here: https://youtu.be/6uWN_vN7FyIGet the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum through the links below:★Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website here: https://pimaair.org/ ★Learn more about the Titan Missile Museum here: https://titanmissilemuseum.org/ ★Find out who is in the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame here: https://pimaair.org/about-us/arizona-aviation-hall-of-fame/ ★Want to know how the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is progressing? Find out more here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/ ★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International00:00 Intro and Pima Latest01:44 Bob Flies His First Training Sorties Against the Japanese06:41 Bob Hunts for a Downed B-2509:54 Bob Gets Posted to the 417th Bomb Group15:52 Bob's Experience of Flying versus the 8th AF in Europe18:27 Low Level Attack on Corregidor24:25 Navigation over the Philippines26:22 Difficulties of Formation Flying30:00 Coordination with the Army32:03 Bob Comes Home37:10 Pima's Douglas A-20G Havok39:14 Bob Returns to the Cockpit After 80 Years48:07 Wrap up - Become a Damcasteer!

Bob Reierson joined the USAAF at age 18 and would find himself flying the Douglas A-20G Havoc in the Pacific. On my last visit to the Pima Air and Space Museum, director of collections Andrew Boehly arranged for Bob and I to sit down and discuss flying the A-20. In Part 1 of this 2-part interview, we discuss Bob joining up, learning to fly the PT-19, the BT-13, the UC-78, the B-25, and finally getting his hands on the A-20.To get early access to part 2 to hear about Bob flying the A-20 in combat and climbing back in the cockpit of an A-20 for the first time in 80 years, become a Damcasteer today!Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum through the links below:★Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website here: https://pimaair.org/ ★Learn more about the Titan Missile Museum here: https://titanmissilemuseum.org/ ★Find out who is in the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame here: https://pimaair.org/about-us/arizona-aviation-hall-of-fame/ ★Want to know how the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is progressing? Find out more here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/ ★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International00:00 Introduction02:30 Meet Bob Reierson02:55 Bob Introduces Boney to the Douglas A-20 Havoc10:33 Bob's Dream of Flying11:46 Bob Applies to the Aviation Cadet Program13:00 Bob is Called Up to the US Army Air Force16:47 Bob's Primary Flight Training21:23 Bob Transitions to Twin Engine Aircraft - UC-78 and B-2529:47 Training on the A-20 Begins39:10 The Importance of Formation Flying44:31 Bob's Journey to the Pacific53:04 End of Part 1 - Become a Damcasteer!

David and Lindsey Goss run the fantastic GossHawk Unlimted in Casa Grande, Arizona. There they build incredible warbirds like Fw-190s (see part 1!) and care for the world's last airworthy Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer. Join us as Lindsey shows us around the Privateer and find out how you, if you are an engineer, are wanted at GossHawk★Listen to part 1 here: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/building-focke-wulf-fw-190s-at-gosshawk-unlimited★Watch part 1 here: https://youtu.be/KxTgQ_XbMbI ★Visit the GossHawk Unlimited website here: https://gosshawkunlimited.com/★Fancy working at GossHawk? Check out the latest job openings on the careers page here: https://gosshawkunlimited.com/jobs/ ★Follow GossHawk Unlimited on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/GossHawkUnlimitedInc/Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum through the links below:★Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website here: https://pimaair.org/★Learn more about the Titan Missile Museum here: https://titanmissilemuseum.org/★Find out who is in the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame here: https://pimaair.org/about-us/arizona-aviation-hall-of-fame/★Want to know how the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is progressing? Find out more here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Father and daughter team David and Lindsey Goss run one of the world's leading warbird restoration and maintenance companies, GossHawk Unlimited. Back in February, they kindly welcomed us to have a tour around the shop, learn about how GossHawk came about and, this week, what goes into rebuilding Focke-Wulf Fw-190s.Next week, we tour the world's last airworthy Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer.Watch the video version on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/KxTgQ_XbMbI★Visit the GossHawk Unlimited website here: https://gosshawkunlimited.com/★Fancy working at GossHawk? Check out the latest job openings on the careers page here: https://gosshawkunlimited.com/jobs/ ★Follow GossHawk Unlimited on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/GossHawkUnlimitedInc/Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum through the links below:★Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website here: https://pimaair.org/★Learn more about the Titan Missile Museum here: https://titanmissilemuseum.org/★Find out who is in the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame here: https://pimaair.org/about-us/arizona-aviation-hall-of-fame/★Want to know how the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is progressing? Find out more here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

When filmmaker Mary Haverstick started pre-production on a film about the Mercury 13, which selected and tested women for spaceflight, she knew the key was the legendary Jerrie Cobb. Mary's relationship with Cobb led to her uncovering much more about the aviator and a trail that led to the CIA and the Kennedy assassination. Mary's 10-year journey resulted in her book, A Woman I Know, which chronicles her journey to uncover the secrets held by a very secretive woman.★Buy A Woman I Know: Female Spies, Double Identities, and a New Story of the Kennedy Assassination, at The Damcasters Bookshop here (10% of each sale supports the podcast) UK only: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781915590626★Buy A Woman I Know: Female Spies, Double Identities, and a New Story of the Kennedy Assassination, in the US here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737399/a-woman-i-know-by-mary-haverstick/★View Mary's Dealey Plaza Multicam assembly of the Kennedy Assassination here: https://vimeo.com/877221401★Follow Mary on X/Twitter here: https://twitter.com/MaryHaverstick★Follow Mary on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/haverfilms/Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum through the links below:★Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website here: https://pimaair.org/★Learn more about the Titan Missile Museum here: https://titanmissilemuseum.org/★Find out who is in the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame here: https://pimaair.org/about-us/arizona-aviation-hall-of-fame/★Want to know how the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is progressing? Find out more here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International00:00 Introduction and Background12:53 The Start of the Rabbit Hole: A Visit from a Federal Agent29:35 Investigating the Connection: Jerry Cobb and June Cobb36:11 The CIA's Assassination Program and the Threat of Communism43:11 Jerry Cobb's Desire to Tell the Story49:46 Reflections on the Journey and Conflicted Feelings

SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, was a joint program by NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR which put a 2.5m reflecting telescope in the back of an ex-Pan Am Beoing 747SP. Dr Dörte Mehlert, head of education and public relations at the German SOFIA Institute (DSI), joins us to take us through the incredible discoveries SOFIA made.★NASA's SOFIA Mission Page: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sofia★Deutsches SOFIA Institut (DSI) Mission Page: https://www.dsi.uni-stuttgart.de/en/★NASA/IPAC SOFIA Media Portal: https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/data/SOFIA/docs/events/media-portal/★NASA/IPAC SOFIA Observation Portal: https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/data/SOFIA/docs/multimedia/image-gallery/gallery/scientific-observations/index.htmlGet the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum through the links below:★Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website here: https://pimaair.org/★Learn more about the Titan Missile Museum here: https://titanmissilemuseum.org/★Find out who is in the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame here: https://pimaair.org/about-us/arizona-aviation-hall-of-fame/★Want to know how the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is progressing? Find out more here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

The oldest Boeing B-52 Stratoforetress in the world, 52-0003 "The High and Mighty One", has just been lovingly restored at the Pima Air and Space Museum and is now on public display once again. On our recent visit, Matt and aircraft designer Joe Wilding (who is also a fabulous Damcasteer on Patreon) were allowed to crawl around the aircraft and check out the time capsule that is the X-15 Mothership.Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum through the links below:★Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website here: https://pimaair.org/★Learn more about the Titan Missile Museum here: https://titanmissilemuseum.org/★Find out who is in the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame here: https://pimaair.org/about-us/arizona-aviation-hall-of-fame/★Want to know how the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is progressing? Find out more here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

On the 80th Anniversary of the last major RAF Bomber Command attack on Aachen (11/12 April 1944), Dr Philip Blood returns to discuss the raid that lasted all of 7 minutes. For those on the ground, it would be seven minutes in hell. Phil takes us through the raid and the implications of the orders for it, as well as the wider context that has become a major part of his new book, War Comes to Aachen.★Follow Phil on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/HistorianBlood★Phil's Academea.edu page with his thesis, papers and reviews can be found here: https://philipwblood.academia.edu/★Pre-order War Comes to Aachen: The Nazis, Churchill and the 'Stalingrad of the West from The Damcasters Bookshop. 10% of each sale supports the pod. UK only. https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781911723691Please check out the latest from our sponsor, the Pima Air and Space Museum, through the links below:★Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website here: https://pimaair.org/★Learn more about the Titan Missle Museum here: https://titanmissilemuseum.org/★Find out who is in the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame here: https://pimaair.org/about-us/arizona-aviation-hall-of-fame/★Want to know how the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is progressing? Find out more here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/The Damcasters © 2022 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International