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The Damcasters - The Aviation History Podcast
The First World War Ace on Film with Abby Whitlock
How has the portrayal of the fighter pilot on film reflected and refined the image of the pilot we know today? Military historian Abby Whitlock joins us as we look at the OG flying films Wings (1927), Howard Hughes' Hell's Angels (1930) both Dawn Patrols (1930 and 1938) and Aces High (1976) to see how the First World War in the air shaped the image of the fighter pilot down to Top Gun and Blackadder.
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★Check out Abby's website at: https://www.abby-s-whitlock.com/
★Follow Abby on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/abby_s_whitlock
★Follow Abby on Bluesky at: https://bsky.app/profile/abbyswhitlock.bsky.social
★Read Abby's article, ‘A Man’s World’: Masculinity and the First World War Ace in Interwar Film here: https://www.epoch-magazine.com/post/a-man-s-world-masculinity-and-the-first-world-war-ace-in-interwar-film
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The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
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81. Propwash Airshow at Stow Maries
34:02||Ep. 81Propwash is the summer Festival of the Air at Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome and we were delighted to be there! Following the museum's CEO Ian Flint's kind invitation to visit, we headed out to Essex to see First World War aircraft flying, tour the museum, its exhibits and, of course, indulge in the museum's renowned quiche. Join us as we tour Stow Maries and discover a true gem of destination.★Support the Stow Maries Crowdfunder here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-story-alive ★Visit the Stow Maries website here: https://www.stowmaries.org.uk/ ★Follow Stow Maries below: @stowmariesgreatwaraerodrom7220https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100039140355023https://www.instagram.com/stowaero37/https://x.com/StowAero★Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!Website: https://pimaair.org/https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpacehttps://www.instagram.com/pimaairhttps://x.com/pimaairhttps://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseumMusic:Greg McKay - Not Giving Up (Instrumental)Polychroma - Secondary Plotline (Instrumental)★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and a welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International00:00 Welcome to Stow Maries00:33 Royal Aircraft Factory BE2 Walkaround01:23 Museum Introduction and the First Blitz05:47 Nieuport 17 Walkaround07:14 The Women of the Great War08:19 Tiger 9 Flightline Walk09:39 The Machinery of Stow Maries11:36 BE2 and Nieuport 17 Display12:57 The Turbulent Display Team14:08 Could Boney Be a Great War Aviator?16:38 The Flying Gear of WW118:28 World Without Wires Exhibit23:59 Piper Cub Display25:20 Susane Tells Us About The Activities Available to Stow Maries31:18 The Suffolk Spitfire Display33:39 The Pulveriser Cockpit35:00 37 Squadron's Office38:00 Please Support Stow Maries!80. Harry Hardy DFC - Hawker Typhoon Pilot
28:29||Ep. 80On the 10th of August 1944, Harry Hardy joined 440 "City of Ottawa" Squadron RCAF in Normandy, flying Hawker Typhoon 'Bombphoons'. Harry flew 96 sorties (missions) through France, Belgium and Holland and was the pilot of The Pulverizers. In 2006, Harry gave this talk to the Royal Canadian Legion in White Rock, BC.The original footage has kindly been allowed to be reproduced here by his grandson, Rick Tunstall, and the Hardy Family.You can watch Harry give his presentation and see his slides on our YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/4LXDacpBH30Harry's chapter about his wartime experiences from his autobiography can be read on our website here: https://www.thedamcasterspod.com/harry-hardy-dfc-hawker-typhoon-pilot/To learn more about all the Canadian Typhoon Pilots, please visit The Typhoon Project website by historian Anne Gafiuk: https://thetyphoonproject.org/navigation.htmlThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International79. Flying Catch-22 with 'Stoney' Stonich
47:06||Ep. 79#Catch-22 is one of Scott Marchand and I's favourite books, so when the opportunity came up to chat with Stoney Stonich, who, as a young pilot, signed on to be one of the B-25 pilots for Mike Nichols' adaptation in 1969, we jumped at the chance. Stoney tells us all about the production, the challenges and the excitement of filming aerial scenes, including THAT hair-raising takeoff and hanging out with the late great Bob Newhart. Stoney also is a T-6 man and helped form the North American Trainer Association. He has had quite the career, and it was fantastic to chat with him on The Damcasters.Images: © Stoney Stonich unless otherwise statedAll clips of Catch-22 © Paramount Pictures★Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!Website: https://pimaair.org/https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpacehttps://www.instagram.com/pimaairhttps://x.com/pimaairhttps://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and a welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International00:00 Introduction03:44 Stoney's Start in Aviation04:53 Joining Catch-2210:10 Arriving on Set in Mexico15:03 Shoot the Take-Off Scene19:28 Frank Tallman and the Dummy21:34 The Death of Johnny Jordan24:16 Pima Air and Space Museum's VC-118 Liftmaster27:37 Life on the Catch-22 Set and Bob Newhart33:09 Stoney's T-6 and the North American Trainer Association40:42 Catch-22's B-25 Legacy45:36 Wrap Up and Become a Damcasteer!78. Save Stow Maries! with Ian Flint
32:49||Ep. 78Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome is the largest surviving Great War aerodrome in Europe, and it needs your help! Following roadworks that blocked access to the museum, they need your support to survive the funding black hole caused by the hole in the road. The Museum's CEO, Ian Flint, joins us to discuss Stow Maries' history and hopeful future.★Support the Stow Maries Crowdfunder here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-story-alive ★Visit the Stow Maries website here: https://www.stowmaries.org.uk/ Find out about the Stow Maries Great War Living History Weekend this weekend! (27th July 2024): https://www.stowmaries.org.uk/event/stow-maries-great-war-living-history-weekend-727449088807 ★Follow Stow Maries below: @stowmariesgreatwaraerodrom7220https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100039140355023https://www.instagram.com/stowaero37/ https://x.com/StowAero★Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials! Website: https://pimaair.org/ https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpacehttps://www.instagram.com/pimaairhttps://x.com/pimaairhttps://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum ★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and a welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International00:00 Introduction01:32 Meet the Boss: Ian Flint04:30 The Story of Stow Maries16:13 Funding Crisis and Challenges Faced by Stow Maries21:26 Upcoming Events and Engaging Visitors26:32 Stow Maries' Transformation31:04 Conclusion and Support Stow Maries77. The Challenger Disaster with Adam Higginbotham
01:06:39||Ep. 77It has been nearly 40 years since the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into its 10th flight on January 28, 1986, killing her crew and shocking the world. Author Adam Higginbotham's new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, looks at the long chain of events that led to the Challenger disaster and its aftermath, in which a small group of engineers stood up against NASA and their employers.★Visit Adam's website here: https://www.adamhigginbotham.com/★Follow Adam on X/Twitter here: https://x.com/HigginbothamA★Buy Adam's book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, at The Damcasters bookshop (10% of each sale supports the pod. UK Only): https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9780241543696★Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!Website: https://pimaair.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpaceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pimaairX: https://x.com/pimaairYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab a welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International00:00 Introduction02:03 Remembering the Challenger Disaster08:54 Go Fever12:50 The Road to the Space Shuttle15:35 The TFNGs20:08 Compromises in the Shuttle's Design28:40 Visit to PASM - SOFIA31:47 What are Solid Rocket Boosters?34:00 O-Rings38:35 The Ambitious Flight Schedule of the Shuttle Program40:57 The Crew of STS-51-L43:18 The Teacher in Space - Christa McAuliffe48:21 Ron McNair and Jean-Michel Jarre49:56 Judy Resnik51:32 The Rocket Engineers of Morton Thiokol01:03:59 Conclusion and Join us on Patreon!All images NASA unless otherwise stated. All credit to the original image owners. Today Dr Judith Resnik clip is copyright NBC.76. The F-35 Trillon Dollar Trainwreck with Bill Sweetman
01:00:16||Ep. 76The Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II is slated to be the mainstay of the US Air Force and NATO's air forces for years to come. But as Bill Sweetman, veteran aerospace journalist and independent analyst, dissects in his new book, "Trillion Dollar Trainwreck: How the F-35 Hollowed Out the United States Airforce", the program's lack of oversight and leadership has left the aircraft and its operators in a dangerous position.Buy Bill's book, Trillion Dollar Trainwreck: How the F-35 Hollowed Out the United States Airforce at Amazon via the links below:★UK - paperback edition: https://amzn.eu/d/099HrbWp★UK - Kindle edition: https://amzn.eu/d/0bFH2pTT★US - paperback edition: https://a.co/d/05XLrmDR★US - Kindle edition: https://a.co/d/08Vy9CPt★Visit Bill's website here: https://valkstrat.com/★Follow Bill on Twitter here: https://x.com/ValkStrategyGet 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 join in on the Zoom Socials. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/thedamcastersThe Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International75. The Future of the A-10 with Col. Nick 'Stoli' Radoescu
49:55||Ep. 75The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, the Warthog, has been earmarked for retirement for over a decade, but what is happening today with the men and women who keep the Hogs flying into their sixth decade? Col Nick 'Stoli' Radoescu is the commander of the 355th Operations Group based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. He oversees the operations of four squadrons of A-10s and their support units, including the training of the next generation of Hog drivers. Stoli kindly sat down with Boney to chat about his career, the A-10 today and the future of the Close Air Support mission in the USAF, with the spectre of the F-35 hanging over the venerable Hog.★Find out more about the 355th Operations Group here: https://www.dm.af.mil/About-DM/Units/355th-Operations-Group/★Learn more about Davis-Monthan Air Force Base here: https://www.dm.af.mil/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 Welcome02:48 Stolis's Journey to the Air Force05:44 First A-10 Flight and Firing the Gun11:27 Training and Future of the A-1018:39 Technological Advancements in the A-1023:57 Incorporating New Weapons and Systems25:35 Deployment Experiences and Mission Evolution32:12 Challenges and Changes in the A-10 Community42:51 Memorable Combat Stories47:22 Conclusion74. The Century Series with Joe Wilding
57:13||Ep. 74The Century Series was the name given to the series of second-generation US Air Force fighters that took the USAF beyond the sound barrier and towards Mach 2. With the F-100 Super Sabre, F-101 Voodoo, F-102 Delta Dart, F-104 Starfighter, F-105 Thunderchief, F-106 Delta Dart and F-107A all on display at the Pima Air Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, aircraft designer Joe Wilding shows us around the design of these early jet fighters.★Follow Joe on X(Twitter) at: https://twitter.com/joe_wildingGet 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 Introduction01:03 Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum Ad01:26 Intro cont02:12 Joe Wilding on The Century Series04:47 North American Aviation F-100 Super Sabre11:11 Detour to the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star14:33 F-100 cont17:13 Convair F-102A Delta Dagger28:53 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter38:49 Convair F-106 Delta Dart39:59 Republic F-105 Thunderchief45:17 North American F-107A51:53 BONUS SR-71 and the D-2155:17 Conclusion and Become a Damcasteer!73. Flying The Hump with Caroline Alexander
01:02:01||Ep. 73The 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