Flight Deck Podcast

Please Note: During his retelling, American fighter ace Besby F. Holmes uses an ethnic slur to describe his attackers. This oral history is presented unedited as a historical artifact of one veteran's experience. In American fighter ace Besby F. Holmes’ oral history, recorded in the early 90’s, he recalls the scramble to get to a plane during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The night before, he had a few too many rum drinks at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel while on a blind date, and he was nursing a hangover. He planned to go to the beach afterwards “to let the sun bake the poison out of [his] body.” But his plans were waylaid when the attack broke out. In the midst of the commotion in Honolulu, with military trucks roaring up and down the streets, Holmes commandeered a civilian’s red Studebaker and sped to Wheeler Base where he saw 70 P-40s already burning. He was first directed to fly a biplane that hadn’t been moved in a month, and told the sergeant, “Thank you very much, Sergeant, but I don’t want to fly that t

Commercial pilot Kevin Gordon returns in this episode to answer listener questions about all things aviation: what it takes to become a pilot, the difference between Navy and Air Force pilots, and explains the infamous “blue juice” of plane bathrooms. Gordon explains the two routes to becoming a pilot—military and civilian—and shares his own story of flight, from getting a private pilot’s license to getting a helicopter license. Gordon also acknowledges some of the funnier moments he’s had teaching Navy pilots how to fly Cessnas, and the unique landing styles he’s had to help them correct. If you are interested in becoming a pilot, check out our Aeronautical Science Pathway program! Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Keny Dutton Web Master: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

Before there were flight attendants, there were stewardesses, and in this AMA episode we talk to Mary Hoy, who served as a stewardess aboard United Airlines from 1967-1973, who answers questions from our social media followers. Hoy describes the joys and struggles of being a stewardess during this Golden Age of Aviation and recalls experiencing rapid changes in aviation technology as she worked aboard a variety of planes from the Douglas DC-6 to the Boeing 747. And Hoy doesn’t shy away from detailing the sexism she encountered as well, like the time airlines started hiring men as flight attendants and she overheard the pilot declare, “I don’t know why a man would stoop so low to do a woman’s work.” Want to check out one of the planes that Hoy served aboard? Come aboard the 747 next time you’re at the Museum. https://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/boeing-747-121 Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Justin Braegelmann/Keny Dutton Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

Eighty years ago today, Orson Welles’ 1938 broadcast ‘War of the Worlds’ used cutting-edge audio technology to convince listeners that planet Earth was under attack by Martians. What was intended as a Halloween special actually caused listeners all over the country some real distress, and we talk to three experts—Ben Blacker, co-creator of the Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast and creator of the comic series Hex Wives; Valerie Stafford, President of the Concrete Chamber of Commerce; and CJ Smith, an educator at The Museum of Flight—to uncover how and why this broadcast so effectively brought to life a Martian invasion. Blacker observes that the episode’s found-footage, documentary style delivery “was a precursor to so much of the audio that’s popular now.” The global anxiety that preceded WWII provided a tense backdrop for War of the Worlds, and according to C.J. Smith, the fear of a Martian invasion could be traced back to a misunderstanding over Martian geography. But it was a strange set of social and meteo

Sometime between her third and fourth year of her PhD program, Yi’s research ground to a halt. Her experiments were failing, she wasn’t acquiring good data, and even her friends were asking whether or not she could, or should, continue. Amidst the confusion about her future in science, Yi heard that the Korean government was looking for astronaut candidates. “I’m an easily distracted person, so I turn my attention to whatever is new and exciting,” Yi says. Being an astronaut seemed like a new, shiny distraction from her research, so Yi immediately applied (along with over 30,000 other hopefuls). After a battery of medical and psychological tests, she made it to the last two finalists, primarily because of the physical strength that precludes her from being seen as a “traditional” Korean beauty: thin body, pale skin, passive demeanor. So, after struggling through grad school and paying bills with her part-time gig as a wedding singer, Yi was ready to take on a new challenge: becoming Korea’s first (woman) astr

96-year-old Betty Dybbro was fortunate enough to spend one year as a WASP (Women Air Force Service Pilot) during World War Two, and in order to tell her story, we enlisted Katherine K. and Nithi B., two members of Amelia’s Aero Club who participate in aviation and aerospace activities at the Museum. They ask Betty about growing up in rural Indiana, her very first flight, and what she felt when she first heard the news about Pearl Harbor. Betty loved her time as a WASP and calls it “the most pleasant year of my life,” (even though she wasn’t a fan of all the rules WASPs had to follow). And as an experienced woman pilot, Betty gave the Amelia’s girls some advice on becoming a pilot: “Just go for it. Fly as much as you can, in different airplanes, too.” If you want to learn more about WASPs, stop by our Personal Courage Wing to see photos and artifacts of the brave women who flew during WWII. And if you know a middle school girl who loves all things STEM and aviation, check out Amelia’s Aero Club and attend t

Did you have trouble figuring out your major when you were in college? If so, you already have one thing in common with the world’s first Korean astronaut, Soyeon Yi. After toying with the idea of becoming an industrial engineer—she always loved designing buildings and drawing—Soyeon Yi realized it wasn’t the right fit for her; then, through a process of elimination, she decided to pursue mechanical engineering all the way through graduate school. Soyeon Yi, who also happens to be a volunteer at the Museum, explains that throughout most of her life she didn’t like encountering difficulties, but realized she couldn’t continue the same pattern: “I stopped avoiding hurdles.” Eventually she became the only woman in her cohort accepted into the graduate program for mechanical engineering—an experience she didn’t yet realize would prepare her for a history-making stint as an astronaut. Want to hear more personal stories about aerospace history? Check out our oral history archives on our Digital Collections page.

Did you know that 80% of the world’s blindness can be cured, and 90% of those cases occur in low to middle income countries? The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital works to decrease preventable and curable incidents of blindness with its mobile operating room and teaching facility. The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital started in 1982 with a DC-8 plane that flew to locations around the globe that are in desperate need of basic eye treatment for preventable and curable conditions. Now, Orbis boasts an MD-10 outfitted with an operation room that can be set up and sterilized in 6-7 hours, and that can serve as a teaching hospital for doctors to learn procedures that they can implement in their own communities. This week we interview Dr. Hunter Cherwek, who joined Orbis as soon as he completed medical school and hasn’t looked back since. He calls the plane “an engineering masterpiece both in healthcare and training and teaching.” And at the end of each day, Cherwek knows that his work with Orbis is making a difference. Did

As SpaceX and Blue Origin continue to make history by building rockets that will take future space vacationers to the Moon or Mars, the Museum is thinking about how to preserve the history of these private companies. Back in the 1960’s and up until now, it was easy for historians to access public records at NASA that documented the space race; and that’s not the case now. According to our Adjunct Curator for Space History, Geoff Nunn, “corporate archives are becoming ever more important, but private records don’t automatically make their way through the public record trail like NASA documents did.” Geoff and other space historians now have to ask themselves, “How do you archive a Slack thread?” and “What happens when YouTube goes under and we no longer have videos of launches?” Did you know there’s a conference dedicated to answering these exact questions? Get more info at http://toboldlypreserve.space/ If you want to see the origins of the space race (and check out publicly accessibly NASA documents and p

The American Fighter Aces Association preserves the memories of pilots who have sacrificed bravely for their country, and the Museum is home to its collection of artifacts and stories, including the oral histories of numerous pilots we’ve interviewed. In this edition of our Personal Courage series, we sit down with digitization specialist Ali Lane to listen to highlights from oral histories of three pilots—Gregory A. Daymond, Harold E. Comstock, and Louis William (Bill) Chick, Jr. We learn how a visit to Bavaria in 1939 inspired Gregory Daymond to join the RAF before the United States entered WWII, and we hear Bill Chick recount an awkward meeting with an enemy pilot years after the war, who told him: “Sir, I think you shot me down!” Browse all of our American Fighter Aces oral histories on our archives website, and learn more about how AFAA works to preserve the legacies of pilots who sacrificed it all to protect our country: Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Sean Mobley Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Market

Episode 13: Meet and R2-D2 Builder Bob Jacobson, R2-D2 builder extraordinaire, claims that he wasn’t always into engineering, but the process of building his droid forced him to learn some basic and advanced techniques. Our host caught up with Jacobson at the Museum’s R2-D2 Builder’s Expo, held every year in the spring. Jacobson and his R2-D2 were game for all of our questions, like what inspired him to pursue R2-D2 building and what he really thinks of BB-8. You’ll also be surprised to hear about the impact Jacobson’s R2-D2 have on the kids who meet them at expos. But you won’t be surprised at how Jacobson describes his favorite droid: “R2-D2 is funny, smart, loyal, and kids love him. He’s a golden retriever made of metal!” Don’t miss our next R2-D2 Builders event! Check our Calendar page in March 2019 to see when you can meet your favorite droid; and, if you love Star Wars, you’ll love exploring our Space Gallery! http://www.museumofflight.org/Plan-Your-Visit/Calendar-of-Events http://www.museumofflight.

Episode 12: She Opened Up the Skies A faceless mannequin wearing a 1920s’ style dress is posed next to our Boeing model 40B, but it’s not just there for show. The mannequin represents Jane Eads, the world’s very first transcontinental commercial airline passenger. In 1927, when she was just a 21-year old journalist, Eads rode in a 40B on a mail route from Chicago to San Francisco. Back then, the journey took 22 hours. Her vivid descriptions about her experience in the air led to more people gaining an interest in flight at a time when airplanes were still being perfected. The plane she flew in was not equipped with pressurization or climate controls, so Jane and the pilot were directly exposed to altitude and temperature changes during the flight. This week, we talk to Docent Zandria Hopper, who explains how Eads’ trip helped “solidify aviation’s potential to do what the railroads had already been doing to guarantee people could get from point A to point B.” See the Boeing model 40B, and the Jane Eads man

Back in 1977, when Bob Alexander was just a young engineer, he was chosen to work on a challenging new project: the Hubble space telescope. During his ten years on the project, Bob—now a Museum volunteer—advanced to the level of supervisor and recalls that with all the experienced engineers working alongside him, designing the Hubble was a pretty smooth operation. This week, we’ve tapped Akshay Murthy, a student at Tesla STEM High School in Bellevue, to do the interview because of his passion for aerospace (thanks Akshay!). Akshay asks Bob about his thought process in designing high-tech instruments like the near-field camera 3, the cosmic origin spectrograph, and the multi-object spectrometer, and Bob gives his insights about what he calls “the finest scientific instrument ever built.” Next time you’re at the Museum, come see the Hubble telescope replica hanging above our Space Gallery. Host: Sean Mobley Guest Host: Akshay Murthy Producer: Keny Dutton Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Ir

Episode 10: Do Airplanes Have Keys? This week we talk to Kevin Gordon, first officer for Alaska Airlines, who graciously answers questions that our listeners have submitted via social media. Do a pilot’s arms get tired after flying all day? And can they watch movies during their flights? Gordon answers these queries and explains that the titles captain and first officer, which many mistake for pilot and co-pilot, stem from military traditions and denote levels of responsibility in the cockpit. The captain is first in charge, and the first officer holds secondary responsibility for the aircraft. Gordon also offers some advice to those with a fear of flight. When white-knuckle flyers approach him and confess their fears, he says this: “I know I just met you, but I like you already, and I love me; so, I’m going to make sure I get me there, because I want to see my family. You’re going to be just fine.” Want to get your own up-close aviation experience? Head to our Alaska Airlines Aerospace Education Center ht

Episode 9: Surviving the Final Frontier Did you know that for every month you spend in space, you lose about 2% BMI? Neither did we until we talked to Tommy Gantz, one of our volunteers and resident space experts. Over the years she’s spent a lot of time studying space travel and life aboard the International Space Station, and has developed a deep respect for anyone who travels to space. Gantz admires astronauts—“They remind me of the first great aviators”—but maintains that she’s not nearly brave enough to spend that much time in space, especially given the harsh physiological consequences that result from extended periods in microgravity. Join us as we discuss what it takes for human bodies to survive the final frontier and how space station experiments can result in miracles of modern medicine. Want to learn more about life in space? Check out our Charles Simonyi Space Gallery next time you visit! http://www.museumofflight.org/explore-the-museum/museum-galleries/space-gallery Correction: Mark Kelly is

Episode 8: The Angel Bird Hustling in and out of a Huey helicopter is one of the most vivid memories of Platoon leader David Waggoner and crew chief Jerry Sousa: it took 10-15 seconds to load and unload the helicopter, and their journeys took them to hot zones where they were vulnerable to enemy fire. The Huey and those who flew in it were fearless, reporting to every call no matter how dangerous, and ended up transporting over 90,000 soldiers during the war. Ultimately, Waggoner and Sousa want listeners to know that Huey pilots “fought against the odds to save soldiers’ lives,” and they look forward to sharing more stories about Vietnam by giving tours in our new exhibit. See our Huey for yourself in our new exhibit, “Vietnam Divided: The War Above Southeast Asia,” opening Saturday May 26. http://www.museumofflight.org/Exhibits/Vietnam-Divided-War-Above-SE-Asia Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Keny Dutton Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

Episode 7: Remembering Apollo Astronaut Dick Gordon Dick Gordon passed away in November 2017, and author and volunteer Jake Schultz had the honor of recording Gordon’s oral history few months prior to learn about his experiences as an astronaut. In this episode, Gordon talks spaceflight, corvettes, and football. He recalls the differences between the Gemini and Apollo missions. Gemini’s Titan II rocket was an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) designed to get you into orbit as fast as possible at altitude and then shut down. The Saturn V rocket on the Apollo mission, however, was a different kind of ride. “It shook, rattled and rolled,” Gordon describes. Gordon, a Seattle native, also fondly recalls bonding with his crew—Pete Conrad and Alan Bean—over their three red Corvettes and taking on the role of the Executive Vice President of the New Orleans Saints after his space career. Get a taste of what it took to put a man on the Moon in our Apollo exhibit(https://www.museumofflight.org/Exhibits/Apo

Episode 6: The Personal Courage Series: Shouting at Hitler Show Notes: In this second installment of our Personal Courage series, B-17 pilot Dick Nelms takes us on one of his missions and shares how he and his comrades dealt with fear and other realities of war. From a young age, Dick loved planes and when the time came to participate in the war effort, he knew he wanted to fly. And it’s a good thing he did: his 35 missions contributed to the final Allied victory. Dick looks back on his time in the B-17 and is proud of “putting a dent in Hitler’s war machine.” Get more first-hand accounts of aviation history with our oral histories program. http://www.museumofflight.org/Collections-and-Research/Current-Projects/3251/digitizing-the-american-fighter-aces-oral-histories Email our Curator if you’d like to access an oral history: curator@museumofflight.org Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Justin Braegelmann Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

Episode 5: When We Chose to Go to the Moon How did a bunch of Houston high school students help President Kennedy drive the United States towards putting a man on the Moon? In September 1962, Bob Salling, one of our docents, was pulled out of school along with tens of thousands of other Houston high school students to hear a speech by President Kennedy at Rice University. Salling remembers that “a lot of people didn’t like Kennedy, a lot of parents didn’t like Kennedy, and by extension their children didn’t like Kennedy”; but, Kennedy’s words about space exploration got Salling and his peers so excited about the possibility of going to space that they forgot their prejudices. The speech would become a rallying call for the space program in the United States, and in it Kennedy explains that “we choose to go to the Moon not because it is easy, but because it is hard.” "This speech set a deadline for walking on the Moon before the end of the decade, and the excitement it generated kept the space program moment

Episode 4: A Brief History of Legroom Has your airplane seat felt a little tight lately? It’s not just you—it’s the evolution of legroom on passenger planes, and it’s not getting any roomier. We talk to Marva Semet to discuss how this battle for inches came about. Semet finds that spaces weren’t always so tight on in the early days of aviation, when flying itself was a luxury for the very few. During the 1940s, airlines realized that “the more people they could fit into an aircraft, the better.” Nowadays, airlines consider pitch (the space between a point on one seat and the same point on the seat in front of it) and width in passenger configurations when purchasing planes, and these numbers can be the difference between a comfortable journey and a torturous trek. Step inside our famous passenger planes: the Boeing Model 80-A(http://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/boeing-80a-1), the first Boeing 747(http://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/boeing-747-121) and the Boeing 787(http://www.museumofflight.org/airc