77 episodes

Welcome to The Damcasters, a podcast covering aviation history from when Pontius was a Pilate to today and beyond, brought to you in association with the Pima Air and Space Museum.Every week, we will be taking a fresh look at the history of both civil and military flying, from the earliest days of people jumping off of rocks and hoping to survive to the latest in unmanned flight. While it is inevitable that we will we can get a bit avgeek-y, we aim to be as inclusive as possible so that if you have even a passing interest in flight, we will have something for you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Damcasters - The Aviation History Podcast Matt Bone

    • Leisure
    • 4.7 • 14 Ratings

Welcome to The Damcasters, a podcast covering aviation history from when Pontius was a Pilate to today and beyond, brought to you in association with the Pima Air and Space Museum.Every week, we will be taking a fresh look at the history of both civil and military flying, from the earliest days of people jumping off of rocks and hoping to survive to the latest in unmanned flight. While it is inevitable that we will we can get a bit avgeek-y, we aim to be as inclusive as possible so that if you have even a passing interest in flight, we will have something for you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Flying The Hump with Caroline Alexander

    Flying The Hump with Caroline Alexander

    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/11015/9781984879233
    Many 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/thedamcasters
    The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 1 hr 2 min
    Returning to the A-20 Cockpit After 80 Years with Bob Reierson - Part 2

    Returning to the A-20 Cockpit After 80 Years with Bob Reierson - Part 2

    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_vN7FyI
    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/thedamcasters
    The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
    00:00 Intro and Pima Latest
    01:44 Bob Flies His First Training Sorties Against the Japanese
    06:41 Bob Hunts for a Downed B-25
    09:54 Bob Gets Posted to the 417th Bomb Group
    15:52 Bob's Experience of Flying versus the 8th AF in Europe
    18:27 Low Level Attack on Corregidor
    24:25 Navigation over the Philippines
    26:22 Difficulties of Formation Flying
    30:00 Coordination with the Army
    32:03 Bob Comes Home
    37:10 Pima's Douglas A-20G Havok
    39:14 Bob Returns to the Cockpit After 80 Years
    48:07 Wrap up - Become a Damcasteer!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 49 min
    Learning to Fly the Douglas A-20 Havoc with Bob Reierson - Part 1

    Learning to Fly the Douglas A-20 Havoc with Bob Reierson - Part 1

    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/thedamcasters
    The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
    00:00 Introduction
    02:30 Meet Bob Reierson
    02:55 Bob Introduces Boney to the Douglas A-20 Havoc
    10:33 Bob's Dream of Flying
    11:46 Bob Applies to the Aviation Cadet Program
    13:00 Bob is Called Up to the US Army Air Force
    16:47 Bob's Primary Flight Training
    21:23 Bob Transitions to Twin Engine Aircraft - UC-78 and B-25
    29:47 Training on the A-20 Begins
    39:10 The Importance of Formation Flying
    44:31 Bob's Journey to the Pacific
    53:04 End of Part 1 - Become a Damcasteer!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 54 min
    The Last Airworthy Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer at GossHawk Unlimited - Part 2

    The Last Airworthy Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer at GossHawk Unlimited - Part 2

    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/thedamcasters
    The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 34 min
    Building Focke-Wulf Fw 190s at GossHawk Unlimited - Part 1

    Building Focke-Wulf Fw 190s at GossHawk Unlimited - Part 1

    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/thedamcasters
    The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 47 min
    The Lives of Jerrie Cobb with Mary Haverstick

    The Lives of Jerrie Cobb with Mary Haverstick

    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/thedamcasters
    The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
    00:00 Introduction and Background
    12:53 The Start of the Rabbit Hole: A Visit from a Federal Agent
    29:35 Investigating the Connection: Jerry Cobb and June Cobb
    36:11 The CIA's Assassination Program and the Threat of Communism
    43:11 Jerry Cobb's Desire to Tell the Story
    49:46 Reflections on the Journey and Conflicted Feelings

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 55 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
14 Ratings

14 Ratings

Dave Glan ,

A must listen

I came across by the podcast pretty much by accident and such a happy happy accident!

The host’s knowledge and enthusiasm comes across so well. I consider myself lucky in that I’ve got the whole back catalogue to keep me entertained at the modelling bench for the foreseeable.

Highly recommended!

CodeEpsom ,

Fascinating with great variety

A brilliant breadth of topics covered, presented by a host who wears his knowledge lightly, and lets the experts shine in each episode. Thoroughly recommend

NewcyJim ,

Great choice for all aviation enthusiasts!

Damcasters covers a wide range of topics from civil and military aviation. So far, subjects as diverse as the B-1 bomber, the rearming of the pre-war RAF and Pan-Am stewardesses have been discussed. A knowledgeable host in Matt Bone and some great guests combine to make this show well worth your time.

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