Flight Deck Podcast

*NOTE: During this episode, you may hear the interviewer and interviewee refer to “the 400” or “dash 100.” These numbers refer to variants of the 747. Just like apples have different varieties—fuji, honeycrisp, MacIntosh, etc—planes have their own variations, too! When Boeing released the 747, it changed the aviation industry forever. The story of the 747’s development, however, must be told alongside the stories of the pilots who flew it. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 747’s first flight, we feature an oral history with pilot Jerry Coy, who flew the 747 during its heyday. Coy has piloted planes for 40 years, including 330 combat missions, but his commercial career is just as fascinating. This week he shares the story of how difficult it was for pilots to be chosen to fly the Queen of the Skies, because it was all based on seniority. And once a pilot was chosen to fly, they were in charge of transporting hundreds of passengers all around the globe. Coy flew from Seattle to Tokyo, and he recalls a scary instance in which an engine failed. Coy’s stories are an ideal way to celebrate the amazing history of this incredible plane! Listen to more fascinating oral histories by visiting our digital archives page, and then take a moment to learn more about the very first 747 ever flown. The Oral History Program is made possible by the generous support of Michael and Mary Kay Hallman. Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Sean Mobley Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

Sometimes the story of how we acquired an artifact is just as interesting as the artifact itself. Such is the case with the Soviet-built MiG-21 that stands in our Great Gallery. Bruce Florsheim, one of our docents and an active player in getting the MiG to Seattle, explains the historical significance of the MiG and how it ended up in our Museum. “In its time, the MiG 21 became the most produced supersonic jet in aviation history and the most produced combat aircraft since WWII,” says Florsheim. The Soviets loved it because it was rugged—it could easily take off from unprepared fields—and inexpensive to produce: you didn’t have to be a mechanical genius to build it or maintain it. Back in 1994, the MiG caught the eye of Boeing VP Jim Blue as he was touring an aircraft factory in the Czech Republic. Blue saw that a large group of them were covered in a tarp, and he asked his host what the plans were for the jets. “They will be scrapped,” said the Czech guide, and Blue, then a Museum trustee, knew that he had to acquire one. At first the Czechs refused to sell the plane, but Blue persisted, and eventually the plane was disassembled and embarked on a months-long adventure across the Atlantic, through the Panama Canal, and up to Seattle, where it was rebuilt and displayed in the Museum. The two Czech mechanics who were flown over to help rebuild it experienced an adventure of their own when Blue introduced them to American-style supermarkets. Learn more about the MiG 21 here and then come see it in person in our Vietnam Divided: War Above Southeast Asia exhibit. Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Sean Mobley Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

What do you get when a WWII American Fighter Ace has the same name as a Hollywood icon and doesn’t get rid of anything? The Lt. Col. James C Stewart Collection! Amy Heidrick, Associate Director of Collections, delves into the archives of the American Fighter Aces Association to reveal the stories that these objects tell about being a fighter ace during WWII. One of our most robust collections belongs to Lt. Col. James C. Stewart, or Jimmy Stewart as he was known. He happened to be serving in the European theater at the same time as the Hollywood actor Jimmy Stewart, which led to some interesting items being included in his collection, like misdirected fan mail. According to Heidrick, “Jimmy Stewart didn’t get rid of anything, it seems,” which leaves us with a robust collection of uniforms, survival gear, and photographs. The survival kit, which hasn’t been opened in 70 years, contains some interesting items. “There’s a fishing kit,” says Heidrick. “If you had to bail out, perhaps over the ocean, and you were in a raft, you would have a fishing kit. There’s different kinds of lures, different kinds of fish hooks, lines, anything you would need to potentially fish in the middle of the ocean.” Some more notable items include food items with directions not to leave the wrapper laying around after use; loose lips sink ships, after all. Looking to learn more about the American Fighter Aces? Check out our J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing and our Digital Archives Oral History Collection. Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Sean Mobley Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

The clock was ticking in 1968, and the race to the Moon was on. The Apollo 8 mission, which came about by accident as NASA was finalizing tests on weight and vehicle performance, sent a crew to the Moon to see if humans could fly safely on the Saturn V rocket. They did, and one of the most amazing takeaways of the mission—aside from the safe return of the astronauts—was the famous Earthrise photo taken on Christmas Eve and the unexpected lesson it taught us: our place in the Universe. NASA historian Dr. Bill Barry says that the “barren, lifeless terrain of the Moon, set against a black sky with nothing out there, and this one little blue and white dot that’s our planet, impacted our perspective of Earth, humanity, and our shared future.” That photo, along with the astronauts reading from the first book of Genesis, is a testament to how space exploration inspires people to do their best, be creative, and work together in a positive way. Want to learn more about how the APOLLO missions changed the world? Stop by our APOLLO exhibit, which closes on January 2, 2019, and then mark your calendars for the opening of Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission in April 2019, which features the original Command Module that landed on the Moon. Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission is an exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. This traveling exhibit comes to our Museum in 2019. Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Keny Dutton Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

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 thing!” After arriving at another base location, a line chief gave him a helmet, a parachute, a .45-caliber pistol and ordered him into a P-36 Peashooter. He flew for 30 minutes and never saw a Japanese plane in the air. His hangover headache went away, too. Want to check our more oral histories from American Fighter Aces? Check out our new digital database! The American Fighter Aces Association also offers scholarships. Learn more here. Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Keny Dutton Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla Photo Credit: National Museum of the United States Air Force

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 meteorological circumstances that spun the small town of Concrete, WA into a panic. Want to learn more about the pop culture inspirations for science and space exploration? Check out our Charles Simonyi Space Gallery and our APOLLO exhibit. And be sure to join us on November 2-3 for Space Expo 2018, where you can meet members of the Mars Society and ask them about their theories of life on the Red Planet. Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Keny Dutton Web Master: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

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) astronaut. Love hearing great stories directly from the people who experienced aerospace history? Check out our Oral History archives or contact our Curator to get started. Host: Sean Mobley Interviewer: Geoff Nunn Producer: Keny Dutton Web Master: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

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 the next event. Host: Sean Mobley Interviewers: Katherine K. and Nithi B. Producer: Keny Dutton Web Master: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

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. Producer: Keny Dutton Host: Sean Mobley Oral History Interviewer: Geoff Nunn Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

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 you know that the Museum offers special tactile tours for individuals with vision impairments? Get more information here. Producer: Keny Dutton Host: Sean Mobley Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

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 photos!) stop by our APOLLO exhibit! And stay tuned for more great space experiences at the Museum with our upcoming Destination Moon exhibit! Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission is an exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. This traveling exhibit comes to our Museum in 2019. Producer: Sean Mobley Host: Sean Mobley Web Master: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

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 Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla

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.org/explore-the-museum/museum-galleries/space-gallery Host: Sean Mobley Producer: Keny Dutton Webmaster: Layne Benofsky Content Marketing Manager: Irene Jagla