Behind the Wings

Today’s show is a conversation with Steve Lindsey who is a former U.S. Air Force (USAF) pilot and NASA astronaut with more than 30 years of flight test experience. Today, he is VP of Strategy at Sierra Space where he leads design, development, testing and operational employment of the Dream Chaser® spacecraft, a modern, reusable, lifting-body space system for uncrewed and crewed transportation to low-Earth orbit. We have a Dream Chaser HL-20 mockup at Wings Museum – so it’s a great

This will be our first show with two guests – Kyle Sanders and Dawn Zoldi - and we’re talking drones! We’ll explore new E-Sports like drone soccer, artificial intelligence, the role of drones in combat, and the legal issues that arise with drone law. Students are getting involved with drones at the high school level and even younger. There's so much opportunity with this growing field. U.S. Drone Soccer co-founder Kyle Sander discusses how drone sports get young people involved with

Today’s show is a conversation with Sharon Caples McDougle, a modern-day hidden figure, crew chief, and manager of the Space Shuttle Crew Escape Equipment Processing Department. She is the first Black woman to serve in those roles. She has had an amazing career and we’re going to dive into her journey.Sharon is a former NASA spacesuit technician. She suited up Mae Jaemison, the first Black Woman to go to Space, worked on the SR-71 with pressure suits, and now tells her story in all kinds of

Today’s show is a conversation with Mike Rabens who is president of the F-14 Tomcat Association  –  who’s mission, they say, is to to preserve the history of the greatest fighter jet the US Navy has ever flown. Membership is open to anyone who has flown, worked on, or just plain loves the F-14 aircraft.Mike is graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School, Top Gun, a commander on US Naval Test Pilot School, with more than 4,700 flight hours in 58 aircraft, and more than 700 carrier landings

General Carl A. Spaatz was the first chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force and one of the most influential people in early U.S. Air Force History. Born in Boyertown, Penn. on June 28, 1891, Spaatz had a full career, beginning with the newly formed air corps and was one of the first military aviators in the U.S. Army. In this episode, we look at Spaatz' biography, but also what his story meant for the formation of the U.S. Air Force that we know today.Support Behind the Wings by making a

Calling all aviation lovers, space nerds, history buffs, and futurists – Behind the Wings® is now also a podcast! Published every other Monday.