From Balloons to Drones

Nov 01 2024 50 ep. 32 mins 39

From Balloons to Drones Podcast artwork

'From Balloons to Drones' is an online scholarly platform that seeks to provide analysis and debate about air power history, theory, and contemporary operations in their broadest sense including space and cyber power. https://balloonstodrones.com/

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50: 50th Episode Celebration

Nov 01 2024 39 mins

We look back at 50 episodes of the "From Balloons to Drones" podcast, revisit our favorites, and look at where we're heading in the future!

49: "A Dizzy Idea" - The Airplanes that Didn't Make It with Kenneth P. Werrell

Oct 01 2024 29 mins

For every military aircraft that takes to the skies, there are so many others that never got off the drawing board, or never made it into full production. Renowned and prolific aviation historian Kenneth P. Werrell talks us through his new book, Air Force Disappointments, Mistakes, and Failures, to talk about some of these projects and why some airplanes never seem to take off.

48: "Keep 'Em Flying!" Stan Fisher on Keeping WW2 Carriers Running

Sep 01 2024 32 mins

The Pacific Theater of WW2 was massive, not only in size, but in the huge numbers of ships and airplanes. Keeping a force like that operational and effective takes a huge amount of work behind the scenes. In this episode, Navy Commander Stan Fisher takes us through his new book, Sustaining the Carrier War, to show the often overlooked people behind the scenes: the mechanics and mai

47: "There is a Holy Trinity of US Air Force History": Brian Laslie on the history of USAF

Apr 01 2024 28 mins

Today we put our own co-host Brian Laslie, in the hot seat to talk about his newest book: Fighting from Above: A Combat History of the US Air Force, from University of Oklahoma Press. He discusses the earliest days of American air power up through the present and looking into the future.

46: "I want to serve in the same way they did" - the WW2 WASP with Dr. Sarah Myers

Mar 01 2024 31 mins

During World War II, men were not the only ones flying military airplanes. Many women flew all kinds of aircraft in a variety of roles, many of them members of the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Their story doesn't end with the war either, as they fought for recognition as veterans throughout the 1960s and 70s. We're joined by Dr. Sarah Myers to talk all about the unique r

45: "A Bridge to 21st Century Spaceships" - Astronaut Tom Jones on the Space Shuttle

Feb 01 2024 34 mins

We're so excited to be joined by veteran astronaut Tom Jones to talk about the history of the U.S. Space Shuttle Program. Having flown in space on four shuttle missions, Jones shares not only his own perspective, but reflects on the entirety of the shuttle program based on the interviews and research that informed his new book: Space Shuttle Stories: Firsthand Astronaut Accounts fr

44: "The Americans were clearly defeated in 1943..." Luke Truxal on Commanding Air Power in WW2

Jan 01 2024 34 mins

Dr. Luke Truxal is author of the new book, Uniting Against the Reich: The American Air War in Europe, from University Press of Kentucky. In it, he traces how the structure of command over air forces in World War II created a mess of problems. Only late in 1943 and into 1944 did these command structures change, enabling air power to become more effective. Truxal takes us into the dr

43: "Women aren't in combat but they're being killed": Women in Military Aviation - Eileen Bjorkman

Dec 01 2023 35 mins

This year (2023) is the 30th anniversary of the announcement of the first American women combat fighter pilots. How did the U.S. go from women not being allowed in military airplanes to having women combat pilots? Eileen Bjorkman (Col., USAF, ret.) joins us to talk about these momentous changes. She is a former flight test engineer who has flown in aircraft like the F-4 Phantom and

42: "They weren't told they were being recruited for space," Cathy Lewis on Soviet Cosmonauts

Oct 01 2023 39 mins

The American spaceflight program is a popular, inspirational story that many of us are familiar with, but what about the Soviet Union's space program? To explore it, we're joined by Dr. Cathleen Lewis, curator of international space programs and spacesuits at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, and author of Cosmonaut: A Cultural History, from University of Florida Pre

41: "The airplane just blew up into several pieces!" - Lee Ellis on the Romance Stories of POWs

Sep 01 2023 32 mins

Former F-4 Phantom pilot Lee Ellis was a prisoner of war in the "Hanoi Hilton" in Vietnam for over five years. But in the time since, he noticed that he and many other POWs had gone on to experience dramatic love lives. Ellis joins us to talk about his new book: Captured By Love: Inspiring True Romance Stories from Vietnam POWs.