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Project Suntan – The Liquid Hydrogen-Powered Spyplane
I have a new article up over at From Balloons to Drones, all about Lockheed’s attempt to create a liquid hydrogen-fueled reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft in the 1950s. Obviously it didn’t go into production, but the story of it’s design, as well as the various concept drawings I found of it in the archives, are…
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Flying Camelot Now Available in Audiobook!
I’m so excited to announce that my book, Flying Camelot: The F-15, the F-16, and the Weaponization of Fighter Pilot Nostalgia is now available as an audiobook! You can get it through Audible, or anywhere else audiobooks are available. I’m definitely a big fan of audiobooks; I listen to them all the time, so I’m…
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Helen James – Fighting Against USAF Discrimination of LGBTQ People
Check out the fascinating new blog from Patti Williams, archivist at the National Air and Space Museum. She has recently obtained and made available an interesting collection of material from Helen James. In the 1950s, Helen James was a radio operator and crew chief in the USAF, but was arrested and discharged as part of…
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Podcast: “This Cannot Go On”: The “Race Riot” on the USS Kitty Hawk
The latest episode of the From Balloons to Drones podcast is up! In 1972, onboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk, a series of violent incidents broke out that were subsequently labeled a “race riot.” Many African American sailors were charged with assault, and one of the JAG officers assigned to their defense was Marv…
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New Interview on New Books Network
I’m very grateful to be featured on the New Books Network podcast! Check it out here for a wide-ranging discussion about the F-15 and F-16 development, the Fighter Mafia, and fighter pilot culture. Big thanks to the show for having me on, it was a lot of fun.
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Podcast: Spying for the U.S. Air Force
“Your grandfather was a spy!” These words sent historian Philip Shackelford on a quest to discover and tell the story of the U.S. Air Force Security Service, a shadowy group conducting surveillance throughout the Cold War. He agreed to join us for the newest From Balloons to Drones podcast. Listen to it on Spotify, on…
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Upcoming Event: Making History in the Lockheed U-2
Come join me on May 3, 2023 at 8p.m. Eastern for a guest lecture from U.S. Air Force Col. Merryl Tengesdal (Ret.) at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (also streaming online), about her amazing career in aviation. Starting as a Navy helo pilot, she became the first African American woman to fly the…
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Podcast: Making the F-14 Tomcat and F-15 Eagle
The newest episode of the From Balloons to Drones podcast features historian Tal Tovy, discussing the design and development of two of my favorite fighter aircraft: the F-14 Tomcat and the F-15 Eagle. He explores the topic from an interesting angle in his new book: Tomcats and Eagles: The Development of the F-14 and F-15…
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Podcast: Looking at the Vietnam War with Michael Weaver
Don’t miss the latest From Balloons to Drones Podcast! It’s available on Soundcloud, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts. This month’s show is very exciting: 50 years ago this January was the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, which ended major U.S. combat operations in the Vietnam War. To look back on the air…
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Flying Camelot Reviewed at Strategy Bridge
I’m very happy to see another great review of my book, Flying Camelot: the F-15, the F-16, and the Weaponization of Fighter Pilot Nostalgia. Published in the great online journal, The Strategy Bridge, Dr. Luke Truxal says that “Hankins’ work is an excellent analysis of how the perception of fighter pilots inside and outside of…