All Episodes
Displaying 1 - 20 of 98 in total
Asteroid Bennu and the Ingredients for Life - Episode 80
What can a few grains of asteroid dust tell us about the origins of life on Earth? In this episode, Host Rick Crandall talks with NASA astrochemist José C. Aponte abo...
How the World Agreed to Go Farther - Episode 79
NASA’s Meredith McKay discusses how diplomacy, trust, and international cooperation are helping turn ambitious space missions into reality. In this episode, Host Rick ...
Fighting Wildfires from the Sky - Episode 78
As wildfires grow larger and more complex, pilots, firefighters, scientists, and aviation experts are developing new ways to protect communities from the air. In Episo...
F-15, F-16 or F-22? A General's Verdict - Episode 77
Brigadier General Micah “Zeus” Fessler shares stories about flying the F-15 and F-22, traces Colorado fighter aviation from early biplanes to the F-16, and today's hom...
The Most Dangerous Plane to Fly in Vietnam - Episode 76
Air Force veteran Art Elser reveals what it took to fly low, slow, and exposed as a forward air controller during the Vietnam War. In this episode, Host Rick Crandall ...
Will Air Taxis Change Everything? - Episode 75
NASA’s RAVEN aircraft is helping researchers explore one of aviation’s biggest next steps: electric vertical takeoff and landing. NASA’s RAVEN aircraft is helping rese...
Flying Soviet MiGs in the Nevada Desert - Episode 74
Rob “Z-Man” Zettel shares his story from inside one of the Air Force’s most secret Cold War programs, Project Constant Peg. In this episode, Host Rick Crandall talks ...
Maintaining America's Secret MiGs - Episode 73
Jim “JB” Bell shares his story from inside one of the Air Force’s most secret Cold War programs, Project Constant Peg. In this episode, Host Rick Crandall talks with ...
Leadership Under Pressure - Episode 72
Major General John Barry shares his story of leadership through some of the most consequential moments in modern aerospace and national security history. In this epis...
Shot Down Over Hanoi - Episode 71
Retired Col. Thomas Kirk shares his story of surviving solitary confinement for two years as a prisoner of war at the “Hanoi Hilton." In this episode, Host Rick Crand...
Behind the Wings Season 8 Trailer
Season 8 of Behind the Wings podcast is here. Hosted by Rick Crandall, the next 10 episodes deliver first-hand accounts from across the aerospace world, spanning histo...
Supersonic Flight Without the Boom - Episode 70
Get an inside look at NASA’s Quesst mission and the effort to bring supersonic flight back over land, without the disruptive sonic boom. For more than 50 years, civil...
The F-100 Saved This Pilot's Life - Episode 69
Retired Pilot Col. John “Warman” Stewart discusses his Vietnam combat sorties and how the Super Sabre saved his life. In this episode, we explore the history of the N...
Designing a Home for Artemis II - Episode 68
Human Factors Engineer Cynthia Hudy shares what it takes to design a spacecraft around the people who fly it. We explore Cynthia’s role designing the systems inside O...
From the End Zone to the Cockpit - Episode 67
NFL Alum and Pilot Jimmy Graham shares stories about stunt flying and how it helped him relax when off the field. In this episode, we discuss how Jimmy earned his pil...
From Warthogs to Reapers - Episode 66
Retired Fighter Pilot Lt. Col. Tammy Barlette shares how flying the A-10 prepared her for operating UAVs like the MQ-1. In this episode, she discusses the Warthog's c...
Test Flying the SR-71 Blackbird - Episode 65
Retired Test Pilot Rogers E. Smith recalls flying the final SR-71 Blackbird flight and how a fuel leak grounded the aircraft forever. In this episode, we discuss his ...
Flying the First U.S. Harrier Combat Mission - Episode 64
Retired AV-8B Pilots Capt. Frank “Pugs” Smith and Lt. Col. Luke “Warren” Jacobs take us behind the iconic Jump Jet and its 40-year legacy. We are back with our regula...
Unlocking Asteroid Secrets - PBS S7 Miniseries Episode 4
How OSIRIS-REx's journey to Asteroid Bennu could reveal clues to the origins of life on Earth. Welcome to the finale of our 4-part bonus podcast miniseries on the ma...
50 Years of the F-16 - PBS S7 Miniseries Episode 3
How the F-16 became a combat legend around the world, and what it takes to build them. Welcome to Part 3 of our 4-part bonus podcast miniseries on the making of Behin...
