Welcome to

It's a show that celebrates aviation and aerospace, from the first attempts of people jumping off things to humans being fired into space. If it flies, we will cover the story behind those flights and the people who made them happen. Brought to you in association with the Pima Air and Space Museum.

Watch, Listen & Subscribe On:

Watch Our Latest Episodes on YouTube

Getting 'Beach City Baby' Ready to Fly Again - C-53 Skytrooper Tour

Join us as Jason Capra and the Vintage Wing Inc. team show us around 'Beach City Baby', a C-53 Skytrooper with an incredible history that takes in the early days ...of airlines in the United States, Air Transport Command's efforts in North Africa and her role in the growth of civil aviation in Ohio. She is getting a new set of wings, and you can find out how you can help too!

Check out all the latest Beach City Baby news via their website and socials below:
🛩️ https://www.vintagewingsinc.com/
🛫 https://www.facebook.com/groups/497180673794873/
🛩️ https://www.instagram.com/vintagewingsinc/

Donate and help get those wings on and 'Beach City Baby' back in the air here: https://www.vintagewingsinc.com/donate

Buy your 'Beach City Baby' merch here: https://stores.inksoft.com/VintageWingsInc/shop/products/all?page=1

👕Did you like the Douglas t-shirt? Get your aviation on with 909 Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/
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🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow

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✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!
Website: https://pimaair.org/
https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpace
https://www.instagram.com/pimaair
https://x.com/pimaair
https://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum

Check out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/

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The Aviation Show © 2026 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
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0:00 Meeting Beach City Baby
4:24 Wartime Service
7:36 Inside the Cabin
13:03 Ohio Governor's Aircraft
18:37 Modern Avionics Upgrade
22:58 Finding the Derelict DC-3
25:11 Meet the Wing Crew
27:27 Rewinging the C-53
30:50 Keeping Her Airworthy
36:56 Families Reunited Aloft
42:07 Where to Follow Vintage WingsShow More

Getting 'Beach City Baby' Ready to Fly Again - C-53 Skytrooper Tour

Join us as Jason Capra and the Vintage Wing Inc. team show us around ...

The Value of a Signature: How WWII Autographs Are Being Sold

I promise this is the last video on autographs and signatures, but I ...

Is A Signature Historic? Erasing History - Part 2 with Dr Philip Blood

Dr Philip W. Blood, author of 'Birds of Prey', joins us in this ...

Dr Philip W. Blood, author of 'Birds of Prey', joins us in this follow-up to our recent episode where I erased the noted Luftwaffe ace, Gunther Rall, signature, off of ...a print by Robert Taylor.

Phil and I delve into the truth about Luftwaffe complicity in the crimes of the Nazis during the Second World War and discuss the uncomfortable relationship with the regard to which those who survived were viewed.

Grab your copy of Phil's Birds of Prey: Hitler’s Luftwaffe, Ordinary Soldiers, and the Holocaust in Poland and War Comes to Aachen: The Nazis, Churchill and the 'Stalingrad of the West' at The Aviation Show Bookshop. 10% of every sale supports the show and independent bookshops.

Birds of Prey
UK Link: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9783838215679
US Link: https://bookshop.org/a/111804/9783838215679

War Comes to Aachen
UK Link: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781911723691
US Link: https://bookshop.org/a/111804/9781911723691

You can listen to both parts of our Birds of Prey discussion with Dr. Philip Blood via the old History Hack podcast here on YouTube here:
Part 1: https://youtu.be/9mqAU505B14?si=UA-1zMmXL3BQCiTZ
Part 2: https://youtu.be/F32KNOO0usI?si=xd8XloYvKOwdvCwt

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🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow

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✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!
Website: https://pimaair.org/
https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpace
https://www.instagram.com/pimaair
https://x.com/pimaair
https://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum

Check out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/

👕Get your aviation on with 909
Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/
-----------------------------------------------------
The Aviation Show © 2026 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
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0:00 Erasing History Debate
1:49 Collecting Luftwaffe Prints
7:38 Luftwaffe and Nazi Ideology
15:08 Signatures and Historical Value
17:56 Mass Signatures Questioned
27:59 Rudel and War Myths
36:32 Commercial Versus Historic Autographs
38:54 Erasure as History
46:57 Public Memory and Hero Worship
49:17 Anti-Semitism in Luftwaffe Stories
54:35 Final Solution and Aftermath
56:31 Auschwitz Book Preview

Correction 07:12:21: I selected the wrong image of the elder Johnny Johnson. I used Dambuster Johnson and not fighter pilot Johnson. I have blurred to avoid confusion.Show More

Pima's Big B-36 Peacemaker is Getting a Makeover! | PASM Restoration Update

The final Convair B-36J Peacemaker ever built, 52-2827 'City of Fort ...

Jimmy Stewart, Curtis LeMay, and the Selling of the Strategic Air Command

In 1955, Paramount Pictures released one of their tentpole VistaVision ...

In 1955, Paramount Pictures released one of their tentpole VistaVision epics, Strategic Air Command, starring James Stewart and directed by his longtime collaborator, Anthony Mann. Strategic Air Command is peak, ...high-resolution, widescreen 1950s propaganda at its finest, and while not a great film (David and I argue about that aspect too!), its time and place in the building of the mythology of Curtis LeMay's US Air Force bombing arm offers a fascinating insight into the mindset of both LeMay and Jimmy Stewart.

David, the host of The Cold War channel on YouTube, joins me to bring our long-running Bluesky debate about this film to the channel and look at a film that had US military cooperation at a level that would make Michael Bay and Tom Cruise green with envy.

Check out The Cold War channel on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheColdWarTV

Follow David on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarhost.bsky.social

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🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow

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✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!
Website: https://pimaair.org/
https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpace
https://www.instagram.com/pimaair
https://x.com/pimaair
https://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum

Check out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/

👕Get your aviation on with 909
Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/
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The Aviation Show © 2026 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
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0:00 The B-36 Takes Center Stage
1:09 Childhood Movie Memories
5:51 Strategic Air Command Plot
10:53 LeMay Shapes the Film
14:38 The B-36’s Origins
21:21 SAC’s Cold War Mission
24:56 LeMay’s Rebuild of SAC
34:01 LeMay’s Fearsome Legacy
39:16 Bomber Dreams and Future Jets
44:23 LeMay’s Long Shadow
54:12 Propaganda in Full View
57:57 What’s Next for Cold War ChannelShow More

Inside SpaceShipOne: How Scaled Composites Pulled Off the Impossible | New Film

The new documentary, Beyond Blue Sky: The Untold Story of the First ...

The new documentary, Beyond Blue Sky: The Untold Story of the First Private Astronauts, tells the story of Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites journey into space. In this episode we are ...joined by the film's director, Kevin Curran, and SpaceShipOne's Project Engineer, Matt Stinemetze, to discuss this incredible project that went from Burt Rutan announcing that they were going to space to winning the $10m Ansari X Prize in 2004.

Beyond Blue Sky: The Untold Story of the First Private Astronauts is a fantastic documentary and is available now on Apple TV and Amazon Prime in the UK and US.

Apple TV link: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/beyond-blue-sky/umc.cmc.3scqjpza3p8lkaz5tr55ksmu9
Amazon link: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0JIG217NYGEBJVVA0ESRKJ3NP2?ref_=atv_dp_share_cu_r

All clips from Beyond Blue Sky are used courtesy of Focus on the Signal LLC.

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🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow

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✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!
Website: https://pimaair.org/
https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpace
https://www.instagram.com/pimaair
https://x.com/pimaair
https://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum

Check out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/

👕Get your aviation on with 909
Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/
-----------------------------------------------------
The Aviation Show © 2026 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
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0:01 Introduction
3:20 From Memoir to Film
6:32 Footage Treasure Hunt
17:00 Burt’s Big Leap
21:19 Shaping the Spaceplane
28:58 Rocket Motor Pressure
32:00 The Pilots Behind It
38:55 Flying White Knight
47:38 Brian’s Return to Flying
57:12 The Second Flight Fix
1:05:15 Winning the X Prize
1:06:31 Paul Allen’s Support
1:09:15 Sally’s Grounding ViewShow More

If We're About to Get Hit By a Solar Storm — Here's What Happens Next

The Sun is constantly changing; it is not just a constant ball of ...

The Sun is constantly changing; it is not just a constant ball of fire. Dr Ryan French joins us to tell us about the Sun's behaviour, space weather, and the ...impact of space hazards on Earth. So if you've ever wondered how solar activity affects our technology, the risks of space junk, and the future of space safety, then this is the show for you!

Check out Ryan's YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@Sun.Scientist

Find out more about Ryan French on his website at: http://www.ryanjfrench.com

Follow Ryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sun.scientist/
Follow Ryan on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanjfrench
Follow Ryan on BlueSky: bsky.app/profile/ryanjfrench.bsky.social

Grab a copy of Ryan's book, Space Hazards: Asteroids, Solar Flares and Cosmic Threats, at The Aviation Show Bookshop.org! 10% of all sales goes to supporting the show and independent bookshops.
UK Link: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9780008688172
US Link: https://bookshop.org/a/111804/9780008774660

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🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow

-----------------------------------------------------
✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!
Website: https://pimaair.org/
https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpace
https://www.instagram.com/pimaair
https://x.com/pimaair
https://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum

Check out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/

👕Get your aviation on with 909
Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/
-----------------------------------------------------
The Aviation Show © 2026 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
-----------------------------------------------------

0:00 Sun Misconceptions
4:18 Solar Flares Explained
8:14 Space Weather Impacts
15:28 Forecasting Solar Storms
23:06 Protecting Critical Systems
26:32 The Space Junk Problem
31:46 Avoiding Orbital Debris
35:59 Cleaning Up Orbit
37:43 Asteroids and Meteors
39:58 Tracking Dangerous Rocks
42:50 Impact Risks on Earth
45:43 Wrapping UpShow More

RP-3 Rockets: The Game-Changer in Hawker Typhoon's Arsenal

The Hawker Typhoon and the 3" Rocket Projectile, the RP-3, have a ...

Erasing History? The Trouble with Aviation Art

I was recently given two prints by the renowned aviation artist, the ...

The B-1 Lancer's Second Act - The B-1 Story | Part 4

The B-1B Lancer has been in service for 40-years and her later life ...

The B-1B Lancer has been in service for 40-years and her later life has been incredibly busy. With the Lancer's replacement, the B-21 Raider, taking to the skies, you would ...think the B-1B could look forward to a well earned rest. But, as Kenneth P. Katz brings up to date on the B-1's story, we see that the Lancer's story is far from done.

Buy The Supersonic BONE: A Development and Operational History of the B-1 Bomber by Kenneth P. Katz at The Aviation Show Bookshop. 10% of each sale supports the show.
UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9781399020299
US: https://bookshop.org/a/111804/9781399020299

Thumbnail image kindly provided by Ed Parsons. Check out Ed's photography at: https://photos.edparsons.com/

Music: Eschalon by Matthew L. Fisher via Audiio.com
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🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow

-----------------------------------------------------
✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!
Website: https://pimaair.org/
https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpace
https://www.instagram.com/pimaair
https://x.com/pimaair
https://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum

Check out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/

👕Get your aviation on with 909
Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/
-----------------------------------------------------
The Aviation Show © 2026 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
-----------------------------------------------------

0:00 The B-1's Evolving Role
1:45 Modernization and Technological Updates
3:41 Recent Incidents and Losses
7:18 Sustainability Challenges
8:59 Parts and Supply Chain Issues
11:28 Future of the B-1 Bomber
15:35 Recent Combat Operations
19:17 The B-1's Endurance and Future Prospects
22:52 The Legacy of the B-1 Bomber, so farShow More

The B-1 Lancer's Dramatic Resurrection Under Reagan - The B-1 Story | Part 3

A new president brings a new future to the B-1 Lancer program as the ...

A new president brings a new future to the B-1 Lancer program as the Reagan rearmament program sees development of the B-1 accelerated. The concurrent development and production brings its ...own headaches as the Lancer matures in time for a twenty year period of constant operations over Afghanistan and Iraq.

Buy The Supersonic BONE: A Development and Operational History of the B-1 Bomber by Kenneth P. Katz at The Aviation Show Bookshop. 10% of each sale supports the show.
UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9781399020299
US: https://bookshop.org/a/111804/9781399020299

This is an edited version of our podcast that was released in 2022.

Music: Eschalon by Matthew L. Fisher via Audiio.com
-----------------------------------------------------
🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow

-----------------------------------------------------
✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!
Website: https://pimaair.org/
https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpace
https://www.instagram.com/pimaair
https://x.com/pimaair
https://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum

Check out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/

👕Get your aviation on with 909
Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/
-----------------------------------------------------
The Aviation Show © 2026 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
-----------------------------------------------------
0:00 The B-1's Resurrection
4:10 Reagan's Military Buildup Begins
6:15 Key Changes in B-1 Development
8:47 The B-1's Entry into Service
11:35 Concurrency and Its Challenges
15:53 The Cold War Ends: A New Mission?
18:31 The B-1's Transformation in the 1990s
20:25 The B-1's Role in Modern Conflicts
22:19 Adapting to a New WarfareShow More

The B-1 Lancer's False Start - The B-1 Story | Part 2

The B-1 Lancer was a highly innovative design, capable of high-speed, ...

The B-1 Lancer was a highly innovative design, capable of high-speed, low-altitude flight and potentially could have been a vital buttress to the United States Nuclear Triad. But as we ...discuss in this second part of the B-1 story, post the Vietnam War, military spending was very much at the forefront of turbulent economic times. New President Jimmy Carter had to make a crucial decision about the future of the B-1.

Buy The Supersonic BONE: A Development and Operational History of the B-1 Bomber by Kenneth P. Katz at The Aviation Show Bookshop. 10% of each sale supports the show.
UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/16621/9781399020299
US: https://bookshop.org/a/111804/9781399020299

This is an edited version of our podcast that was released in 2022.

Music: Eschalon by Matthew L. Fisher via Audiio.com
-----------------------------------------------------
🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow

-----------------------------------------------------
✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!
Website: https://pimaair.org/
https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpace
https://www.instagram.com/pimaair
https://x.com/pimaair
https://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum

Check out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/

👕Get your aviation on with 909 Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/
-----------------------------------------------------
The Aviation Show © 2026 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
-----------------------------------------------------

0:00 Introduction to the B-1 Bomber
0:37 Technical Features of the B-1
8:45 Initial Findings and Performance
12:08 Political Context and Controversy
14:55 The Rise of Cruise Missiles
16:04 The B-1's Uncertain Future
17:16 President Carter's Final DecisionShow More

Listen to Our Latest Episodes Here

138: Exploring the WACO Air Museum: A Treasure Trove of Aviation History

On our recent journey through Ohio, we visited the WACO Museum in Troy, Ohio, and looked at the history of the WACO aircraft company and…

Listen Now!

137: Getting ‘Beach City Baby’ Ready to Fly Again – C-53 Skytrooper Tour

134

Listen Now!

136: Selling History? How WWII Signatures Became a Cash Grab

I promise this is the last video on autographs and signatures, but I recently bought a mostly lovely print of Frank Wootton’s Typhoon Squadron, which…

Listen Now!

135: Erasing History Part 2: Is A Signature Historic?

Dr Philip W. Blood, author of ‘Birds of Prey’, joins us in this follow-up to our recent episode where I erased the noted Luftwaffe ace,…

Listen Now!

134: Pima’s B-36 Peacemaker Restoration Update

The final Convair B-36J Peacemaker ever built, 52-2827 ‘City of Fort Worth’, has been moved to the@PimaAirSpaceMuseumrestorations hangar for some TLC after nearly 20-years in…

Listen Now!

133: Jimmy Stewart, Curtis LeMay, and the Selling of the Strategic Air Command

In 1955, Paramount Pictures released one of their tentpole VistaVision epics, Strategic Air Command, starring James Stewart and directed by his longtime collaborator, Anthony Mann.…

Listen Now!

— Meet Your Host

A little about Matt

The Guy Behind The Show

Hello, I'm Matt.

After 20 years in the aviation industry, a professional change of direction meant I was no longer spending my days around people and things that fly. The Aviation Show came about so I could indulge my aerospace passions.

Since the show began in 2022 (under the name The Damcasters), we have interviewed some incredible people with fantastic stories to tell. We have also visited some of the most amazing aircraft collections and projects currently being undertaken. It has been a lot of fun and I hope you’ll join us on what has been a most excellent journey so far.

The Aviation Show The Aviation Show

Welcome to

It's a show that celebrates aviation and aerospace, from the first attempts of people jumping off things to humans being fired into space. If it flies, we will cover the story behind those flights and the people who made them happen. Brought to you in association with the Pima Air and Space Museum.

Watch, Listen & Subscribe On:

Watch Our Latest Episodes on YouTube

Getting 'Beach City Baby' Ready to Fly Again - C-53 Skytrooper Tour

Listen to Our Latest Episodes Here

138: Exploring the WACO Air Museum: A Treasure Trove of Aviation History

137: Getting ‘Beach City Baby’ Ready to Fly Again – C-53 Skytrooper Tour

136: Selling History? How WWII Signatures Became a Cash Grab

135: Erasing History Part 2: Is A Signature Historic?

134: Pima’s B-36 Peacemaker Restoration Update

133: Jimmy Stewart, Curtis LeMay, and the Selling of the Strategic Air Command

— Meet Your Host

The Guy Behind The Show

Hello, I'm Matt.

Matt Bone

Help Us Fly on.

Support us on Patreon!

Help us make the show just for the price of a cup of coffee a month 🙂

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Feel free to contact for collabrations or sponsorships.

All queries are replied within 24hrs.