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AirSpaceStories that defy gravity from the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum Author: National Air and Space Museum
We see the connections to aviation and space in literally everything. From our favorite movies and the songs in our playlists to the latest news of space exploration and your commercial flight home for the holidays aerospace is literally everywhere you look. Twice a month, our hosts riff on some of the coolest stories of aviation and space history, news, and culture. We promise, whether youre an AVGeek, wannabe Space Camper, or none of the above, youll find a connection to your life and learn something interesting in the process. Language: en-us Genres: History Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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The Ballad of Willie Watkins
Episode 2
Thursday, 22 October, 2026
Operation Mincemeat is a hit Broadway musical, and it's based on a remarkable true mission that saved hundreds of lives and helped win World War II. This musical has everything you could want in a screwball comedy: spies, dead bodies, big personalities, romance, double-crossing, and an American pilot who crash-lands into the story at the worst possible moment. In this episode, we talk with Natasha Hodgson, Mincemeat co-creator and performer, and Broadway cast member Jeff Kready about the inspiration for the musical and how they brought these larger-than-life characters to the stage (all 87 of them!). We’re also joined by military aviation expert Dr. Roger Connor to dig deeper into the story of William Watkins (called Willie in the musical), the American pilot who almost blew the whole operation. Thanks to our guests in this episode:- Natasha Hodgson, co-creator and performer, Operation Mincemeat- Jeff Kready, performer, Operation Mincemeat- Dr. Roger Connor, Aeronautics Curator, National Air and Space MuseumFor the episode transcript and more information, visit https://airandspace.si.edu/airspace-podcast/operation-mincemeat.Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at https://s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
