EARLY EPISODE: The US Navy's Flying Aircraft Carriers ft. Dr. Patrick Wyman
Joe and Tom are joined by Dr. Patrick Wyman, host of Past Lives and Tides of History to talk about the time the US Navy attempted to deploy flying aircraft carriers, which failed at a rate of 100%
Sources:
https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/how-airship-became-flying-aircraft-carrier
https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/the-u-s-navys-flying-aircraft-carrier-mistake-still-stings/
https://www.military.com/history/navys-short-lived-plan-dominate-skies-flying-aircraft-carriers.html
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/the-cursed-uss-akron-class.html
https://magazine.atavist.com/2025/american-hindenberg-zeppelin-disaster
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1934/july/loss-akron
Comments (70)
How is Tom's Arthur voice so good?
I'm from Akron we actually still have the hanger the Akron and Macon were built in it was at one point the largest unsupported building in the world.
Can't help but feel some pride in Akron for killing all those guys, but also, being in Kent, fuck the Zips, go Flashes
I remember my first deployment in 2014-2015 I saw a blimp in Afghanistan and I was so surprised.
Do I need to remind everyone of the “Iron Vulture” from the docu-series Tailspin?
We should absolutely bring these back
Joe got us so fuckin good with that cold open
Helium is still rare and expensive, it's a non renewable resource. We just hand it to kids for parties for some reason.
To the honorable professor Wyman: Thousand Sons are competitive you son of a bitch
I thought this was going to be about the time they tried to do this with jets. They made tiny little jet fighters that could launch from and dock to heavy bombers. US insanity.
If you want horses, just come to eastern Kentucky. People who can’t afford to feed their horses turn them loose in the woods and they go on to live wild and free on the many reclaimed strip mines in the area. Free for the taking and mean as hell.
I kinda want a shirt about the “Big Popper”
General question. Been a patron for a while and I’d love to join the Discord but I have no idea how? Do I need to be part of a higher tier?
Have you tried re-linking your Patreon and Discord accounts? That sometimes does it.
The hangar in Tillamook still exists, it’s their local air museum.
Now this is just the anime Last Exile
Ok but early 20th century 9/11 to the Empire State building literally did happen lol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1945_Empire_State_Building_B-25_crash
The EU does have an anthem, it is "Ode to Joy"
I need someone to make Joe aware of Umamusume just to see his reaction.
Currently listening to this, at work, in Akron Ohio, where I can walk to both the Goodyear HQ and the blimp hanger within a 20 minute round trip.
Am I the only one who’s sad we didn’t get the entirety of the drunkenly fighting children story?
We need more Tom as Arthur Morgan.
We need a whole bit with Joe, Tom and Nate playing Dutch, Arthur and John
I was driving to work on shitty, snowy, roads and nearly died at the Mr. Hands reference. Well done boys.
I am seconding having Dr Wyman and Joe talk MMA for 2h
Glad Dr. Wyman is getting out from under wondry.
It's produced ac-rin not ak ron don't ask it's just how it is
My sweet Ksons taking strays
I saw the Goodyear blimp yesterday this episode hits so much harder now haha
That Mr. Hands joke killed me.
The EU national anthem is the Ode to Joy
The only thing I am a return guy for
Me but streamliners and ocean liners
I'd just like to make a Nate-like tangent qualification: the person killed by the Segway wasn't the inventor, it was the owner of the company that made them. He made his fortune inventing and patenting a really effective system for constructing defence blast walls really quickly, and they were also really good for flood mitigation and even retaining walls. He did buy the Segway company and started moving them towards the manufacture of e-bikes and scooters. He also donated a lot of money to community centres in poor communities. He was actually a pretty cool dude, except for thinking it was smart to ride a Segway at the top of a cliff. UPDATE: his name was Jim Heselden.
HESCO. Joe and Nate 100% have sat behind HESCO walls cause the US loves that stuff.
Listening to this while doing my forearm PT exercises was great motivation to improve my grip strength on the off chance I ever get caught holding the mooring line of a dirigible.
man this was a life saver
JOE. I can’t help that I’m from Ohio. I swear I think Ohio state is pretentious and overrated 😔
I too am from Ohio. And I have a OSU sweater that just says "THE". I bought it because it is so dumb and obnoxious. I do plan on wearing that when I piss on les wexners grave though. (The men's and women's OSU hockey teams are great however)
Joe. Please go make friends with a horse. They’re not all evil. 😭
I hate it when my sack is held together with tape.
USS Akron was named after the city of Akron, Ohio, where Goodyear is headquartered.
Hell yeah, another one with Big Pat the Balloons Guy.
He is quite swol.
Look I just want a SHIELD helicarrier, is that too much to ask?
Given that the helicarriers turned out to be fascist, yes?
Magnus did nothing wrong.
Of all the topics I thought you guys would cover, this certainly wasn’t in the top…1000????
I am begging you please Google Newcastle united horse punch
I do not remember who, but this made me think of the time during WW2 I believe it was the English who tried to make a carrier out of ice. Something about finding a way reduce ice melting by like 50%. History is weird.
Yeah, it was the brits. Pykrete, like a frozen mixture of water and wood pulp
"It's not a blimp, it's a rigid airship!" Capt Lammers, Skytanic, Archer season 1, episode 7.
Pretty good companion piece to the Hindenburg WTYP episode, they mentioned this in that one.
“what if the fleet got high?”–navy brass
A sport where you beat people up seems to attract shitty, abusive people. Who would have guessed.
Mr Throw Hands
Dr Wyman is fucking gas, just rolling with the punches and providing his own.
They only tried to dock a zeppelin at the Empire State Building once because it almost crashed
sickos.jpeg
ATF - Airships, Tobacco and Fireworks Also there kinda was an airship September 11th, it was the Wingfoot Express crashing into a bank in Chicago in 1919.
The soft voiced Tom intro was such a jumpscare, I'm a loyal hog I don't deserve to be spoken to this way
The grocery carrying stories are so relatable lol. Id load up my ebike when i lived alone so precariously with 2 baskets, a backpack and tote bags on my handlebars lolll id only go once every 2 weeks too
Also it's ak-rin not akron
Beware the Bean Puncherr. Haven't been able to enjoy my chilli for months cause of him. I just want my beans, man. Edit: Ah, shit. I got Goodyears on my car.
I punch 🤜🏼 cow skulls for training to fight a horse 🤬
This is a sport I must adopt
From Ohio with love. Fuck you Michigan.
Oh man, this is amazing! I love every episode of any show with Patrick Wyman.
You mean Captain America Winter Soldier was a documentary?
LETS FUCKING GO!!!