From Balloons to Drones
@balloons2drones.bsky.social
Exploring the development of air power from the earliest days of flight to now and the future. Editors: Dr Ross Mahoney, Dr Maria Burczynska, Dr Mike Hankins, Dr Brian Laslie, Abby Whitlock and Luca Chadwick. https://balloonstodrones.com
#Commentary – How Iran’s Missiles Exposed the Achilles’ Heel of American Power balloonstodrones.com/2026/08/20/c... #airpower
#Commentary – How Iran’s Missiles Exposed the Achilles’ Heel of American Power
By Ayeza Areej On 28 February 2026, Iran launched Operation True Promise-4, a wave of ballistic missiles and drones into Israeli airspace. The strikes were launched in response to US and Israeli at…
balloonstodrones.com
Don't forget to subscribe to my Substack to keep up to date with my musings about the history of air power.... drrossmahoney.substack.com #airpowerhistory
Thoughts on Military History | Dr Ross Mahoney | Substack
This is the Substack of Dr Ross Mahoney. It serves as a platform for my reflections on various research projects, bibliographies, and book reviews related to my interests. Click to read Thoughts on Mi...
drrossmahoney.substack.com
Back in 2018, I put together a special edition of the 'British Journal of Military History' with Dr Michael Molkentin, focusing on the development of British air power during the First World War. It is open access. Check it out. journals.gold.ac.uk/index.php/bj... #airpowerhistory #plsRT
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2018) | British Journal for Military History
journals.gold.ac.uk
The English version of my article on the deployment of the RAAF to Southeast Asia in the 1960s has just been published by 'Vortex,' the journal of the French Air and Space Force. The French version appeared last month. www.calameo.com/cesa/books/0... #airpowerhistory
Vortex 10 En
N° 10 Vietnam: The Air War STUDIES ON AEROSPACE MILITARY POWER N°10 - JULY 2026 Vietnam: The Air War
calameo.com
I keep looking at the footage and images of the Blue Angel buzzing the beach at Pensacola and am left wondering, who is the more stupid? The pilot or the hundreds/thousands of commenters saying, "Do it again!" And of course, no action will be taken against the pilot. www.cbsnews.com/news/navys-b...
Navy's elite Blue Angels won't be reprimanded after video shows low flyover at Florida beach
The Blue Angels said an aircraft "flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas."
cbsnews.com
As Douglas later recollected in 1966, had 'there been an accident [...] it would have been a disaster of the greatest magnitude.' Douglas clearly learnt his lesson (as I suspect Park did). 4/4
On landing, Douglas assumed he would be praised. Instead, he rightly received a stern rebuke for his action from Air Marshal Sir Hugh Trenchard for endangering the 'lives of our royal guests.' 3/
At the first RAF Pageant at Hendon in 1920, the then Squadron Leader Sholto Douglas led a formation of 3 Handley-Page V/1500 four-engined bombers directly over the Royal Box. One of the aircraft was flown by Squadron Leader Keith Park. 2/
With all the furore over the Blue Angels display (and rightly so), I am reminded that mistakes of a technical or judgemental nature in formation flying are not new, and this is why stringent rules for their control exist. 1/
Call for Submissions: Wither Air Power Studies? balloonstodrones.com/2026/01/13/c... #airpowerstudies #warstudies #CfP #plsRT
Call for Submissions: Wither Air Power Studies?
2026 marks the 10th Anniversary of the establishment of From Balloons to Drones. To mark this anniversary, From Balloons to Drones plans to publish a series of articles examining the state of air p…
balloonstodrones.com
On 25 July, I will be talking at the 'Third Fort Lytton Military History Summit,' organised by the Queensland Military Historical Society. I will discuss how the death of Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, was treated in the official histories. #airpowerhistory #officialhistory #WW1 #plsRT
I've not got round to it yet, no. I reviewed his book for @balloons2drones.bsky.social I'm not a fan. He's giving a talk at RAF Metheringham 29 July; I might go and ask some questions...
#ReviewArticle – Bomber Command at War
Reviewed by Dr Dan Ellin Marcus Gibson, The Greatest Force: How RAF Bomber Command became the No.1 factor in Britain’s total, destructive defeat of Nazi Germany. York: Marcus Gibson, 2025. Illustra…
balloonstodrones.com
#New #article - Learning Lessons: The Development of US Tactical Air Power and Air-to-Ground Coordination during the North African Campaign, 1942-1943 balloonstodrones.com/2026/07/02/l... #airpowerhistory #WW2 #plsRT
Learning Lessons: The Development of US Tactical Air Power and Air-to-Ground Coordination during the North African Campaign, 1942-1943
By Major Darren Johnson During the Second World War, the United States (US) achieved success on the battlefield, largely due to its effective coordination of air and ground forces. The integration …
balloonstodrones.com
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean balloonstodrones.com/2026/06/19/t... #airpowerhistory #WW2 #plsRT
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean
By Dr Ross Mahoney Editorial note: This article appears on the author’s website. It has been reproduced here with permission. D-Day, the Allied invasion of Europe in Normandy on 6 June 1944, has le…
balloonstodrones.com
Well, my latest article on the deployment of the RAAF to Vietnam in the 1960s has just been published in French in 'Vortex,' the professional journal of the French Air and Space Force. The English version will be out shortly. Pleased to see this come to fruition! www.calameo.com/cesa/books/0...
Vortex 10 FR
N° 10 Vietnam : la guerre aérienne Études sur la puissance militaire aérospatiale N°10 - JUIN 2026 Vietnam : la guerre aérienne
calameo.com
It is 10 years since I established @balloons2drones.bsky.social. Thanks to all the editors, contributors and readers! balloonstodrones.com/2026/06/15/e...
#Editorial – From Balloons to Drones: 10 Years On
By Dr Ross Mahoney On this day ten years ago, From Balloons to Drones published its first post, an editorial announcing the new webzine. Since then, we have published a range of content, including …
balloonstodrones.com
#Editorial – From Balloons to Drones: 10 Years On balloonstodrones.com/2026/06/15/e... #airpower #airpowerhistory #plsRT
#Editorial – From Balloons to Drones: 10 Years On
By Dr Ross Mahoney On this day ten years ago, Form Balloons to Drones published its first post, an editorial announcing the new webzine. Since then, we have published a range of content, including …
balloonstodrones.com
LinkedIn tells me it has been 10 years since I started @balloons2drones.bsky.social, though the first post went out on 15 June 2016. It has been a fun 10 years. Thank you to all our editors, contributors and readers. Hopefully, we have contributed to the field of #airpowerstudies.
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean open.substack.com/pub/drrossma...
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean
A look at what the Royal Australian Air Force was doing in the Mediterranean as events unfolded in Northwest Europe on 6 June 1944.
open.substack.com
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean drrossmahoney.substack.com/p/the-royal-... #airpowerhistory #dday #ww2 #RAAF #plsRT
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean
A look at what the Royal Australian Air Force was doing in the Mediterranean as events unfolded in Northwest Europe on 6 June 1944.
drrossmahoney.substack.com
Got something to say about #airpower? Consider writing something for @balloons2drones.bsky.social! balloonstodrones.com/2023/02/04/c... #airpowerhistory #warstudies #MilHist #plsRT
Call for Submissions – From Balloons to Drones
Established in 2016, From Balloons to Drones is an online scholarly platform that analyses and debates air power history (including aviation history), theory, and contemporary operations in their b…
balloonstodrones.com
New report on Fast Jet Training Modernisation options and important factors to consider Based on almost two years of research work, including visits to many OCUs, training squadrons and flights in most of the main new trainer options. Download full report free here: www.rusi.org/explore-our-...
Fast-Jet Pilot Training Modernisation Choices
Air forces modernising fast-jet training should prioritise core airmanship skills with regular live flying over increasing tactical complexity at early stages.
rusi.org
Don't forget to check out my new #Substack to follow my ramblings and rantings. It is mostly about #airpower, though occasionally I will delve into other areas. You can also subscribe to keep up to date. drrossmahoney.substack.com #airpowerhistory #MilHist #plsRT
Thoughts on Military History | Dr Ross Mahoney | Substack
This is the Substack of Dr Ross Mahoney. It serves as a platform for my reflections on various research projects, bibliographies, and book reviews related to my interests. Click to read Thoughts on Mi...
drrossmahoney.substack.com
The Role of History in Educating Air Power Strategists open.substack.com/pub/drrossma... #airpowerhistory #PME
My latest on the UK’s purchase of GBU-53/B glide bombs for the RAF and the RN; and what it says about how best to increase effective combat mass to bolster UK and European ability to deter direct Russian aggression: www.rusi.org/explore-our-...
Order Missiles and Bombs to Increase European Combat Air Mass, Not Drones
The acquisition of glide bombs for the F-35B is a welcome and overdue way to efficiently increase practical UK combat air mass in a NATO context.
rusi.org
#BookReview – On the Wings of War and Peace balloonstodrones.com/2026/05/25/b... #RCAF #ColdWar #airpowerhistory
#BookReview – On the Wings of War and Peace
Reviewed by Dr Ross Mahoney Randall Wakelam, William March and Peter Rayls (eds.), On the Wings of War and Peace: The RCAF during the Early Cold War. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2023.…
balloonstodrones.com
The Historiography of Australian Air Power: Official Histories open.substack.com/pub/drrossma... #airpowerhistory #officialhistory
