Lost Link

By Lost Link

Informal conversations about the philosophy, science, history, and future of remotely piloted aircraft and USAF culture. Don't take it too seriously, though... it's just Muff and Yogi.... more

· Society & Culture

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FAQs about Lost Link:

How many episodes does Lost Link have?

The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.

Lost Link episodes:

February 06, 2022 #9: America in Afghanistan: What the heck does Sun Tzu know, anyway?
Muff and Yogi lose link again, this time over Afghanistan. (Who hasn't?) They discuss our noble entry into the conflict, talk about some hard truths regarding American preeminence and the shifting global power balance, recount some personal stories from their time flying the MQ-9 over the country, and wonder if we actually learned anything from failing to meet our stated objectives.
EPISODE LINKS:
Lost Link: lostlink.co
Lost Link Twitter: twitter.com/lostlinkpodcast
Sun Tzu’s The Art of War: audiobook via YouTube
EPISODE IMAGE ALT TEXT:
A poignant quote from the movie War Machine, the story of General Stanley McCrystal in Afghanistan: "There are two types of generals in the American military. There are those who believe they can win in the face of all evidence to the contrary. And there are those who know they can't. Unfortunately for the world, it's the believers who climb to the top of the ladder."
OTHER MUFF AND/OR YOGI PROJECTS:
Simple 360-degree feedback: simplifying admin-intensive feedback for small- and medium-sized organizations
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2h 1min
January 17, 2022 #8: Who Were the Heroes of Apollo 13?
Muff and Yogi lose link again, this time with Dollar Boyer, and discuss the movie Apollo 13. On the surface it is a movie about three intrepid heroes surviving a Saturday trip to the moon when their spacecraft suffers a catastrophic failure. You know the story, but who really saved the day and does the answer to that question have any implications for the future of airpower?
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1h 48min
December 24, 2021 #7: Are Geographically Separated Units Good or Bad for your Career?
Muff briefly details how the RPA community got into the GSU game, then Muff and Yogi each recount their significantly different experiences at the 20th Attack Squadron, and discuss the various pros and cons of GSUs. Muff also describes his recent experience in the backseat of a Holloman F-16.
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1h 51min
December 05, 2021 #6: To Instruct or to Teach?
That is the question... that Muff and Yogi prattle on about during this episode. They discuss the differences between teachers and instructors, the diminishing cachet of the piloting profession, the effects that has on students, the part of the production process instructors should be focused on, the aspects that should be left to commanders, and some concrete things instructors can do to make the learning experience better for everyone involved.
(00:45) BS-ing about the Olympics
Who made that man an instructor?
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2h 26min
November 24, 2021 #5: Conversation with Maj Michael Byrnes, Ph.D
Muff and Yogi sit down with Dr. Byrnes and discuss his Air and Space Power Journal experience, the impact of his Nightfall articles, the real innovation that remotely piloted aircraft represent, changing culture in a bureaucracy, and what the future of unmanned aircraft may hold.
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2h 57min
October 31, 2021 #4: A Few Good RPAs
Muff and Yogi tell the story of how early efforts at unmanned aviation dramatically changed the course of one prominent American family. They also recount other stories of stealth, surface-to-air missile defense, supersonic reconnaissance, and other adventures in remotely piloted aircraft that have had long-lasting effects on the USAF.
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1h 26min
October 07, 2021 #3: Where Have the Airpower Stories Gone?
Muff and Yogi lose link again and talk about the importance of stories to organizational culture, lament the lack of compelling airpower stories from the modern age, put forth some thoughts on why RPAs just aren't getting the love they deserve, and wonder what that all means for the future of the RPA and military aviation as a whole.
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1h 48min
September 28, 2021 #2: Is Innovation Overrated?
In this episode Muff and Yogi discuss what innovation is, how calls for innovation in the abstract can yield results that are less than desired, the ostracizaton of now-celebrated innovators like John Boyd and Billy Mitchell, and how the noble pursuit of innovation can be corrupted in bureaucratic organizations.
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1h 26min
September 27, 2021 #1: Will the MQ-9 Have a Role in Strategic Competition?
Agile Combat Employment is the hottest operational-level topic in the Air Force right now. As we venture back into an era of “strategic competition”, there are budgetary threats on the horizon for the vaunted MQ-9 Reaper and few people think it capable in a high-end, nonpermissive fight. We ask what we think is the obvious question: does it need to be?
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1h 17min

FAQs about Lost Link:

How many episodes does Lost Link have?

The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.