Above the trenches of WWI, pilots faced flaming wreckages, machine-gun fire and deadly dogfights in brutal battles for the skies. From fragile reconnaissance aircraft to fearsome fighters, aerial warfare evolved at astonishing speed, producing legendary aces like the Red Baron. But behind the fame and the glory were young men confronting terrifying odds. Today we explore how WWI turned the skies into a battlefield for the very first time, and the brutal reality faced by those who fought in it. For this we're joined by Joshua Levine, author of 'On a Wing and a Prayer'. Produced by Mariana Des Forges, James Hickmann and McKenna Fernandez, edited by Matthew Wilson & the channel manager is Vilde Øksnes. You can find more Dan Snow's History Hit on the audio podcast here: https://podfollow.com/dan-snows-history-hit/view Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds. History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™ #DanSnowsHistoryHit #HistoryPodcast #WW1