Paul Harvey - Wiley Post - Harold's Old Time Radio

Summary

Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio – Episode: Paul Harvey - Wiley Post

Introduction In the March 13, 2025 episode of Harold's Old Time Radio titled "Paul Harvey - Wiley Post," host Harold delves into the intriguing and lesser-known story of American aviator Wiley Post. This episode transports listeners back to the Golden Age of Radio, weaving a gripping narrative that combines suspense, historical facts, and human ingenuity.

Setting the Scene: A Desert Encounter [00:56] The episode opens with a vivid description of a lone motorist traversing the Mojave Desert. The narrator sets a tense and mysterious tone as the driver experiences mechanical issues and contemplates the silence of the vast desert. This serene yet isolated setting becomes the backdrop for an unexpected and otherworldly encounter.

The Mysterious Spaceman Pursuit [01:20] As the motorist waits for his car to cool down, he begins to hear faint echoes that hark back to ancient explorers and war cries, suggesting a connection to the desert's rich and tumultuous history. Suddenly, the tranquility is shattered when a "spaceman" appears on the horizon. The narrator describes the creature with eerie detail:

"Its head is proportionally large, almost perfectly round, like a big metal ball. Its body is bulky and seemingly encased in a peculiar thick material" ([02:15]).

The presence of this enigmatic figure triggers a heart-pounding chase, with the motorist desperately attempting to escape. The tension escalates as the pursuer closes in:

"Anywhere Just to get away. Running out into the desert." ([03:05]).

Revealing the Truth: Wiley Post's High-Altitude Adventure [03:35] The suspenseful narrative takes an unexpected turn as the story transitions from a chilling desert pursuit to the true tale of Wiley Post. The narrator unveils that the mysterious spaceman was, in fact, Post himself. Post was a pioneering aviator who, in 1934, achieved unprecedented heights by flying nine miles above the Earth’s surface, well into the stratosphere. His quest for reaching such altitudes led him to design one of the very first functional space suits, crafted with heavy rubberized cloth and metal—a testament to innovation and determination.

The Emergency Landing and Unbelievable Encounter [03:50] During his daring high-altitude flight, Post encountered an engine failure that forced him to make an emergency landing in the Mojave Desert. Clad in his meticulously hand-sewn spacesuit, Post sought assistance from a passing motorist. However, the motorist’s extraordinary story was met with skepticism and disbelief, leading to Post’s remarkable yet tragic end. The narrator poignantly reflects:

"The motorist was never able to get anybody to believe his story. Until now that we all know the rest of the story." ([04:10]).

Conclusion Harold's storytelling not only captivates with its dramatic flair but also sheds light on Wiley Post's significant contributions to aviation and space exploration. By blending historical facts with engaging narration, the episode honors Post's legacy and underscores the challenges faced by early aviation pioneers.

Notable Quotes:

"Its head is proportionally large, almost perfectly round, like a big metal ball." ([02:15])
"Anywhere Just to get away. Running out into the desert." ([03:05])
"The motorist was never able to get anybody to believe his story. Until now that we all know the rest of the story." ([04:10])

Final Thoughts This episode serves as a tribute to Wiley Post, highlighting his adventurous spirit and the extraordinary lengths he went to push the boundaries of human flight. Through meticulous research and evocative storytelling, Harold brings to life a pivotal yet often overlooked chapter in aviation history, making it accessible and enthralling for modern listeners.

Transcript

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Narrator (0:56)

Shopify.com try the rest of the Story A solitary automobile is driving down a long, lonely stretch of highway through a dry, desolate swath of Southern California. Welcome to the parched Mojave Desert. The lone motorist realizes his engine is near overheating, so he stops the car. He turns off the ignition. The engine will cool off in a few minutes. That'll give the driver time to stretch his legs. The desert is bright and strangely silent. The traveler muses that he might listen very carefully and perhaps hear the echoed voices of Spanish explorers, or maybe Indian war cries across the chasms of time. In the distance, a great dust devil, sort of a miniature clear air tornado, flicks through the Palo Verde. Invisible waves of heat rise from the desert floor, the stuff of which mirages are made, the motorist thinks. And then suddenly he sees it. It's quite far away at first, slowly emerging from the stark desert wildness, slowly coming toward him. A man, surely, for the figure appears to be walking upright, and yet its shape and its movement is not quite human. And it comes closer, and the closer it gets, the stranger it appears. Its head is proportionally large, almost perfectly round, like a big metal ball. Its body is bulky and seemingly encased in a peculiar thick material. And at last this monster of the Mojave is close enough for the traveler to be certain that it's no mirage. It is indeed real, and it has come from nowhere on this earth. The motorist jumps into his car and turns the ignition key, but the engine won't start. And the thing, this spaceman, is drawing closer. The motorist scrambles from behind the wheel and starts running. Anywhere Just to get away. Running out into the desert. And the spaceman apparition starts running after him. The motorist looks back over his shoulder. He's terrified to see the creature in pursuit. And the creature is gaining within 50 yards now within 25 yards. Suddenly, the pursued man stumbles, falls to the desert dust. He thinks this is how his life will end. In the middle of some wilderness nowhere. At the hands of a man from Mars. But this is the rest of the story. The motorist was nobody, you know, just a traveler in the American Southwest. Yet once upon a time, almost half a century ago, there was an American aviator who dreamed of flying higher than any man had ever flown before. Far beyond the Earth's troposphere, up into the stratosphere, nine miles high into the sky. And for this adventure, the aviator would design for himself a pressurized space suit to be made of heavy rubberized cloth and metal. The very first functional space suit, really. And the pilot's wife would stitch it together on her sewing machine. Well, the pilot succeeded. He did Indeed reach the nine mile high mark by an airplane in 1934. And he is among our nation's most famous aviators. Wiley Post, you remember, it was he who died with Will Rogers in an Alaskan crash some years later. Aviation history also records that in 1934, during a daring high altitude attempt, an engine failure forced Post into an emergency landing in a dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert. And that he, still wearing this one of a kind hand sewn spacesuit, sought the aid of a passing motorist for a lift to the nearest town. The motorist was never able to get anybody to believe his story. Until now that we all know the rest of the story.