In this first episode of Command in the Sky, we take you back to the darkest days of the Cold War, when the fear of nuclear annihilation shaped policy, culture, and innovation. Here we lay the foundation of this gripping tale — a story of airpower, survival, and silent missions flying high above a world on the brink.

We begin by revisiting the geopolitical paranoia of the 1960s and 70s, when Cold War tensions forced U.S. strategists to ask a terrifying question: What happens if Washington is destroyed in a nuclear strike? The answer was both stunning and secret — a fleet of airborne command centers, designed to keep the President and military leaders alive and in control even if the nation was burning.

You’ll hear how the E-4B "Nightwatch" was born out of this fear, why a converted Boeing 747 was chosen, and how this jet became one of the most powerful and enigmatic weapons in America's arsenal — without ever firing a single shot. From the fail-safes embedded in its hardened airframe to the political debates surrounding continuity of government, we explore the overlapping worlds of military engineering, Cold War paranoia, and elite secrecy.

This is not just the story of a plane. It’s the story of the plan — to command the apocalypse from 30,000 feet.