Retired U.S. Navy Captain Jim "Guido" Dimatteo is the son of a WW2 fighter pilot, himself a former A-4, F-14, F-16N, F/A-18 pilot and still an F-5 pilot, the former purveyor of a successful bar & restaurant, a rugby veteran, former Director of the Red Bull Air Races, Director of the Breitling Jet Team North American tour, and so much more as you will learn on this exciting episode. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Aug 07, 2023•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 169
FPP friend and occasional cohost, Ken Katz, welcomes back to the show Dr. Eileen Bjorkman to discuss her new book, Fly Girls Revolt: The Story of the Women Who Kicked Open the Door to Fly in Combat . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Jul 31, 2023•49 min
Rogers E. Smith is a Canadian-American pilot who served in the RCAF, U.S. Marines, and U.S. Air National Guard and spent a long career testing nearly every American fighter (and several Russian ones), despite never attending a formal test pilot school! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Jul 24, 2023•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 172
Retired U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General Mike Aguilar explains how the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is moving from MCAS Miramar in San Diego to the Great Park in Irvine, near the former MCAS El Toro., California. Visit the FLAM website here . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Jul 10, 2023•37 min•Ep. 171
Retired Italian Air Force General and former Tornado pilot Gianmarco Bellini joins guest host Craig "Crunch" Snyder to discuss his terrifying low-altitude, high-speed ejection in the opening hours of Operation Desert Storm. Watch the Gianmarco Bellini: Gulf War POW (2023) Official Trailer here . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Jun 26, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 170
Retired U.S. Navy Captain Brett "Chopper" Crozier describes his career from flying SH-60B Seahawks to returning to flight school to learn the F/A-18 Hornet to nuclear power school and eventually command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, including his very public firing at the beginning of COVID. Order Chopper's book, Surf When You Can , from Amazon here . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Jun 13, 2023•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 169
Phillip Frawley is not only a retired Royal Australian Air Force fighter pilot, he is a Guinness World Record holder for being the oldest and longest-serving fighter pilot in the world. With a half-century of service and nearly 500 flight students taught, "Frawls" has seen it all. This Zoom interview was originally recorded during a late 2020 happy hour session for FPP Patreon supporters. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Jun 05, 2023•51 min•Ep. 168
U.S. Air Force Reserve fighter pilot, Justin "Hasard" Lee , describes his career flying the block 50 F-16 before transitioning to the F-35 and ultimately starting a compelling YouTube channel . His exploits and many lessons learned are captured in his book, The Art of Clear Thinking . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
May 22, 2023•52 min•Ep. 167
Retired U.S. Navy fighter #pilot, James "Slug" Kidrick, makes a case for aviation museums and how to keep patrons, besides just children, walking in the door. Slug had a hand in making the necessary arrangements for a San Diego Air & Space Museum F-14 Tomcat to appear on an aircraft carrier flight deck for the first time in more than a dozen years. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
May 12, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 166
Retired U.S. Navy captain and MH-60 Seahawk pilot Alan "SugarBear" Worthy explains how military forces and weapons systems designed primarily to destroy and kill are also used to help and heal during natural disasters and humanitarian crises. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
May 01, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 158
Miss the old show format where Jell-O answers listener questions and makes announcements in his usual quippy style? Well, you're in luck! This week he and guest co-host Ken Katz catch up like old times and clear out the mail bag. Then Ken interviews civilian test pilot Shannon "Bam Bam" Lunsford on the careful considerations and risk mitigation strategies employed when flying a prototype aircraft for the first time. Get ready for "miles of orange wire" and "YAPS" probes on this episode of the Fi...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 57 min
Former U.S. Navy A-4 Skyhawk, A-7 Corsair II, and F/A-18 Hornet pilot Jerry "Lefty" Schubert stopped by the show during a 2020 Happy Hour to share stories on grit, Naval Aviation, and fatherhood. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Apr 10, 2023•45 min•Ep. 164
Designing and flying a vehicle intended to travel at five times the speed of sound or more presents significant challenges—add a human occupant and the stakes go even higher. On this episode, former U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress pilot Daniel "Doc" Millman, Ph.D, now of Stratolaunch , joins guest cohost Ken Katz to discuss the challenges of hypersonic aircraft design and flight, and how the U.S. military compares to other nations developing hypersonic aircraft and weapons. Support this podca...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Retired U.S. Navy Captain Tom "Trotts" Trotter describes flying the beloved F-14 Tomcat and how it compares to the F/A-18 Hornet, then attending TOPGUN as one of the first Hornet students and later commanding the school. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 163
Mr. Tim Kinsella joins former U.S. Air Force Flight Test Engineer and Fighter Pilot Podcast cohost Ken "Primetime" Katz to discuss the various non-intrusive ways aircraft structures are tested in development and throughout the aircraft's service life. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Former U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper pilot Jeff "Tico" Tice was callsign 'Stroke 1,' the flight lead for the ill-fated "Package Q" strike on Iraq just days into Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Stroke 3 miraculously dodged multiple Iraqi SAMs and made it home safely where his HUD footage became a sensation. Tico was not so lucky... Read about Package Q here . Watch the Stroke 3 video here . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Mar 13, 2023•56 min•Ep. 162
Former U.S. Air Force cargo pilot Bob Strang describes flying the beloved but not-well-known C-7 Caribou on risky resupply missions during the Vietnam Conflict, often landing on extremely short runways freshly cut from the jungle with no navigational aids or runway markings—all while being fired upon by the enemy. Visit the C-7A Caribou Association: http://www.c-7acaribou.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Mar 06, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 161
A discussion on how the next generation air dominance fighter will redefine air warfare with retired U.S. Air Force General J. Mike "Mobile" Holmes , hosted by Matt Arny . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Feb 27, 2023•35 min
U.S. Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Trey Williams joins Retired U.S. Army CW5 (and future Army Aviation Hall-of-Famer) Stan Wood to discuss the Night Stalkers of the 1 60th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) and their role in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu immortalized in the 2001 movie, ' Black Hawk Down .' Be sure to visit and contribute to the Night Stalker Association as well as Trey's company Aevex and Stan's, Fulcrum Concepts . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/th...
Feb 20, 2023•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 160
Scott Chafian and Brian "Sunshine" Sinclair return to introduce Authentic Media , a game-changing subscription service providing exclusive military aviation content and community. Authentic Media subscribers will enjoy access to audio shows offering historical perspectives, detailed engineering, and personal stories—all curated by experts in the field. Subscribers will also be part of a thriving community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for military aviation. If you are looking to...
Feb 15, 2023•18 min
Former U.S. Air Force F-15, F-5, and F-16 pilot, and Fighter Weapons School graduate, Fred "Spanky" Clifton, describes flying the MiG-29 Fulcrum as a Luftwaffe exchange pilot following German reunification after the Iron Curtain fell. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Feb 13, 2023•48 min•Ep. 159
U.S. Air Force Colonel (sel) Tom "WCMD" Meagher and former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Beau "Stewie" Griffith describe how advancements in technology, electric propulsion, and government / industry partnerships are accelerating development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Learn more about AFWERX here: https://www.afwerx.af.mil/ Agility Prime: https://afwerx.com/agility-prime/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 158
A discussion on how advancements in autonomy, automation, artificial intelligence, and other technological advancements are influencing warfare. Guest host Matt Arny interviews retired U.S. Army Colonel Brad Boyd of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Sponsored by National University. To find out more, visit nu.edu . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Jan 30, 2023•52 min
U.S. Navy Captain and Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Wing Commodore Sam "Flesh" Bryant describes how the introduction of the CMV-22B Osprey as a replacement for the C-2A Greyhound is changing the nature of aircraft carrier operations and, specifically, the carrier onboard delivery (COD) mission. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Jan 23, 2023•56 min•Ep. 157
Retired U.S. Navy Commander and two-time Blue Angels demonstration pilot Jerry "Turkey" Tucker describes flying airshow performances first in the F-4 Phantom II and then the A-4 Skyhawk, even years later after a fatal mishap caused him to be drafted back on the team. Visit the website of Ryan Nothhaft, grandson of Blue Angels' founder Butch Voris, here . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 156
Former U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantom II pilot Dee "Bones" Conger describes his military career and how he adapted the fighter pilot ethos into his business endeavors on this first episode in our new video-centric format. Visit Bones' fixed base operations, Circle Air Group, at Gillespie Field (KSEE) in San Diego, CA and online: https://www.circleag.com/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Jan 09, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 155
Welcome to the Fighter Pilot Podcast! This trailer describes the show: who it's from, who it's for, and what it's all about. Be sure to check out our website and for exclusive content, check out our Patreon Page . To connect with us, email: questions@fighterpilotpodcast.com or leave a voice message: 877.MACH.101. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Jan 03, 2023•3 min
Fighter Pilot Podcast friend and mentor Rob Kibbe of The MuscleCar Place returns for a year-end look at 2022 and what's in store for 2023. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Dec 31, 2022•57 min
Aircraft carrier landings are generally regarded as one of the most difficult—and dangerous—activities performed in an airplane. Turn out the lights and add some ocean swell and these landings are downright treacherous. But with recent technological advancements comes a system that so simplifies and improves the safety of these landings that the U.S. Navy is exploring doing away with carrier qualifications as the capstone of a student naval aviator's training for the first time in history. On th...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 154
November 23rd marks the release of the second great Naval Aviation movie of 2022, Devotion , except unlike the previous--this one is based on actual events. Korean War F4U Corsair pilots Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner became the U.S. Navy's most celebrated wingmen for events expertly described in a book of the same title by Mr. Adam Makos . On this episode, our warbird cohost Trevor "Boat" Boswell returns to celebrate the movie release with an interview conducted by FPP friend Rick "Nack" Hartnack w...
Nov 23, 2022•1 hr 27 min
