The Soviet Union's 1957 launch of Sputnik was a shock to the West. As a result, U.S. leaders vowed that, from that time forward, the U.S. would be the initiator and not the victim of strategic technological surprises. From that decree came the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or what is simply known as ' DARPA .' On this episode, U.S. Air Force Colonel Daniel "Animal" Javorsek, the program manager for DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution program, joins us for a master class on technology advan...
Apr 14, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 109
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Steve "Smokey" Ladd stops by the show via Zoom to discuss his memoir, From F-4 Phantoms to A-10 Warthogs . Enter to win a free copy of this book here . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Apr 08, 2021•19 min
We're taking a pause from our normal routine to catch up on podcast happenings and clear out the listener question bag. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Apr 04, 2021•53 min
The 'Warbird Series’ opens with a discussion on the iconic Lockheed P-38 Lightning . Designed by the legendary Kelly Johnson , the Lightning was the only two-engine, propeller-driven pursuit fighter of World War II, and former U.S. Air Force Captain, and WWII veteran, Marshall Hannah (R.I.P.) joins us to explore this distinctly unique aircraft. You won't believe his story of training, combat, and so much more! Warbird Series host, Boat, answers a listener question on pilot medical readiness, fli...
Mar 24, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 108
It is said that warfare is simply diplomacy by other means. As such, nation-states agree to various customs and laws to govern warfare in an effort to minimize destruction, avoid targeting non-combatants, and maintain other humanitarian and worthwhile practices. On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Captain Shannon Kopplin, Judge Advocate General Corps , joins us to explain how the law of armed conflict came about, how it influences modern warfare, and why a known enemy aircraft might be declared a...
Mar 14, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 107
Author Brad Elward shares details of his latest book, TOPGUN, The Navy Fighter Weapons School: Fifty Years of Excellence , which offers a unique illustrated history of this iconic institution and is a precursor to Brad's 700-page authoritative history on the school, due out later this year. Enter to win a free, autographed copy of this book here . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Mar 11, 2021•10 min
What does a world-renowned, award-winning aviation photographer do when COVID decimates his aviation photography travel company? He reimagines his business and turns to the web to help other photographers be their best. UK-based Rich Cooper first picked up a camera at age 7 and had one of his photographs featured in a magazine four short years later. Now he offers an online experience that will help others take their aviation photography to the next level through workshops, how-to videos, virtua...
Mar 06, 2021•11 min
The 'Century Series' concludes with a look at the Convair F-106 Delta Dart. Retired U.S. Air Force Major Bruce Gordon joins us—not as cohost this time but as the star of the discussion on the big brother to the F-102 Delta Dagger that served well into the late 80's. Single engine, mach 2-capable, ground-based data link, and nuclear air-to-air missiles... the "Six" is the quintessential 'Century Series' interceptor. Listener questions answered on this episode include how far in advance training p...
Mar 04, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 106
The 'Century Series' nears the end but not before an in-depth look at the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Cohost Trevor 'Boat' Boswell takes the lead on this episode, joined by retired U.S. Air Force Colonel John Morrissey for a discussion on the Vietnam-era fighter-bomber that earned the nickname "Thud" for its high mishap and shoot down rate. Listener questions answered on this episode include whether fighter pilots incur financial penalties for training mistakes--like notionally downing a fellow...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 105
The 'Century Series' speeds by with a discussion on the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter , a mach 2-capable interceptor designed by the legendary Kelly Johnson . Former Canadian Armed Forces Captain Rob "Flecko" Fleck joins us to explore this distinctly shaped Cold War fighter with guest cohost Bruce Gordon adding his usual color to the discussion. Listener questions answered on this episode include whether downing an unmanned aircraft constitutes an "aerial victory," why medical requirements differ b...
Feb 14, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 104
Since there was no F-103 to speak of and we spent episode 100 congratulating ourselves, the 'Century Series' continues this week with a discussion on the North American F-100 Super Sabre. Retired U.S. Air Force Major General Richard Goddard joins cohost Trevor Boswell at the Museum of Aviation in Robbins, GA to discuss this respected and fearsome aircraft. And as usual, our guest cohost Bruce Gordon returns to add some color to the discussion. No listener questions are answered on this episode d...
Feb 04, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 103
The 'Century Series' continues with a discussion on the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger . Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ray Janes (R.I.P.) joins guest cohost Bruce Gordon to discuss this humble early 50's-designed interceptor that was the foundation of the more widely-known F-106 Delta Dart. Listener questions addressed on this episode include the future likelihood of civilian-owned 5th Gen fighters, loaded jets diverting without ordnance safety pins, keeping static aircraft free from deb...
Jan 24, 2021•56 min•Ep. 102
The 'Century Series' kicks off this week with a discussion on the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo. Retired Royal Canadian Air Force Major John "Stace" Stacey joins guest cohost Bruce Gordon to discuss this late 1940's-designed interceptor that was once equipped with nuclear-tipped air-to-air missiles and a tactical nuke for a planned one-way mission should the Cold War ever turn hot. Listener questions addressed on this episode include a challenge on the show's claim that recent guest Caesar "Rico" Rodri...
Jan 14, 2021•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 101
It was a busy holiday season and we want to introduce everyone to former USAF fighter pilot Bruce Gordon since he'll be back to help with the coming Century Series episodes. So enjoy this audio replay of our late-November Happy Hour discussion and we'll be back on the 14th for episode 101 on the F-101 Voodoo! This episode was produced by our friends at the MuscleCar Place Podcast Network . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Jan 04, 2021•45 min
Most of us, most of the time, focus our energies on where we're going and rarely, if ever, pause to consider where we've been. Not so on this episode of the Fighter Pilot Podcast—it's our 100th! And so we're taking a look back at some of our greatest moments during our three years in show biz. That's right, on this episode we discuss listener favorite episodes and guests, the most downloaded episodes, shows that surprised you the most, and much more with our usual host Jell-O and a cast of chara...
Dec 30, 2020•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 100
The Canadian and American forces of NORAD , or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, spend 24/7/365 monitoring the airspace of our two countries--and indeed most of the world--to ensure threats to our two nations are identified and managed. But not everything that enters our airspace is a "threat." Every year, NORAD ensures the safe and unhindered passage of jolly ol' St. Nick and his precious cargo of Christmas cheer to all the North American children on his 'nice list.' Learn all about...
Dec 23, 2020•19 min
We're taking a break this week and instead replaying portions of our summer 2020 Happy Hour discussion with retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cesar "Rico" Rodriguez, the real "only man to shoot down three enemy planes in the last 40 years" ( come on, Ed Harris, pfft .) The full video discussion can be found on our found Patreon page and be sure to check out Jamie Hunter's article about Rico at The Warzone. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Dec 13, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Situational awareness is a precious commodity, especially in armed conflict where the 'fog of war' invariably confuses and distracts commanders. Dedicated aerial platforms are vital to collecting the information needed to ensure warfighters have as accurate a sense of the real world as possible. For Naval Aviation, the key enabler in this regard is the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye. On this episode, former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander and Hawkeye test pilot Jonathan "Gersh" Ulbricht joins us to...
Dec 03, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 99
Bomber Month concludes with the North American B-25 Mitchell. This week, Larry Kelley discusses the World War II bomber that was the first to strike the Japanese homeland in the infamous Doolittle Raid of April 1942. Mr. Kelley describes all the usual 'aircraft series' topics and what it took to personally acquire the B-25J Panchito that is part of the Delaware Aviation Museum . Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell . This episode was produced by our friends at The MuscleCar ...
Nov 23, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 98
Former U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight leaders Captains Ryan "Guido" Bernacchi and Eric "Popeye" Doyle join Fighter Pilot Podcast host Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello for a discussion on the team's transition to the Boeing F/A-18E and F-model Super Hornets following 34 consecutive years flying the F/A-18A-D Hornet. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Nov 19, 2020•33 min
Bomber Month marches on with our first foreign bomber to be featured: the Avro Vulcan . This week, retired Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Martin Withers joins us to discuss this British Cold War-era strategic bomber that found notoriety for a long-range strike on an enemy airfield in the opening hours of the Falkland Islands War . Martin was part of that strike and went on to fly a Vulcan at airshows until its final sundown in 2015. Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell . Th...
Nov 13, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 97
Here on the Fighter Pilot Podcast it’s once again Bomber Month ! First up this year is the venerable Boeing B-29 Superfortress and joining us is Allen Benzing of the Commemorative Air Force B-29 / B-24 Squadron based in Dallas, Texas. Once an enlisted U.S. Air Force airman, Al worked his way up through civilian flying and is now a Superfortress aircraft commander and instructor for the CAF. Not only that but he knows a thing or two about the B-29's role in WW2 and shares it here with guest host ...
Nov 03, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 96
Surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, are sometimes also called "flying telephone poles" because of their sheer size. ...whatever you call them, these deadly weapons are widely proliferated and credited with downing hundreds of allied aircraft since their first widespread use during the Vietnam conflict. On this episode, U.S. Navy Captain and former TOPGUN instructor Thomas "Jethro" Bodine concludes our two-part series on surface-to-air threats with a look at SAMs. We cover types, guidance methods, ...
Oct 23, 2020•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 95
Buck Wyndham was a junior Air Force pilot when Operation Desert Storm kicked off in early 1991. Learn of his harrowing missions which are chronicled in his new book Hogs in the Sand . Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
Oct 16, 2020•14 min
Anti-aircraft artillery. Air defense artillery. Flak. Ack ack. ...whatever you call it, there is no dispute that the firing of guns, cannon, and artillery at aircraft is a significant threat to said aircraft. Add to that the simplicity, reliability, and proliferation of these weapons and suddenly you have a real concern for military forces. On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Captain and former TOPGUN Surface-to-Air Threat and Countertactics subject matter expert Craig "Crunch" Snyder begins a tw...
Oct 13, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 94
A short discussion with Dave "Bio" Baranek on his latest book: Tomcat RIO, a Topgun Instructor on the F-14 Tomcat and the Heroic Naval Aviators Who Flew It. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Oct 05, 2020•15 min
You might think that by now, in the early 2020's — with advanced satellites and unmanned aerial systems so prolific — that we wouldn't need to go through all the trouble of spending days preparing a pilot for a manned spy mission in the upper reaches of our atmosphere wearing what amounts to an astronaut suit in a plane that enjoys only a few knots between stalling and over speeding. Think again. On this episode, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Michael "Lips" Phillips explains why the 60-year-old...
Oct 03, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 93
Few aircraft elicit such reverence and respect as those that can be counted on to respond at a moment's notice when a downed aviator or embattled ground unit cried for help. In the Vietnam conflict, the aircraft that provided hours of on-station time with dozens of weapons stations, and was responsible for saving hundreds of lives, was none other than the venerable Douglas A-1 Skyraider . On this episode, former U.S. Air Force captain George Marrett joins us to cover the usual 'aircraft series' ...
Sep 23, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 92
Threats to military forces and infrastructure come from overt enemy actions, terrorist acts, and training accident, but mother nature poses a threat too. Packing the energy of dozens of nuclear weapons , a hurricane destroys almost everything in its path--whether military or civilian. And like any other threat, a clear understanding of the "enemy" is necessary. On this episode, Lt Col (select) Mark Withee and Capt Garrett Black, both of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and members of the 53d Weather R...
Sep 13, 2020•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 91
A brief discussion on the American Volunteer Group with Sam Kleiner, author of Flying Tigers, The Untold Story of the American Pilots who Waged a Secret War Against Japan . If you enjoy reading military aviation history, you'll enjoy this great book. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations...
Sep 12, 2020•18 min
