Fighter Pilot Podcast

Retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General John "Dragon" Teichert knows leadership. As an F-15E Strike Eagle and F-22 Raptor pilot early on, Dragon went on to multiple command tours before concluding his 27-year-career as the Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs. Along the way, he championed inspirational, innovative, integrity-filled leadership that culminated...

Scott Dworkin won't take "no" for an answer. As a fighter pilot-hopeful, Scott encountered roadblocks that forced him to pivot to aviation photography and eventually aviation photojournalism, where he went on to fly in most U.S Air Force and many U.S. Navy aircraft, without ever wearing the uniform. Today, Scott is the genius behind Mach 91 Aerial Photography and the author of this generation's gr...

'On Future War' is a 12-part series exploring the evolving landscape of military strategy and defense technologies with a focus on the Pacific. On this month's episode Scott "Roger" Chafian, Mike "Pako" Benitez, and Matt "Flounder" Arny explore the strategic and controversial world of China's man-made island bases including the historical locations, construction strategies, and strategic intent of...

Former U.S. Air Force F-15E WSO Mike "Pako" Benitez describes how future fighter pilots will train alongside (and go to war with) unmanned 'collaborative combat aircraft', sometimes also known as 'loyal wingmen.' Subscribe to Pako's newsletter, 'The Merge' here. Check out 'The Merge' on YouTube here. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more abo...

Guest host Ken 'Primetime' Katz returns with his first foray into warbirds, exploring the venerable Douglas C-47 Skytrain (plus its many derivatives) and the role it played in the pivotal D-Day invasions of World War II with guests Eric Zipkin and Moreno 'Mo' Aguiari. Visit the DC-3 Society here. Watch Into Flight Once More on Amazon Prime here. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-...

Retired US Marine Corps Colonel Jim "Boone" Jamison describes being an HMX-1 Presidential Command Pilot during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush presidencies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'On Future War' is a 12-part series exploring the evolving landscape of military strategy and defense technologies with a focus on the Pacific. On this inaugural episode, Mike "Pako" Benitez and Scott "Roger" Chafian set the stage by delving into the challenges posed by technologies (including cruise- and hypersonic missiles) to power projection and the sustainability of forward deployed bases in...

Planning, briefing, executing per standard operating procedures (SOPs) while using checklists, and then debriefing--these are some of the best practices military aviators routinely employ to ensure safe, effective operations whether in combat or in training.  This week, former U.S. Navy and Air National Guard pilot Yarko "J.J." Sos and Navy RIO-turned-WSO Keith "Kombat" Kimmel explain these best p...

Art Palmer is a child of the dust bowl and self-admitted "hobo" who joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and piloted B-24 Liberators during World War II. Art's plane was shot down on his 50th mission and he spent the remainder of the war as a German prisoner. Now, at 104-year-young, Art shares his recollections with guest host Matt "Flounder" Arny, proving why his truly was the Greatest Generation. To r...

Imagine flying along at night, in combat, so low that you look up to see car headlights. And that's just the beginning. On this episode, former US Air Force pilot Jeff "Guinnbob" Guinn and navigator Kevin "Rim" Allen describe their harrowing participation in Operation Desert Storm flying F-111Es out of Turkey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Do you have to be good at math to be a fighter pilot?" On this episode, the host Vincent Aiello shares a September 2020 blog addressing this question, providing examples of the common math concepts fighter pilots must be able to master. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hal Sundt author of Warplane, How the Military Reformers Birthed the A-10 Warthog describes the origination story of the close air support aircraft the U.S. Air Force never wanted but pilots and ground troops came to love. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Situational awareness. Confidence. Teachability and ability to teach. ...wait, helpful? Ever stop and think about the traits that make a 'good' member of your industry? This week, host Vincent Aiello continues the "audio musing" show format with the narration of a 2019 musing on the Fighter Pilot Podcast blog inspired by a question posed during a live YouTube session. Support this podcast at — htt...

More than 81,000 American service members remain listed as 'missing in action' from conflicts dating back to World War 2.  This week, retired U.S. Marine Derek Abbey, PhD, explains how Project Recover enlists 21st century science and technology to find and repatriate those missing in order to provide recognition and closure for families and the nation.  As a podcast listener, enjoy a $300 savings...

“December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy...” are among the most famous words spoken by a United States President and have reverberated every year on this day for more than eight decades. On this special bonus from 2021, author Bert Kinzey of Detail and Scale Aviation Publications explains the significance of the attack and what took place on that fateful Sunday morning. Having conduct...

People are often quick to comment on the Fighter Pilot Podcast's various social media channels that the Navy does not fly F-16s. Wrong. This week, host Vincent Aiello shares another article from the Fighter Pilot Podcast blog, this one from 2019 describing how we can all do a better job of avoiding being wrong and reacting when we inevitably are. Find the original musing here. Support this podcast...

Retired U.S. Navy F/A-18 pilot Jack "Farley" Stewart explains who "adversary" pilots are, what they do, how TOPGUN trains them, and why it is vital to have professional adversaries (or "aggressors," as the U.S. Air Force calls them).  Be sure to check out Farley's exciting first novel, Unknown Rider. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more abo...

Hollywood portrays fighter pilots as devil-may-care risk takers and rule breakers intolerant to authority. Is that true in the real world? This week, host Vincent Aiello shares another article from the Fighter Pilot Podcast blog, this time identifying the top 10 myths about military aviators and why they are wrong. Find the original 2021 musing here. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com...

You've heard of audio books, what about audio blogs? This week, host Vincent Aiello introduces a new show format where he narrates one of the articles on the Fighter Pilot Podcast blog. This first edition is from a December 2022 musing titled, How to Succeed in Flight School? Don't Ask Me! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad...

The Fighter Pilot Podcast would not be possible without the support of the hundreds of veterans who served both in uniform and, in this case, in the studio. To those who have served: happy Veterans Day and thank you, from a grateful nation. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this 2020 'Happy Hour,' Yonel "Yogi" Dorelis describes a career in aviation that spanned all four branches: Marines, Navy, Army, and lastly Air Force where he spent the majority of his service as a combat search and rescue helicopter pilot. (The Space Force did not yet exist when Yogi served.) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about y...

This week, guest cohost Ken 'Primetime' Katz turns the tables on our usual host Vincent 'Jell-O' Aiello, asking him to explain his role at the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest and what it is like to fly a post-maintenance check flight in F/A-18 Hornets. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. Navy F/A-18 pilot Joe "Jamboy" Kirksey, a career LSO currently serving as "Force Paddles" at the Chief of Naval Air Forces in San Diego, explains the history of LSOs assisting fixed-wing aircraft on aircraft carriers, how LSOs are trained and whether they and their grading methods are still necessary with the advent of Precision Landing Mode. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/th...

Retired U.S. Navy Captain J.J. "Yank" Cummings joins FPP cohost Matt "Flounder" Arny to talk Tomcats, flight school, surface warfare, nuclear power, Top Gun: Maverick, and above all, how to lead when in charge of the first ship in a new class of aircraft carriers that has had its share of bad press. Visit jjcummingsleadership.com to learn more about Yank and his exploits since leaving uniform serv...

Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Evan "Ivan" Thomas joins cohost Ken "Primetime" Katz to discuss the Stratolaunch Roc—the world's largest aircraft initially designed to haul space vehicles into the upper atmosphere that instead found purpose providing commercial "access to the hypersonic" environment. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more abou...