Fighter Pilot Podcast

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 whet...

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 wheth...

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 Gord...

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...

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 add...

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...

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 episo...

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 Warz...

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...

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 Jai...

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 Learn more...

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 airsho...

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 onl...

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 o...

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 TOP...

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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....

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 e...

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...

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Martin "Opus" Richard was a Massachusetts ANG F-15 pilot on September 11, 2001. Most of us are familiar with the events of that day and the thousands of lives lost, but what was it like for fighter pilots whose mission it was to stand alert and respond to threats against our nation? Opus reflects on this and the larger meaning of that fateful day. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/th...

We're taking a break after cranking out four episodes for Army Aviation Month in August. Instead, former Air-to-Air Weapons guest and occasional cohost Trevor "Boat" Boswell returns to help clear out some of the many listener questions that accrued. Ever wonder about Mode 1 carrier landings, what pilots eat before extended overwater flights, and whether military aircraft distress frequencies? All...

Retired U.S. Navy Commander Guy "Bus" Snodgrass, our former Air-to-Air Mission Planning episode guest, returns to the show to update us on his latest book project: TOPGUN's Top 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Army Aviation Month' wraps up with an in-depth look at the lethal AH-64 Apache. CWO4 Tim "Dorothy" Settle of the U.S. Army joins us to discuss this tank-busting helicopter including the variants, armament, performance, crew operation, and more. Designed for the Cold War, the Apache has enjoyed tremendous success in numerous conflicts from Desert Storm to Afghanistan. Bumper music by Jaime Lopez /...