Fighter Pilot Podcast

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 /...

'Army Aviation Month' marches on with a shift to our familiar 'aircraft series' format and a look at the OH-58 Kiowa. Ryan Robicheaux, a former U.S. Army CWO2, joins us to discuss this helicopter that is small in stature but huge in capability and adored by the ground forces it defends. Ryan also discusses the many OH-58 military and civilian variants, as well as the somewhat unconventional plan t...

'Army Aviation Month' continues with a look at U.S. Army flight school--including the syllabus, aircraft, and training locations--with CWO2 Nicholas Allen. As a recent Army flight school graduate, Nick now flies the UH-60 and provided some additional information on the Blackhawk to compliment our previous H-60 episode. Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was pro...

'Army Aviation Month' kicks off with a look at U.S. Army policies, programs, and aircraft--including the little-known fleet of Army airplanes--with CWO5 Aaron Nance of the Washington Army National Guard. Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at The MuscleCar Place Podcast Network. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-figh...

We're taking another break this week as we prepare for 'Army Aviation Month' coming up in August. Instead, enjoy this discussion with Mr. Jeffrey Brain (R.I.P.), a former RAF fighter pilot who flew Hurricanes and Mosquitoes against the Japanese in World War II. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

Every conflict has its quintessential fighter: in World War II it was the P-51 Mustang. The F-4 Phantom symbolizes the Vietnam conflict and in Desert Storm it was the F-15 Eagle, arguably…. Well, there’s no argument about the iconic fighter of the mid-50’s Korean War—it’s unquestionably the North American F-86 Sabre. On this episode, retired U.S. Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Jim “Skinny”...

We're taking a pause this week and replaying a recent Patreon 'Happy Hour' discussion with Mr. Paul Wood, founder of the Warbird Heritage Foundation. Paul owns (and flies!) an impressive array of notable aircraft from the P-51 Mustang to the A-1 Skyraider to the A-4 Skyhawk. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

When aircraft designers and military planners sought a simple way to extend the range, increase the payload, and lengthen the endurance of combat aircraft, they may have been inclined to consider a host of various technological solutions. In fact, the best way to accomplish these endeavors is through aerial refueling with big wing tankers like the KC-135 Stratotanker, KC-10 Extender, and forthcomi...

When you think of 4th generation fighters designed in the late 70’s, which aircraft come to mind? Likely the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon for starters, perhaps the F/A-18 Hornet, and for Eastern designs—probably the MiG-29 Fulcrum. But don’t forget the many great 4th gen fighters designed in Europe, many still operational today, such as the Dassault Mirage 2000. On this episode, Mathieu “Ma...

Disrupt /disˈrəpt/ verb — to interrupt an event, activity, or process by causing a disturbance or problem. …Modern aerial combat is a challenging, fast-paced, three-dimensional chess match that requires each side to be on their game. One way to improve the odds of victory is to disrupt your opponent’s plans and systems, and one of the best ways to do that is in the electromagnetic spectrum. On thi...

The MiG-21 Fishbed. There may be no more recognizable, mass produced, widely proliferated, iconic, enduring fighter jet in existence or throughout history. With more than 11,500 produced and at one time operational in 60 countries on four continents, incredibly this 65-year-old fighter is still in widespread use today. On this episode, retired Indian Air Force Air Commodore Suren “Bundal” Tyagi jo...

The excellent book 'Harnessing the Sky' chronicles the life and adventures of aviation pioneer and early test pilot Fredrick "Trap" Trapnell during the tumultuous years leading up to World War II and then the transition to jets immediately following. Trap's granddaughter Dana Trapnell Tibbetts joins us on this bonus episode to discuss the book she co-authored with her father. You can watch a prese...