Fighter Pilot Podcast

The Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company is an elite Marine Corps unit tasked with coordinating various fires for their attached ground units. Tactical aviators are often chosen to lead these elements because of their unique perspective, having themselves previously supported ground forces from the air. It can be a harrowing experience for the aviators who leave the relative safety of their aircr...

If someone asked you about the modern, delta-wing European fighter jet with canards, you might rightly respond, “which one?” To be sure, the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Saab Gripen all share similar features. Why is that? And how do we distinguish between them? On this episode, German Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Lorenz “Enzo” Schaffelhofer shares how to distinguish his favorite, the...

Everyone loves the sleek fighter jets, hovering attack planes, and other glamorous war machines that make the headlines and capture our attention, but few give more than a fleeting thought to the many other aircraft that perform crucial, yet unremarkable missions. One of those missions is logistical support, and only one airplane in history has been designed from the beginning to perform that miss...

This bonus episode returns us to our three-episode-per-month format, airing on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of each month for this, our second year as a show. This is a replay of our early July 2019 Facebook Live question & answer session with episode 50 guest, retired U.S. Navy Commander Jerry "Turkey" Tucker. Enjoy! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations L...

Most modern military fighter jets require thousands of feet of runway to takeoff and land, or else a complex and dangerous system of shipboard catapults and arresting gear. The AV-8 Harrier is unique in that it retains high forward speeds but is capable of taking off and landing in extremely short distances—or even vertically—thanks to swiveling exhaust nozzles and augmented flight controls. This...

Of the many facets of military aviation, perhaps no other is as consequential to the outcome of an armed conflict than the prosecution of ground targets. When those targets are in close proximity to friendly forces, detailed coordination is required between the ground commander and air assets to ensure the proper targets are attacked in an appropriate way. The conduit for that coordination is the...

When it comes to military aircraft, most enthusiasts are familiar with the subcategories airplanes and helicopters, and the differing ways they generate lift. The former propels one or more stationary wings through the airstream and thus requires a relatively high minimum flying speed. The latter rotates multiple overhead wings, which facilitates flight in a stationary hover but typically at the e...

...And we're back! On this episode we conclude last week's discussion with former F-4 pilot John "Tiger" Kerr and RIO Jack "Fingers" Ensch, both retired U.S. Naval aviators. Hold on to your hats as we talk Vietnam-conflict shoot downs, shot downs, POW stories, and how each guest earned his callsign. Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. Support this podcast at — https://redcir...

Few aircraft so prominently define their eras as the McDonell F-4 Phantom II does the 1960s and the Vietnam conflict. Initially imagined as a fighter and later an interceptor, the Phantom II eventually entered service as a fighter-bomber that set numerous speed and altitude records, was responsible for much of the bombing and air-to-air kills over Vietnam, and was later used extensively in SEAD an...

There are military aircraft that contribute to shaping U.S. foreign policy. There are some that usher in cutting edge technology. Others set speed and altitude records. A few capture the lifelong imaginations of children and aviation enthusiasts alike. And then there’s the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird that did it all Brainchild of legendary aeronautical engineer, Kelly Johnson, the Blackbird did do it...

The first recorded account of two aircraft engaging in aerial combat occurred in late November 1913 during the Mexican Revolution. The pilots, both American ‘soldiers of fortune’ on opposing sides of the conflict, engaged each other (unsuccessfully) with handheld pistols in otherwise unarmed aircraft. The gun—and soon after, the cannon—quickly became the primary weapon for air-to-air “dogfighting”...

Virtually everything requires periodic maintenance and upkeep. Think about it: our cars, our homes, our health, relationships… you name it—if it operates, functions, or has value, odds are precious resources are required to keep it so. And yet, very little attention is paid by the public or Hollywood to this irrefutable fact. But since this show tells the story of military aviation, on this episod...

Anyone who watched early superhero shows years ago recalls opening scenes where bystanders gawking skyward exclaim, “Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird!… "It’s a plane! "It’s…” (…of course, we all know: it’s Superman!). But when the subject of today’s episode blasts overhead, folks might similarly cry, “it’s a fighter!...” “It’s a deep interdictor striker!...” “It’s a reconnaissance craft!” …Well, w...

They say "fighter pilots make movies while attack pilots make history." So, what happens when a former attack pilot writes a book—his first ever—that so accurately and engagingly captures Vietnam combat operations that it ends up on President Reagan’s desk before soaring up New York Times’ best seller charts? That’s right, they make a movie out of it. On this episode, the Fighter Pilot Podcast is...

The US Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Blue Angels, has amazed audiences with incredible aerial performances since their debut in 1946 flying the propeller-driven F6F Hellcat. In the 73 years since, the team transitioned to the Bearcat and then jets including the Panther, Cougar, Tiger, Phantom II and Skyhawk. For the last 33 years the team has operated the Hornet. With e...

The Sopwith Camel, P-51 Mustang, F-86 Sabre, and F-4 Phantom II may all be the quintessential fighters of their era, from World War I through the Vietnam conflict. And from Desert Storm to today, few would dispute the aircraft that most deserves to join such an esteemed group is none other than the General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 Fighting Falcon—better known as simply, the Viper. On th...

BRRRRRRTTTTTT!!! The sound of an aircraft cannon firing is simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying, depending on which side of the barrels a person finds themselves. And while most combat aircraft have featured guns and cannons since the dawn of aerial battle, no aircraft is more known for its gun—or respected for it—than the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II and it’s tank-busting 30mm GAU...

We've been cranking out quite a bit of content lately and need to take a little time off while the kids are on spring break. So for this week's episode, Sunshine and Jell-O banter a bit before answering a few listener questions. We end with an edited replay of Jell-O's January 9, 2019 appearance answering yet more listener questions on the show Aircrew Interviews. Support this podcast at — https:/...

Everyone recognizes the F-14 as the star of the 1986 hit movie Top Gun, but few can readily identify the Western fighter that acted as the Tomcat’s nemesis—a role it was perfectly suited for and still performs for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps today. On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Reserve Commander Paco Chierici joins us to describe how the Northrop F-5 began life in the 1950’s as the ‘Freedo...

Of all the fighter planes to ever take to the sky, perhaps none is more recognized, or more revered, than the venerable Grumman F-14 Tomcat. Made popular by movies such as The Final Countdown and, of course, Top Gun—not to mention real world heroics off the coast of Libya in the 1980s and Desert Storm in the early 90s—the F-14 is no stranger to attention. But what was it like to fly? Why is it so...

The SEPECAT Jaguar, Vought F-8 Crusader, Mirage F-1, Mirage 2000, Dassault Étendard, and later the Super Étendard were all remarkable aircraft designed to do one or two missions well. But what may be most noteworthy about these aircraft is that they were all replaced by just one model: the incredibly-capable Dassault Rafale. On this episode, we conduct our first remote interview with Lieutenant Pi...

Few Western aerospace design and manufacturing firms can boast an aircraft so successful that it is flown by every branch of the U.S. military, plus the Coast Guard and dozens of countries, with over 4,000 aircraft being built in dozens of configurations. No, it’s not the Lockheed C-130 Hercules or Bell UH-1 Huey. We’re talking the Sikorsky H-60 helicopter. On this episode, U.S. Navy Commander Jer...

In the early 1960’s, the U.S. Navy began a program for a carrier-based attack aircraft to replace the A-4 Skyhawk. Two requirements were specified to ensure a lethal platform at the lowest possible cost: accurate weapons delivery and a design based on an existing aircraft. The Ling-Temco-Vought team’s winning proposal, based on Vought’s F-8 Crusader, became the LTV A-7 Corsair II. On this episode,...

At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union fielded a formidable navy—both above and below the surface. In response, the United States Navy required a carrier-based, fixed-wing aircraft with long on-station time and an extensive air-to-surface and -subsurface avionics sweet and weapons capability. The result was the twin-turbofan, high-wing Lockheed S-3 Viking. On this episode, retired U.S. Na...

What was it designed to do? What does it do well? What ordnance does it carry? Why does it look the way it does…? …These are a few of the questions retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Q “BBQ” Sterling answers while explaining the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet on this, our inaugural ‘aircraft series’ episode. These same questions will be posed to guests during future episodes on a variet...