Fighter Pilot Podcast

Just as humans are broadly generalized as Baby Boomers, Millennials, etc., so too are fighter aircraft lumped into categories—only it has less to do when they are born (or what we would call, IOC) and more to do with various capabilities such as speed, maneuverability, avionics, and weaponry. And what’s more—with upgrades, some aircraft change generations. On this episode, U.S. Air Force Major Joh...

Convinced we’re alone in the universe? Think everyone who believes in UFOs is a lot like Randy Quaid’s character, Russel, in 20th Century Fox’s original Independence Day? Get ready to entertain doubts after listening to this week’s episode with retired U.S. Navy Commander David “Sex” Fravor who you may recognize from numerous appearances on the 2008 PBS series, Carrier. You’ll be amazed to hear ev...

Join Vincent and special guest Rob Kibbe, host of The Musclecar Place, for an intimate look back at the Fighter Pilot Podcast’s first year and what’s coming in 2019. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some suggest the most difficult job in the military is not the force recon Marine, nuclear reactor officer, fighter pilot, or even Navy SEAL … but rather the humble military spouse. Independent, resilient, and resourceful, military spouses face challenges beyond that of other professions—except without the formal training. Part nurse, part mechanic, occasional therapist, and frequent single parent...

If aviation itself is an inherently unforgiving activity, then how much more naval aviation—which routinely involves formation flying, ship landings, night vision goggle usage and… of course, the enemy? When tragedy strikes—as it frequently does—the U.S. Government cares for family members of the fallen, as well as the parent unit but, inevitably, response times can sometimes be lengthy and expens...

Sweep, point defense, close escort, high-value airborne asset protection… These are just a few of the many air-to-air missions modern U.S. fighter pilots may be required to perform in the course of their duties. Each requires significant pre-mission planning to analyze how various constraints and limitations might affect execution. On this episode, former enlisted U.S. Marine, then naval flight of...

Taken out of context, Stephen Hawking’s comment, “all we need to do is make sure we keep talking,” does not apply to aerial engagements. In complex and dynamic scenarios with multiple opposing fighter elements—closing on each other at well over 1,000 knots—more is decidedly not better. Instead, clear, concise, standardized (and minimal) communications are essential to ensure situational awareness...

Advancements in weapons technology and lethality have spawned countermeasures for as long as humans have been warring: with the broadsword came plate armor. For arrows it was shields. And with the advent of radar, infrared tracking, and active missiles—came chaff, flares, and jammers. On this episode, Utah Air National Guard Major Sean “Bauer” Demeter joins us to discuss the various countermeasure...

Ever wonder why so many astronauts are (and were) former fighter pilots? Could it be that flight training is good preparation for astronaut training and thus acts as a natural selection process? Maybe. Or it could be that flying fighter jets attracts a certain type of person who enjoys challenges, works well under pressure, handles disorienting situations, manages risk, and—most importantly—perfor...

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to fly a high-performance military jet fighter but now anyone can enjoy the incredibly realistic air combat simulation platforms available on the market today. From the astonishingly accurate aircraft recreation to the flawless graphics and imagery, air combat simulation is the next best thing for military aircraft aficionados--without the l...

The Battle of Midway was a decisive U.S. naval victory that turned the tide of World War 2. As a result, the name ‘Midway’ has been assigned to everything from a high school in Texas to an airport in Chicago. It is also the name of the longest serving American aircraft carrier of the 20th century. Today, the USS Midway continues to serve as a museum on the San Diego, Calif. waterfront. Hosting tho...

There may be a no more lethal or effective fighting unit than the Marine Air Ground Task Force. Comprised of combat Marines on land, in the air, and from the sea, the MAGTF is equally capable massing its formidable firepower to overwhelm and defeat an adversary as applying its vast resources and logistics network to assist in disaster relief and humanitarian roles. On this episode, retired U.S. Ma...

Doctors attend medical school. Attorneys go to law school. …Plumbers acquire the skills of their craft at a plumbing trade school. So where do fighter pilots get their start? Duh. At flight school, of course. The U.S. Air Force and Navy maintain discrete flight schools. While they share some aircraft (i.e. the Beechcraft / Raytheon T-6 Texan II) and occasionally exchange students and instructors,...

Troop transport, MEDEVAC, CSAR, ASW, VERTREP, special operations, ground attack… these are but a few of the many missions rotary-wing aircraft perform for militaries the world over, day in and day out. But how do helicopters even fly? How difficult is it to fly them? Why do most have two pilots? In the event of total power loss can they glide to an emergency landing like some airplanes? How and wh...

What do astronaut Alan Shepard, actor Clark Gable, aviatrix Amelia Earhart, and president George H. W. Bush all have in common? Each distinguished him- or herself by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. Each acted in the face of danger, well above those actions performed by others engaged in similar flight operations, with results so exceptional as to render t...

No matter how well designed a military aircraft may be, it will always require extensive testing and evaluation to ensure it performs as intended. And even when it does, sometimes unforeseen complications arise—such as when weapons catastrophically collide with the aircraft after release. This too requires extensive testing. But who performs this testing? Why, test pilots, of course. On this episo...

Few pilots ever have an opportunity to meet an enemy aircraft in aerial battle. Fewer yet come out victorious. And even fewer still—in fact, only one—then go on to be involved in arguably the most influential pop culture aviation film of all time. That man is retired US Navy Rear Admiral Pete “Viper” Pettigrew (R.I.P.). Climb aboard this week’s episode and hear the harrowing tale of Viper’s shootd...

Military aviators are generally hard-working, improvement-seeking, self-motivated individuals accustomed to working well under pressure, on tight deadlines, and with limited budgets. It’s no wonder they typically find follow on success after leaving the service. On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Captain Kevin “Hozer” Miller offers his post-military experiences to our discussion on what many aviat...

Today’s combat aviator enjoys a wide variety of munitions from which to choose when attacking surface targets. From free fall general purpose bombs, to laser- and GPS-guided weapons, to glide and forward firing rockets, missiles, and guns—the extensive arsenal is full of complex, yet highly effective ordnance. On this episode, U.S. Navy Commander Colin “Farva” Price explains how pilots choose whic...

Just as a viper relies on its venomous fangs and a hornet its stinger to deliver a lethal attack on adversaries, so too do modern combat fighter aircraft depend on guided missiles and cannon fire to engage aerial foes. But what guidance methods do missiles use? How difficult is it to effectively employ the gun on a non-cooperative target? And how far, exactly, can the AIM-120C AMRAAM be employed a...

We’ve all heard that ‘war is hell,’ but this week we hear it from a different perspective: that of a young pilot, new to the fleet and the F/A-18 Hornet, who finds himself fighting far from home in the fog of war, on the heels of the death of a beloved squadron mate. On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Captain Nick “Mongo” Mongillo tells the harrowing story of his downing an Iraqi MiG-21 on day one...

A replay of the June 5, 2018 Facebook Live listener question session with episode 5 guest Fitz "Dud" Lee. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Navy has one of the largest air forces in the world comprised of a wide variety of aircraft from helicopters to strike fighters to patrol planes. While squadrons, air wings, and type wings have a well-established chain of command, ultimately they all fall under the purview of a single person. Known formally as the Commander, Naval Air Forces, the position is known better as simply, the Ai...

While landing a high-performance jet aircraft on an aircraft carrier may be the most challenging task any naval aviator will ever face, truth is, after a hundred or two of them--most pilots get passably good at it and almost come to enjoy carrier landings. In the daytime. Turn out the lights, add an overcast and suddenly it's another story. How dark does it get in the middle of the ocean? Really d...

Meatball – lineup – angle of attack. Nothing matters more to a fixed-wing naval pilot during the final 17 seconds of a landing on an aircraft carrier than those three parameters. But what is a “meatball”? Why is lineup so important and why does it require continuous corrections to maintain? What happens if the landing aircraft’s angle of attack is too far off one way or the other? On this episode,...