Fighter Pilot Podcast

This week, we pause our monthlong celebration of the U.S. Navy's 250th birthday to check in with FPP friend, Dave "Chip" Berke. Fighter pilot extraordinaire, battle-proven forward air controller, and esteemed leadership coach, Chip codifies his many hard-won lessons learned into a powerful and concise new book, The Need to Lead. "Every problem is a leadership problem," Chip asserts—find out why an...

Torpedoes vs missiles, tomahawks vs smart bombs, fluid mechanics, missions ranging from direct combat to attack to surveillance... turns out, submarines and military aviation have much in common! On this episode marking the U.S. Navy's 250th anniversary, former submarine commander Tony Grayson explains submarines for dummies, invoking aviation concepts and comparisons. If your knowledge of subs is...

October 2025 marks 250 years of the U.S. Navy and we begin our monthlong celebration with retired Rear Admiral Jeremy "Bear" Taylor, who considers himself the luckiest man alive. Commissioned in 1957, Bear would accumulate more than 6,000 flight hours in fighters and trainers and over 1,000 carrier landings during his 35+ years of service. He was assigned to 13 different aircraft carriers and flew...

Some aircraft have specialized roles most applicable to certain types of warfare—and thus only appear in certain conflicts around the globe. And then there are the workhorses that show up everywhere. On this episode, former Royal Air Force navigator-turned-pilot Elliott "Jellers" Jardine explains how the Boeing CH-47 Chinook is one of those aircraft. From Vietnam to the Falkland Islands to Sierra...

Colonel James "Fangs" Valpiani knows a thing or two about flight test because he's seen a thing or two: first an Air Force Academy graduate, then a combat-tested F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, a graduate of the French Test Pilot School, and most recently Commodore of the USAF TPS. On this episode, Fangs shares his expertise on the various schools he has attended or led and the aircraft they test, inclu...

Per their website, the "Thunderbirds perform for people all around the world to display the pride, precision and professionalism the U.S. Air Force represents." Awesome, but what does that mean for the men and women comprising the team? How do they join, and what is a typical week like during show season? On this episode, former USAF Thunderbird solo pilot Michelle "MACE" Curran explains her rocky...

A 2008 mid-air collision between an F/A-18 Hornet and F-5F Tiger II near Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada left one pilot dead, two aircraft destroyed, and dozens of squadron mates, family, and friends changed forever. This bonus episode of The Merge reunites the two surviving F-5 aircrew, exploring how the mishap has affected their lives in the years since. Brought to you by BVR Productions. Suppo...

A 2008 mid-air collision between an F/A-18 Hornet and F-5F Tiger II near Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada left one pilot dead, two aircraft destroyed, and dozens of squadron mates, family, and friends changed forever. This concluding episode of The Merge features the widow of the lost pilot, Jeremy "Suge" Wise. Brought to you by BVR Productions. Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw...

A 2008 mid-air collision between an F/A-18 Hornet and F-5F Tiger II near Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada left one pilot dead, two aircraft destroyed, and dozens of squadron mates, family, and friends changed forever. This fifth episode of The Merge explores the collision from other aviators airborne that tragic day. Brought to you by BVR Productions. Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon....

A 2008 mid-air collision between an F/A-18 Hornet and F-5F Tiger II near Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada left one pilot dead, two aircraft destroyed, and dozens of squadron mates, family, and friends changed forever. This fourth episode of The Merge explores the unbreakable bond between flight lead and wingman, particularly on that fateful day. Brought to you by BVR Productions. Support this podc...

A 2008 mid-air collision between an F/A-18 Hornet and F-5F Tiger II near Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada left one pilot dead, two aircraft destroyed, and dozens of squadron mates, family, and friends changed forever. This third episode of The Merge explores the fateful flight of June 13, 2008 from the brief up to moment of impact. Brought to you by BVR Productions. Support this podcast at — https...

A 2008 mid-air collision between an F/A-18 Hornet and F-5F Tiger II near Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada left one pilot dead, two aircraft destroyed, and dozens of squadron mates, family, and friends changed forever. This second episode of The Merge explores NAS Fallon and why squadrons detach there, and introduces this mini-series' main characters. The Merge is brought to you by BVR Productions....

A 2008 mid-air collision between an F/A-18 Hornet and F-5F Tiger II near Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada left one pilot dead, two aircraft destroyed, and dozens of squadron mates, family, and friends changed forever. This first episode of The Merge introduces this mini-series with a description of Naval Aviation in 2008. Brought to you by BVR Productions. Support this podcast at — https://www.pat...

In the early 2000s, Tesla upended the automotive industry with its ground-breaking electric vehicles and recharging network. Twenty years later, Boom Supersonic is attempting to do the same in the airline industry—will it work? On this episode, Tristan Brandenberg and Nick Sheryka join guest host Ken Katz to discuss Boom Supersonic's ambitious initiative to return supersonic airline travel, includ...

Manchester. Lancaster. Lincoln. Lancastrian. York. Tudor. Shackleton... To most, this is simply a list of obscure names. But to some, these are the beloved branches of a family tree of bombers, airborne early warning, and maritime reconnaissance aircraft that extends from World War II well into the Cold War. On this episode, Mr. Graham Barber explains the Avro Lancaster family tree, culminating in...

On Future War is a 12-part series exploring the evolving landscape of military strategy and defense technologies with a focus on the Indo-Pacific. On this final episode, OFW series host Scott "Roger" Chafian and guest Mike Roundtree discuss how artificial intelligence and machine learning figure in escalation and de-escalation of conflict. Beyond military forces increasing their readiness, escalat...

Few aircraft earn the battle-tested distinction of singularly turning the tide of entire theaters of world wars. The SBD Dauntless may just be one of them. On this episode, Robert Harris, member of the Commemorative Air Force, and author Kevin Miller provide a tag team review of this venerable aircraft, from its pivotal role in World War ll in the Pacific to flying one of the few remaining airwort...

Longtime listeners of this channel sometimes comment that they seem to know more about each guest than they do the usual host, Jell-O. On this episode, guest host Paul "Tremors" Tremelling turns the tables and interviews Jell-O about his new book, Through the Yellow Visor, an Amazon Best Seller chronicling his life and career. Physical and e-book versions of Through the Yellow Visor can be purchas...

What is the difference between automation and autonomy, and where does artificial intelligence fit in when it comes to military aviation? On this episode, Ms. Jessica "STING" Peterson, Ph. D. student and part time Instructor Flight Test Engineer at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, explains the nuanced differences, drawing on her experience flight testing the RQ-4 Global Hawk and collision avo...

The Boeing Bird of Prey was a mid-1990's stealth technology demonstrator used to test low-observable stealth techniques and develop new methods of aircraft design. The recent F-47 sixth generation fighter, which will be a Boeing product, is thought to trace its lineage to the BBoP. This episode features retired U.S Air Force and Boeing Corporation test pilot Doug "Benj" Benjamin, originally record...

Armed conflict is challenging enough, but when the very battlefield is a more significant threat than the enemy, the stakes are significantly raised. On this episode, US Air Force LtCol Jahara "Franky" Matisek and retired US Coast Guard LCDR Jeremy McKenzie explain how military operations in the Arctic present unique challenges. Temperatures well below freezing not only make basic survival a strug...

On Future War is a 12-part series exploring the evolving landscape of military strategy and defense technologies with a focus on the Indo-Pacific. On this penultimate episode, OFW series regulars Scott "Roger" Chafian and Mike "Pako" Benitez discuss how big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are collectively changing not only our lives on a near-daily basis, but influencing armed...

The F-35B Lightning ll is an aircraft like no other—going from a short takeoff to a supersonic dash to hovering in midair, all in seconds. And in the hands of a proficient US Marine Corps pilot, not only does this ability ensure winning in combat, it amazes at airshows. On this episode, Marine Majors Craig "Brembo" Norris and Craig "Chuckles" Turner explain the STOVL F-35 variant and how they fly...

Most military members spend their careers enmeshed in their own branch with scant exposure to their sister services. Not Judge. Jim "Judge" Dresner, originally a Royal Marine has been trained by, operated in, and/or deployed with the Royal Navy and Air Force, the British Army, and even the U.S. Marine Corps during his illustrious career flying helicopters to jump jets. His is a story of interopera...

On Future War is a 12-part series exploring the evolving landscape of military strategy and defense technologies with a focus on the Indo-Pacific. This tenth episode explores the vulnerability of computer chip manufacturing. With over 98% of logic and memory chips fabricated in just two countries, both located in the Indo-Pacific region, what happens if the supply of these chips is threatened? How...