The Fighter Pilots' Guide to Living

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guests are four outstanding veterans who took part in Task Force 20, the set of daring missions that comprised the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. Keith 'Grumpy' Kimberly, Michael 'Tung' Peterson, and Jim 'Puck' Howe were among the U.S. Navy F-14 aviators hand-picked by Dan 'Darth' Cain for a series of close...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guests are four outstanding veterans who took part in Task Force 20, the set of daring missions that comprised the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. Keith 'Grumpy' Kimberly, Michael 'Tung' Peterson, and Jim 'Puck' Howe were among the U.S. Navy F-14 aviators hand-picked by Dan 'Darth' Cain for a series of close air support missions in 2003 Ira...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John 'Coach' Bradley. In the third and final episode about his military career, John talks about his transition to the F-16, the impact of 9/11 on his career, the development of his Afghanistan nonprofit, and the lessons of leadership that his career imparted About Lt. Gen. Bradley:General Brad...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John 'Coach' Bradley. In the second episode about his military career, John talks about his T-38 training years and the wide expanse of aircraft he flew in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, including the A-37, A-10, F-4, and F-16. About Lt. Gen. Bradley:General Bradley retired from the United States...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John 'Coach' Bradley. In the first episode about his military career, John talks about the experience of losing his brother during a flying accident, and his own journey into aviation, including his year flying the A-37 doing CAS missions in the Vietnam War. About Lt. Gen. Bradley:General Bradl...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Mark 'Sluggo' Hasara. In the fifth and final episode about his military career, Sluggo talks about standing up the Tanker Weapons School, and how the school took off after an alarming setback early in the process. About 'Sluggo'Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Mark Hasara is a veter...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Mark 'Sluggo' Hasara. In the fourth episode about his military career, Sluggo talks in detail about operating during Desert Storm in Iraq, including supporting the F-117 strikes on Baghdad. He also discusses the unique aspects of being LDS as an aviator. About 'Sluggo' Retired Air Force...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Mark 'Sluggo' Hasara. In the third episode about his military career, Sluggo talks in detail about operating during the Cold War to fuel possible nuclear missions. About 'Sluggo'Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Mark Hasara is a veteran of four wars and a KC-135 air refueling expert...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Mark 'Sluggo' Hasara. In the second episode about his military career, Sluggo talks about how systems had to be revised to suit the warfighting of Desert Storm and the Global War on Terror. About 'Sluggo'Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Mark Hasara is a veteran of four wars and a KC...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Mark 'Sluggo' Hasara. In the first episode about his military career, Sluggo talks about training to be a KC-135 pilot and training other tanker pilots how to work with the U.S. Navy and his work amending tanker operations to support post-Cold-War operations. About 'Sluggo'Retired Air F...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Commander Jerry 'Ribit' Merritt. In the third and final episode about his military career, Ribit takes us through his time in the adversary squadron flying all manner of fighters, his final tour on the Ike, and transitioning to the airlinesAbout 'Ribit'Jerry Darious Merritt attended North Carolina Wesleyan Uni...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Commander Jerry 'Ribit' Merritt. In the second episode about his military career, Ribit takes us through his time in the F-14 Tomcat, flying in airshows, making sure he had great RIOs, and never, ever going low (except that one time...)About 'Ribit'Jerry Darious Merritt attended North Carolina Wesleyan Univers...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Commander Jerry 'Ribit' Merritt. In the first episode about his military career, Ribit takes us through his time as a pilot in the F-8 Crusader during the Vietnam War before discussing a USAF exchange tour and his transition to the F-14 Tomcat. About 'Ribit'Jerry Darious Merritt attended North Carolina Wesleyan University fro...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Lieutenant Commander Jon 'Hooter' Schreiber. In the fifth and final episode about his military career, Hooter talks about his transition into the civilian world and the fighter culture that is so much a part of aviation. Does anyone else think the carrier smells like bean soup? About 'Hooter'Jon 'Hooter&#3...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Lieutenant Commander Jon 'Hooter' Schreiber. In the fourth episode about his military career, Hooter tells stories about his time in the F-14 Tomcat. About 'Hooter'Jon 'Hooter' Schreiber commissioned from AOCS and received his wings in July 1979. He first flew the F-4 Phantom in VF-121 out of Fighterto...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Lieutenant Commander Jon 'Hooter' Schreiber. In the third episode about Hooter's military career, we discuss his transition to being an instructor pilot in the TA-4J after flying the F-4 Phantom. We also cover his later transition to the F-14 Tomcat. About 'Hooter'Jon 'Hooter' Schreiber commissione...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Lieutenant Commander Jon 'Hooter' Schreiber. In the second episode about Hooter's military career, we discuss flying the F-4 Phantom during the Cold War, when trawlers followed the boat and Alert 5s were the norm, despite the squadron never entering a combat situationAbout 'Hooter'Jon 'Hooter' Schr...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Lieutenant Commander Jon 'Hooter' Schreiber. In the first episode about Hooter's military career, we discuss his desire to become an astronaut, and the "other worldly" experience of first flying the Phantom. About 'Hooter' Jon 'Hooter' Schreiber commissioned from AOCS and received his win...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Captain Dan 'Darth' Cain. In the fifth and final episode about Darth's amazing career, we talk about his participation in Task Force 20, the initial foray into Iraq, and final thoughts on an incredible career. About Darth:Captain Dan Cain USN (Ret) was born in Lake City, FL. He served 6 years in the United States...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Captain Dan 'Darth' Cain. In the fourth episode about Darth's amazing career, we talk about his tour in Atsugi, Japan as Skipper of VF-21, the Fighting FreelancersAbout Darth:Captain Dan Cain USN (Ret) was born in Lake City, Florida. He served 6 years in the United States Marine Corps with a Vietnam tour in 1966-1...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Captain Dan 'Darth' Cain. In the third episode about his illustrious career, we talk about life aboard the carrier in the days when your state room could hold a water bed, a margarita machine, and chips. About Darth:Captain Dan Cain USN (Ret) was born in Lake City, Florida. He served 6 years in the United States Marin...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Captain Dan 'Darth' Cain. In the second episode about his illustrious career, we talk about his transition to the F-14 Tomcat, adventures, and Mutha. About Darth:Captain Dan Cain USN (Ret) was born in Lake City, Florida. He served six years in the United States Marine Corps with a Vietnam tour in 1966-1967. He entered...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Captain Dan 'Darth' Cain. In the first episode about Darth's career, we discuss his Vietnam War experience as a Marine Corps infantryman and his later transition to flying in the Navy. About Darth:Captain Dan Cain USN (Ret) was born in Lake City, Florida. He served six years in the United States Marine Corps with...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today, we're talking about the Maverick Act, and the news that three beloved F-14 Tomcats are being brought out of the boneyard to be returned to the public. We've brought on retired CDR Jerry 'Ribit' Merritt and retired LCDR Jon 'Hooter' Schreiber, both of whom have considerable time in the big fighter. They talk about their...

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Mike 'Magoo' McGee. In the final episode about Magoo's career flying the A-10, F-15, and F/A-18, we focus on his time in the USAF Reserves, and his participation in Operation Noble Eagle following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. We also talk about his transition out of the military, and his...