10 Percent True - Tales from the Cockpit

Dave Berke, the only Marine Corps pilot to fly the F-22 and F-35, discusses 5th generation fighter technology and the F-35B.

Thanks to Authentic Media (www.authenticmedia.io) for allowing me to post this on my channel.

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0:00 Intro and welcome back Jim
0:55 “Coming down” after the Libya raid
3:30 Raiders set apart and psychology?
7:10 Avoiding inflation of ego
9:20 Test pilot school - ambition/aspiration/evaluation
15:20 Weapons school not a priority 
16:55 Evaluation flights and data points 
20:20 Variations in sample data
25:10 School 
28:05 Balance of classroom/flying and type variation and contemporaries 
39:05 Did it feel safe?
42:10 Is there a type of person that excels as a test pilot
44:30 System testing? No thanks, I want to go back
48:10 Strike Eagle
55:50 Commercial break
56:44 Testing on the 111 and AMRAAM
1:03:50 The B-1 and shooting at it!
1:10:08 Have Nap AGM-142
1:11:40 Weapons separation?
1:15:15 Did weapon testing ease the “pain” of not being on frontline / Desert Storm begins
1:19:20 Planning for a brand new fighter (F-15E) with new crews and little operational capability
1:24:40 ACE - airborne command element 
1:25:50 Back to Elgin and then “somewhere else” with a polygraph required
1:30:25 En exclusive bar in an undisclosed location
1:34:42 Will this work ever be declassified? 
1:36:00 Close calls and reflection? 
1:41:40 A promise to return and reflect on Air Force Training Command

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0:00 Intro and Jim’s background
6:18 Turning initial (F-111) disappointment into determination 
11:44 How she wants to kill you, but WSOs are good!
16:36 Arriving at Lakenheath and an overview of the F-111F
29:25 The mission
33:35 Flying heavy/the end of the world/not all pylons pivot 
38:14 Genesis of the Libya raid, accumulation of “indicators”
47:20 Stepping to the jets, time to go
49:30 The “original” small scale plan, crew selection 
54:57 An ad break we can all get behind!
55:50 Planning, involvement of actual participants, deconfliction with the Navy
1:01:40 CSAR plan?
1:03:30 Practice of long missions?
1:05:30 Deception plan
1:07:50 Planning in more detail
1:11:32 The step in more detail
1:13:36 Emotions and managing them throughout this phase?
1:16:08 Vietnam lessons passed down by vets
1:18:40 The SAM threat and mitigation? 
1:21:17 A couple of side stories before “we” drop off the tanker
1:27:01 Lights off and dropping off the tanker……
1:41:50 Downtown - approaching the target
1:45:14 Off target - delousing ship and 662kts!
1:49:01 First go pill - time to tank
1:52:22 The BBC keeping the crews company on RTB
1:54:55 Coasting in/sunrise/ national anthems
1:57:10 Handing piddle packs to the “welcoming committee”
1:59:20 Debrief and details
2:07:38 Any lasting after effects/thoughts?
2:10:10 Loss of Karma 52
2:14:25 The influence of the raid on remaining service 
2:16:20 The “red headed stepchild” lives up to the moment 
2:18:10 Why the raiders avoided any limelight

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0:00 Intro 
1:00 On today's menu…..
2:02 Timeframe for the move to VMFA-134 - swapping brand new Ds for old As and meeting the Reserves
10:51 Brown Hornets but not Aggressors
13:30 What sort of BFM competency can a reservist expect to maintain?
19:00 Sharing space with Topgun?
20:45 AF weapons instructors looking down on Marines, some tales…..
28:03 Elmendorf deployment - staying at the crackhouse, Eagle squadron arrogance and redressing the balance
4525 Lessons learned?
48:04 Comparing Eagle and Hornet in BVR 
53:45 Secret squirrel AMRAAM stuff and access to materials
59:30 Prevalence of numbers over seat of the pants in the reserves? 
1:03:40 APG-73 (D) vs APG-65 (A) practical differences?
1:10:20 AMRAAM multiple launch? 
1:14:55 Sorting “the sort” and not wasting shots
1:19:02 More on cheating (yes you were taping the bit before about bending fins on bombs) 
1:23:10 Does experience give you the ability to make the numbers without studying them and F3 strafe story. 
1:29:22 Dropping bombs 
1:38:28 A cautionary tale among the “fun”
1:42:54 Mortality coming more into the frame? 
1:46:30 What threat was training (in the marines) focussed on?
1:50:20 Key West Det
1:54:20 Any learning from missile shots?
1:57:30 Nellis/Vegas burnout
1:59:20 Tax on family life/finding balance
2:10:00 Closing thoughts, keeping in contact, reunions and a possible return

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Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh

Tug's F-4 Episodes 👇🏼

https://youtu.be/CWJd8AVS-Dk?si=OAQtR_hGJNFGP8D9

https://youtu.be/JuZV_cWQNOk?si=4v1FTDGkCRl2-23D )

0:00 Welcome back, Tug
1:25 Life beyond the Phantom & hoping for an exchange tour
5:28 What the FAC? /pre-tour apprehensions 
10:48 Purpose of exchange given Tug’s background 
15:25 initial impressions of Hornet and overview 
20:35 Phantom or Hornet?
21:55 getting the most out of the Hornet? (Jesus that was a long question!!)
27:48 AoA…….
29:40 airflow disruptions to engines at high alpha? (Don’t be such a nerd!)
33:40 avionics and ergonomics 
41:50 crew coordination 
47:08 cultural differences and calling out less able WSOs
50:25 building experience in MC aviation 
53:20 “working up” to night bombing including a strafing sortie
1:00:20 can you get comfortable with night bombing and live drops. 
1:05:15 AIM-9 shots and Marine Corps can do attitude
1:06:18 FAC-A
1:13:45 banter?
1:16:38 the best dogfighter? Hornet vs friendly contemporaries (EM Nerds look away)
1:30:30 connection to the aircraft
1:33:05 the numbers game, flying as prescribed?
1:36:10 leaving the envelope
1:43:55 any repercussions?
1:46:20 carefree handling vs not abusing it 
1:51:30 emotional steady state in fighter pilot life?
1:55:20 a story to finish “best weekend in an airplane”
2:05:05 outro and preview

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0:00 Welcome back, leaving Coningsby and the F3….
4:05 North Bay jobs
10:26 Bagotville and back to the Hornet
13:10 NATO TACEVAL
23:10 Staging to Italy for Kosovo
25:00 Planning and executing the first strike & lessons learned 
35:05 Subsequent mission
36:50 Rotating out and getting replacements up to speed
42:00 B-1 story
46:00 Target timeline and process 
51:05 IR MAV
52:20 ATO issues/frustrations
59:00 back to the B-1 guys
1:02:30 ground mapping radar
1:03:10 Serbian threat
1:10:38 Reflection on contribution 
1:12:30 Near misses
1:19:15 Losing friends 
1:21:42 Another mishap story
1:26:15 Guns on the “tennis court” - fighting Eagles
1:33:40 Radar sort considerations
1:36:05 NCTR
1:36:52 FWIC
1:42:10 Wrapping up

50 second plug for Red Eagles

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Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh

0:00 Intro and a quick sidebar on medals
2:45 Plan for today
3:35 Exchange with RAF on the Tornado F3 - how it came about/cultural differences 
11:45 F3 radar limitations/NAV quirks/witches tit
14:30 OCU
16:49 To 29 Squadron “Tripplex”
19:48 Akrotiri 
26:00 The value of exchange tour? Transfer of ideas/knowledge?
27:45 Skyflash limitations and F3 ergonomics 
31:40 F3 vs F-18 handling characteristics 
36:30 Another Cyprus story(s)
39:55 Training to engage at range but with limitations 
42:26 DACT vs Mirage 2000
44:25 Further discussion of limitations and advantages of the F3 
49:15 Eielson and Cope Thunder
58:00 Playing with Dutch Vipers 
1:00:50 Bone escort
1:02:00 Parties
1:06:25 Back to tactical flying and a stint in the Falklands
1:20:20 What was the expectation in terms of potential action in the Falklands
1:22:00 A Canadian's view of the type of flying in the Islands
1:27:40 Low level
1:33:13 BFM vs a Navy destroyer 
1:35:40 Bosnia
1:40:15 “Most interesting” Bosnia story
1:45:00 Combat trepidation/validation?
1:47:30 Trying to “see” helicopters with the radar 

50 second plug for Red Eagles

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0:00 intro & tea
2:00 “To shave or not to shave”, that is the question - intro & origins
11:13 Starting with the F-5, married or in a car crash…..
14:48 You don’t die tensed up! 
15:00 Map tricks
16:40 Looking for fast jets with an eye on the Hornet - turns out there ARE points for second place! 
19:10 F-5 a good lead-in to F-18
21:20 Attrition in training and doubts?
24:05 Fighting the F-4S
25:55 KA-3 with chicks in tow picture (lot of strange sound clipping in this section) 
29:00 F-5 and CAS (periodic sound interference continues)
33:40 A tangent 
34:10 What was the training scenario?
38:35 Expectations 
40:45 Maps, navigation and low level
44:45 Spatial disorientation, camo considerations, yellow Jags
51:30 Survival and the bear (not TU-95)
55:20 Close calls/coping mechanisms/cautionary tales 
1:01:30 Air to air F-5………to…..Hornet
1:08:25 A single pilot with much more to do….HOTAS
1:12:58 The talent pool/competition 
1:20:18 Air Canada vs 9/11 
1:23:45 Beating a Hornet with an Alpha Jet
1:27:35 DACT vs others (14/15/16)
1:30:55 Flying an aircraft (like the Hornet) with carefree handling characteristics 
1:34:00 G…
1:36:30 Institutional shift/challenges therein/carrier landings

50 second plug for Red Eagles

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Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh

0:00 Intro, an insincere apology and a sincere thank you
7:50 On today’s menu
8:10 2vs2 acquisition to prosecution including sorting and sanitising 
21:04 Maintaining position while manoeuvring 
26:45 Overmatch considerations and some trig homework
32:20 Peer adversary
41:30 The short strokes (inside 10 miles)
47:38 Beaming the APG-63?
55:20 Into the merge, switching and responsibilities 
1:06:43 Camo variations 
1:13:25 RCS/LO considerations “dance with who you brung”
1:17:55 4 vs 4 - the wall
1:43:42 Etiquette of switching (Sly cuts off Kluso)
1:46:45 Does training ever reflect or simulate the “fog of war” or the unforeseen “things that just happen”?
1:48:55 Tactics, their complexity or otherwise. Striking a balance. 
1:56:35 Sensor fusion and night ops
2:03:18 Fallout from the ‘94 Blackhawk Shootdown
2:15:40 Episode 6 is coming & a parting shot.

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