Fighter Pilot Podcast

A discussion on the musculoskeletal pains flying high performance fighter jets can cause and one very simple, affordable solution to rehabilitate and strengthen neck muscles.

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In 1962 the U.S. Marine Corps issued a request for a heavy lift, ship-based helicopter capable of lifting a 4-ton payload over a radius of 100 nautical miles at a speed of over 150 knots. Boeing offered the CH-47A Chinook, which was already in service with the U.S. Army, while Sikorsky offered the S-65. The latter was selected, and after three years of tumultuous development entered service as the CH-53A Sea Stallion.

On this episode, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve LtCol Matthew “Twitch” Bauman joins us to pay homage to the family of S-65 / H-53 helicopters by discussing the one that became the backbone for the Marines and in which he accrued the most flight time: the CH-53E Super Stallion. Twitch answers our usual ‘aircraft series’ questions and even a few listener questions as he describes this beloved heavy lift helicopter and its rather unflattering nickname / mission.

Please note this episode includes some mild language. Check out the video of a Super Stallion landing with a stuck nose landing gear here.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell.

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A discussion on past, present, and future air dominance weapons with Raytheon Missiles & Defense

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Inside America’s Dysfunctional Trillion-Dollar Fighter-Jet Program (NY Times). The U.S. Air Force Just Admitted the F-35 Stealth Fighter Has Failed (Forbes). The F-35 May Be Unsalvageable (The Hill).

Are these headlines fair criticisms of the Joint Strike Fighter or simply yellow journalism? How are we supposed to know what, and who, to believe these days?

On this episode, retired Royal Canadian Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and former test pilot Billie Flynn leverages his 5,000+ flight hours in the F-16 Viper, F/A-18 Hornet, Eurofighter Typhoon, and every model of the F-35 Lightning II to offer a nuanced opinion of whether this controversial $1.6T weapon system is worth it, and how “bad” the development setbacks really are given this hyperconnected world in which we live.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell.

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Have you ever wondered what it takes to keep a 70+ year-old aircraft in the air, who funds its maintenance, or how you could be involved to help keep the legacy of the aircraft, pilots, and maintainers alive for future generations to experience? Well, wonder no more!

On this episode, Ms. Leah Block joins us to discuss the Commemorative Air Force, from where it started, to how it's structured, the aircraft on hand, and the fascinating projects in the works, both in the air and on the ground. Following Ms. Block is Mr. Moreno "Mo" Aguiari, who provides perspective as a C.A.F. member and also discusses his role at Warbird Digest magazine.

During the administrative portion of the show we offer some birthday greetings, announce a special new partnership, and answer a listener question comparing fighter and commercial aircraft navigational systems.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell.

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This time last year we heard from Martin "Opus" Richard who was airborne in an F-15 Eagle over Manhattan during the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01.

This year, on the 20th anniversary of that fateful day, we hear from Tim "Conk" Conklin of the Colorado Air National Guard who was also airborne, only in an F-16 Viper and over Denver and Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, far from the actual attacks.

While we now understand who was behind those events and the extent of their plans, the fog of war present during the early hours of the attack was almost fatal for "Bob," the unwitting general aviation pilot who took off prior to the attacks and returned only hours later to a much different world...

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The Marines—God bless 'em—have a reputation for making do with whatever equipment, weapons, and tasking that comes their way and, to their credit, usually do a damn fine job accomplishing the mission with whatever they have. This goes for Vietnam-era assault helicopters originally operated by the U.S. Army.

On this episode, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Major Travis "Jayhoon" Denny joins us to explain why the Bell AH-1 Cobra makes such an effective platform for the core Marine mission: supporting the grunts on the ground. As a Weapons and Tactics Instructor and experienced pilot in both the AH-1W and Z models, Jayhoon is well versed on the Cobra's unique capabilities and weapons systems, including the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile.

Listener questions and feedback addressed on this episode include the radars an AGM-88 HARM can target, thoughts on drones and drone pilots, and comments on our previous Tiger Cruise and A-3 Skywarrior episodes.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell.

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Last week we learned details of the mid-air collision from the F-5 crew's perspective, on episode 4 we hear from the F/A-18 flight lead, "Stickit," who lost his wingman in the mishap.

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In season one, episode two, we learn a bit more about Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada and the advanced training that takes place there with guests Guido, Sloppy, Stickit, and OTO0L.

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This month the FPP is proud to simulcast the first four shows of our new sibling podcast, The Merge. And on this first episode of the inaugural season of, we hear an overview of this season's story and then learn about the state of Naval Aviation in 2008 with retired U.S. Navy Captain Fitz "Dud" Lee.

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