Fighter Pilot Podcast

Surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, are sometimes also called "flying telephone poles" because of their sheer size. ...whatever you call them, these deadly weapons are widely proliferated and credited with downing hundreds of allied aircraft since their first widespread use during the Vietnam conflict.

On this episode, U.S. Navy Captain and former TOPGUN instructor Thomas "Jethro" Bodine concludes our two-part series on surface-to-air threats with a look at SAMs. We cover types, guidance methods, and countertactics before Jethro regales us with a story of the harrowing night he dodged several SAMs over Iraq in the F/A-18F Super Hornet's combat debut.

Guest cohost "Crunch" returns from last week's AAA episode to help explain SAMs and answer listener questions on survival suits, military—civilian pilot certificate equivalency, and low level routes.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at the MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.

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Buck Wyndham was a junior Air Force pilot when Operation Desert Storm kicked off in early 1991. Learn of his harrowing missions which are chronicled in his new book Hogs in the Sand.

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Anti-aircraft artillery. Air defense artillery. Flak. Ack ack. ...whatever you call it, there is no dispute that the firing of guns, cannon, and artillery at aircraft is a significant threat to said aircraft. Add to that the simplicity, reliability, and proliferation of these weapons and suddenly you have a real concern for military forces.

On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Captain and former TOPGUN Surface-to-Air Threat and Countertactics subject matter expert Craig "Crunch" Snyder begins a two-part series on such threats with a look at AAA--what it is, the various projectiles, the types of fire, and more.

Cohost "Boat" offers a U.S. Air Force perspective on the subject and helps answer listener questions such as military pilot career progression, the muscle memory challenges associated with returning from an aircraft carrier deployment, nuclear strike in fighter squadrons, and future episode suggestions.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at the MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.

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A short discussion with Dave "Bio" Baranek on his latest book: Tomcat RIO, a Topgun Instructor on the F-14 Tomcat and the Heroic Naval Aviators Who Flew It.

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You might think that by now, in the early 2020's — with advanced satellites and unmanned aerial systems so prolific — that we wouldn't need to go through all the trouble of spending days preparing a pilot for a manned spy mission in the upper reaches of our atmosphere wearing what amounts to an astronaut suit in a plane that enjoys only a few knots between stalling and over speeding. Think again.

On this episode, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Michael "Lips" Phillips explains why the 60-year-old Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady remains in such high demand today, often times being tasked at the highest levels of government. As an aircraft series episode, Lips discusses the variants, armament (or not), and performance of this aircraft while also describing what it was like to fly, which began a day before the mission.

Past guest Tra "Fish" Calisch returns as cohost and helps answer listener questions on how search and rescue missions are initiated, whether Air Force aircraft could land on a carrier (they do have tail hooks, after all), and what sounds F/A-18 crews can hear in the jet when on an aircraft carrier flight deck.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at the MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.

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Few aircraft elicit such reverence and respect as those that can be counted on to respond at a moment's notice when a downed aviator or embattled ground unit cried for help. In the Vietnam conflict, the aircraft that provided hours of on-station time with dozens of weapons stations, and was responsible for saving hundreds of lives, was none other than the venerable Douglas A-1 Skyraider.

On this episode, former U.S. Air Force captain George Marrett joins us to cover the usual 'aircraft series' topics and goes deep on the Skyraider's "Sandy" mission in Vietnam, having flown nearly 200 such missions himself. George's extensive experiences are expertly captured in his many books on everything from the Sandy missions to test piloting and even Howard Hughes, which was adapted for the feature film, The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Learn more about the Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles, CA here.

Mr. Paul Wood of the Warbird Heritage Foundation returns this week as guest co-host to describe flying his Skyraider and helps answer listener questions on rain intrusion in the cockpit, FOD concerns for jet engines, and service wings insignia.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at the MuscleCarPlace Podcast Network.

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Threats to military forces and infrastructure come from overt enemy actions, terrorist acts, and training accident, but mother nature poses a threat too. Packing the energy of dozens of nuclear weapons, a hurricane destroys almost everything in its path--whether military or civilian. And like any other threat, a clear understanding of the "enemy" is necessary.

On this episode, Lt Col (select) Mark Withee and Capt Garrett Black, both of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and members of the 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron based at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, join us to describe the nuances of flying into destructive storms to glean as much information about the storm's path and propensity to intensify. Far from haphazardly flying through a storm, the Hurricane Hunters' specially-modified WC-130 Hercules is perfectly suited for the mission.

Guest cohost Becky Shaw returns to the show to describe NOAA's hurricane flying and answer listener questions such as the impacts of weather on flying close air support, the firing of actual missiles in training, and the etymology of the word "pickle" in releasing air-to-ground stores.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at the MuscleCarPlace Podcast Network.

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A brief discussion on the American Volunteer Group with Sam Kleiner, author of Flying Tigers, The Untold Story of the American Pilots who Waged a Secret War Against Japan.

If you enjoy reading military aviation history, you'll enjoy this great book.

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Martin "Opus" Richard was a Massachusetts ANG F-15 pilot on September 11, 2001. Most of us are familiar with the events of that day and the thousands of lives lost, but what was it like for fighter pilots whose mission it was to stand alert and respond to threats against our nation? Opus reflects on this and the larger meaning of that fateful day.

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We're taking a break after cranking out four episodes for Army Aviation Month in August. Instead, former Air-to-Air Weapons guest and occasional cohost Trevor "Boat" Boswell returns to help clear out some of the many listener questions that accrued.

Ever wonder about Mode 1 carrier landings, what pilots eat before extended overwater flights, and whether military aircraft distress frequencies? All that and more is here in this intermission episode...

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