Fighter Pilot Podcast

What does it take to go from strapping into fighters to leaving Earth's atmosphere?

This week, Jameel “Chocolate” Janjua — Virgin Galactic astronaut and former U.S. and Canadian fighter test pilot — breaks down the mindset behind elite aviation, how test pilots really think about risk, and what it means to operate at the absolute edge of performance.

We follow his path from military flight test to commercial spaceflight, the lessons learned along the way, and why — even as technology accelerates — human judgment remains the final safety net. It’s a rare, inside look at a journey very few people on Earth will ever make.

Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when artificial intelligence starts sharing cockpit responsibilities?

On this episode, US Air Force Lt Col Raven “Rost” LeClair—F-35 Lightning II test pilot, squadron commander, and autonomy specialist—breaks down how AI is actually being integrated into 5th-generation fighters. We discuss what “human-machine teaming” looks like from the pilot’s seat, how trust in automation is built (and broken), and why the next leap in airpower depends more on judgment, training, and culture than raw hardware.

Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The future of airpower is not decided in the cockpit—it’s decided by the acquisition process.

In this episode, U.S. Air Force Colonel Tim “Ivy” Spaulding joins new FPP host Tucker “Cinco” Hamilton to break down modern aviation acquisition from a fighter pilot’s perspective. They explore why innovation so often struggles to reach the flight line, how risk and incentives become misaligned, and what it really takes to deliver capability at speed.

This candid conversation dives into trust, culture, and people—why acquisition works when operators, engineers, and decision-makers are aligned, and why it fails when they’re not.

Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Fighter Pilot Podcast!

This trailer describes who this show is from, who it's for, and what it's all about. Be sure to check out our website and for exclusive content, subscribe to our Patreon Page.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X. To connect with us, email: [email protected].

Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look back at 2025 and introduction to 2026's new FPP host in this end-of-year wrap up episode.

Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Near the end of each year, we feature the hard working men and women of NORAD who tirelessly monitor threats all year long and then, on December 24th, add the mission of tracking Santa.

Enjoy this 2022 rebroadcast on the NORAD Santa Tracker program featuring then-U.S. Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, the NORAD and NORTHCOM Senior Enlisted Leader.

Merry Christmas from all of us here at the Fighter Pilot Podcast.

Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few companies in aviation history can claim an average of one new aircraft flown every year for four decades. Enter Scaled Composites.

Founded in 1982 by legendary designer Burt Rutan, Scaled Composites specializes in designing, building, and flight-testing proof-of-concept, prototype, and milestone-achieving aircraft—often pushing the edge of what’s thought possible.

On this episode, Scaled Composites President Greg Morris and engineering test pilot Justin Gillen pull back the curtain on this extraordinary organization. They explain how Scaled safely develops and flies so many radically different aircraft, why real-world flight test is far more disciplined than Hollywood would have you believe, and what it takes to turn bold ideas into first flights.

Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re opening the vault for another Happy Hour—this one from 2021 with retired U.S. Navy Captain Matthew “Tom” Maxwell.

Tom flew numerous World War II– and Korean War–era aircraft from carriers around the world before eventually finding his way into his favorite platform: the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior. In the “Whale,” he famously saved a fuel-starved F-8 by breaking the rules and refueling the Crusader over North Vietnam, getting the pilot safely back “feet wet.”

He was also aboard USS Oriskany during the devastating October 1966 fire that claimed the lives of 44 sailors. Tom captured these stories and many others in his memoir Grandfather’s Journal: A Grandson’s Journey into His Grandfather’s Life, a short and delightful read naval aviation aficionados will enjoy.

Sadly, Tom passed away a year after this Happy Hour originally aired and now rests at Arlington National Cemetery.

Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We close out our month-long tribute to the Marine Corps’ 250th birthday with a special replay of a 2021 Happy Hour conversation featuring Lieutenant General Richard E. Carey.

Across nearly four decades in uniform, General Carey rose from enlisted grunt to three-star general, serving everywhere from the Inchon landings and Chosin Reservoir to the skies over Vietnam. He went on to amass more than 9,000 hours in every fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft the Marine Corps flew. Yet what stands out most is his quiet warmth and the timeless wisdom he shared—like sitting down with a beloved grandfather who’s seen it all.

General Carey passed away in early 2025 and now rests in the very cemetery he once helped establish. Rest in peace, General Carey. And Semper Fi, Marines.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our monthlong celebration of the US Marine Corps' 250th birthday continues this week with retired Lieutenant Colonel Isaac "Whiskey" Lee who spent a 20-year career flying CH-53E Super Stallions.

Veteran of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Weapons & Tactics instructor...Whiskey chronicles hard-fought lessons learned and personal vulnerabilities in his book, Hangar 4: A Combat Aviator's Memoir. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices