Fighter Pilot Podcast

Bomber Month marches on with the former Rockwell (now Boeing) B-1 Lancer.

This week, retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel Chris "Wacky" Wachter joins us to talk about the bomber canceled by one president but reinstated by another in a role quite different from what was originally intended. The "Bone," which in many ways is unlike any other bomber--such as swing-wings and afterburning engines--remains a vital part of the U.S. arsenal employing a wide array of weapons in a host of missions.

Here is a link to the article regarding a "Bomber for the U.S. Navy" as mentioned during the interview.

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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Bomber Month continues with the mighty Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.

This week, Mr. Ken Katz, a former U.S. Air Force flight test engineer who literally wrote the book on the B-52, joins us to talk all about the mighty "BUFF" including the several variants, its many weapons, and most impressively--how it may end up being the first military aircraft to fly operationally for 100 years.

Episode artwork adapted by Janek Krause. 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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Here on the Fighter Pilot Podcast it's Bomber Month!

First up is the venerable Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and joining us is Mr. Mike Rowland, former curator of the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB, Warner Robins, Georgia where a B-17 is being meticulously restored. Also joining us on this episode is retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Crawford Hicks (R.I.P.), a former WW II B-17 pilot who was shot down on his 10th mission in the European Theater and held prisoner until the end of hostilities.

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Retired U.S. Navy Commander Guy "Bus" Snodgrass, former communications director and chief speech writer for Secretary of Defense John Mattis, stops by the podcast to discuss his new book, Holding the Line.

Bus will be back on the show in 2020 for an episode on Air-to-Air Mission Planning.

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There may be no more enigmatic naval aircraft than the North American A-5 Vigilante. Originally designed to be a carrier-based strategic nuclear bomber, it served primarily as an unarmed reconnaissance asset, substituting its nuclear rear-loaded payload for extra fuel tanks and collections gear.

On this episode, former Vigilante pilot Bob Jellison, retired U.S. Navy Captain (R.I.P.), joins us to describe the A-5 and his 100+ missions in it over North Vietnam. Our guest co-host Andy King (@andrewkingdrums), not a former guest or military aviator himself but a listener of the show and Vigilante aficionado, helps us further understand the aircraft. Check out his two favorite A-5 books here and here.

During the listener question segment, Andy asks host Jell-O why some navy VFA squadrons are based on the West Coast of the U.S. but deploy with East Coast air wings (and vice versa), whether he would rather fly the F4U Corsair or F6F Hellcat, and if he thinks strategically the U.S. Navy is weaker due to its insistence on using the Hornet platform for multiple roles.

Bumper announcements by Clint Bell / opening song by Jaime Lopez, closing song “Skeleton” by Reader (@readerseattle). This episode was produced by our friends at The MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.

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What is the difference between a single-ship demo team and a multi-plane demonstration squadron, like the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels? How does one get selected to perform with a demonstration team at airshows? Is it a tryout, leadership selection process, etc. and how long is a rotation?

On this episode, the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team joins us to answer these vexing listener questions. Demo pilot Major Garrett “Toro” Schmitz and crew chief Staff Sergeant Austin Dixon explain what the team is, what they do, how they differ from the Thunderbirds, and more. Be sure to follow the team on Instagram (@viperdemoteam) and Facebook to learn more and catch their next performance.

Episode 45 hero Mike “T-DAY” Torrealday returns to guest co-host this episode, adding valuable insight to the discussion and answering other listener questions such as sneezing in flight, canopy considerations in inclement weather, preflight rituals, whether an American F-14 pilot could fly an Iranian Tomcat, and more.

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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There may be no better fighter in history or currently flying than the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. Designed as an air superiority fighter to replace the F-15 Eagle, the Raptor combines advanced sensors, stealth, and exquisite flight controls and thrust vectoring into a lethal platform.

On this episode, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Terry “Stretch” Scott joins us to describe the Raptor’s amazing features, weapons, performance, and more. He also helps answer a listener question on what it’s like to fly a fighter during extended ocean crossings, often lasting 12 hours or more.

Returning to the show as a guest co-host is episode 59 star Dave “Chip” Berke, retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel and former F-22 exchange pilot. During the listener question segment, he discusses historical paradigms of aircraft design, what is included when discussing the bomb weight classes, how to handle not getting your first choice in flight school, and the difference between blue and green / brown water flight operations.

At the end of the episode we say goodbye and thank you to Sunshine, who hangs up his cohost hat as his day job demands more of his time and attention. Fair winds, shipmate!

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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Arms races have existed as long as humans have been warring, and the Cold War was no exception. In the late 1970’s the U.S. fielded the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F/A-18 Hornet air superiority fighters. The Soviet Union, meanwhile, fielded its own advanced fighter that was in many ways superior. With amazing agility, a high thrust-to-weight ratio, and a helmet-mounted sight with associated high off-boresight weapon, the MiG-29 Fulcrum was a credible opponent to the West.

On this episode, retired Indian Air Force Air Marshal Harish “Fulcrum 1” Masand phones in from Central India to describe the MiG-29 and his key role inducting the Fulcrum into the IAF. He describes the variants, weapons, and how it was so easy to fly that he was able to put on aerial demonstrations with only 20 hours of experience in the Fulcrum. Read more about Air Marshal Masand’s experience flying the MiG-29, fighting it against a Mirage 2000, and why he lovingly referred to the Fulcrum as the “Super Hunter.”

Guest co-host Darin “Wang” Chung from episode 26 joins us after the interview to describe his experiences training against Malaysian MiG-29s during one of his Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet unit deployments. There is no listener question segment on this episode.

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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The Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company is an elite Marine Corps unit tasked with coordinating various fires for their attached ground units. Tactical aviators are often chosen to lead these elements because of their unique perspective, having themselves previously supported ground forces from the air. It can be a harrowing experience for the aviators who leave the relative safety of their aircraft to slug it out in gritty ground combat, shoulder-to-shoulder with their brethren. On the other hand, it can be an experience like no other.

On this episode, retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Dave “Chip” Berke joins us to describe his time leading an ANGLICO unit during the height of fighting in Ramadi, Iraq. His exploits are described in extensive depth during his appearance on episode 69 of the Jocko Podcast, which should be considered a prerequisite prior to listening to this episode where we focus on Chip’s actual tactical control of aircraft as a ground FAC.

During the listener question segment, Jell-O and guest co-host Dave “Chili” Culpepper from episode 55, address painting “CAG birds,” the difference between aggressors and adversaries, and staying mentally firm when attempting to land on a carrier during difficult situations.

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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If someone asked you about the modern, delta-wing European fighter jet with canards, you might rightly respond, “which one?” To be sure, the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Saab Gripen all share similar features. Why is that? And how do we distinguish between them?

On this episode, German Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Lorenz “Enzo” Schaffelhofer shares how to distinguish his favorite, the Eurofighter Typhoon, from the other aircraft and why he feels it is the superior fighter. Hold on tight while we describe the amazing performance of this cutting-edge fighter and how, with a more capable missile than the AIM-120D AMRAAM, it could be even more lethal.

During the listener question segment, Jell-O and Sunshine discuss military aircraft lots versus blocks, thoughts on a choice for Canada’s CF-18 Hornet replacement, some broad ideas on how to succeed in ROTC, and differences between East and West Coast Navy squadrons.

Don’t forget to do your homework! Catch our future guest Dave “Chip” Berke’s previous appearance on the Jocko Podcast. We’ll delve into his time as a ground FAC in Ramadi, Iraq on the next episode.

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

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