Fighter Pilot Podcast

Anyone who watched early superhero shows years ago recalls opening scenes where bystanders gawking skyward exclaim, “Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird!… "It’s a plane! "It’s…” (…of course, we all know: it’s Superman!).

But when the subject of today’s episode blasts overhead, folks might similarly cry, “it’s a fighter!...” “It’s a deep interdictor striker!...” “It’s a reconnaissance craft!” …Well, which is it?

On this episode, retired Royal Air Force flight lieutenant Cameron Mckay (and his alter ego, “Dangerman”) joins us to explain that the Panavia Tornado is all of those, and so much more. Jointly designed by the UK, Italy, and—at the time, West Germany, the Tornado admirably served these three nations and Saudi Arabia for over four decades, seeing action in numerous armed conflicts. Today, the aircraft is on its way to retirement but the “Fin,” as aircrew lovingly referred to it, is still a favorite.

During the listener question segment Jell-O discusses F/A-18 angle of attack probe contingencies, mission specialization among U.S. Navy and Marine Corps VFA squadrons, and ‘newbie’ yellow shirt considerations.

Opening audio taken from an actual Tornado strike on an Iraqi airfield during the 1991 Gulf War. Bumper music by Jaime Lopez announcements by Clint Bell Productions.

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They say "fighter pilots make movies while attack pilots make history." So, what happens when a former attack pilot writes a book—his first ever—that so accurately and engagingly captures Vietnam combat operations that it ends up on President Reagan’s desk before soaring up New York Times’ best seller charts? That’s right, they make a movie out of it.

On this episode, the Fighter Pilot Podcast is honored to host world renowned author and retired U.S. Navy Reserve Commander Stephen “Cooter” Coonts. With nearly 50 aviation-themed books to his credit—including his out-of-the-gate runaway success, Flight of the Intruder—Mr. Coonts not only regales the listeners with how he came to be such a prolific writer but continues us along our aircraft series with a detailed explanation of the Grumman A-6 Intruder.

At the end of the discussion Mr. Coonts offers a sneak peek into what projects he is working on next, including a diversion from his typical fictional accounts for his latest work, Dragon’s Jaw, due out May 14, 2019 and available here.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell.

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The US Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Blue Angels, has amazed audiences with incredible aerial performances since their debut in 1946 flying the propeller-driven F6F Hellcat. In the 73 years since, the team transitioned to the Bearcat and then jets including the Panther, Cougar, Tiger, Phantom II and Skyhawk. For the last 33 years the team has operated the Hornet. With each new aircraft comes several changes—seen and unseen—not just to their routine but how contingencies are handled.

On this episode, U.S. Navy Captain Ryan “Little Guido” Bernacchi joins us to discuss the ongoing efforts to transition the team to their future aircraft: the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. As the Blue Angels commanding officer during the 2016 and 2017 show seasons, Little Guido is uniquely suited to lead the effort that involves numerous Naval Aviation Enterprise stakeholders and hundreds of simulator hours to prepare the maneuvers and in-flight contingency plans. With an appreciation of the immense behind-the-scenes efforts required, you may never again watch a Blue Angels performance in quite the same way.

Due to the longer interview, no listener questions were addressed on this episode. Bonus segments of cohost Sunshine’s interview with Little Guido are available on our Patreon page.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell.

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The Sopwith Camel, P-51 Mustang, F-86 Sabre, and F-4 Phantom II may all be the quintessential fighters of their era, from World War I through the Vietnam conflict. And from Desert Storm to today, few would dispute the aircraft that most deserves to join such an esteemed group is none other than the General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 Fighting Falcon—better known as simply, the Viper.

On this episode, retired U.S. Air Force Reserve Colonel Mike “T-DAY” Torrealday, who amassed over 4,000 flight hours in nearly every block and variant of the Viper over a 29-year career, joins us to discuss this amazing fighter as a continuation of our ‘aircraft series.’ T-DAY describes the many variants, flight envelope, ordnance inventory, and so much more. Read about the F-16N here.

During the listener question segment, we discuss wristwatches, multi-mission aircraft versus specialized aircraft, and dogfighting the F/A-18 versus other ‘teen’ fighters.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell.

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BRRRRRRTTTTTT!!!

The sound of an aircraft cannon firing is simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying, depending on which side of the barrels a person finds themselves. And while most combat aircraft have featured guns and cannons since the dawn of aerial battle, no aircraft is more known for its gun—or respected for it—than the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II and it’s tank-busting 30mm GAU-8 Avenger cannon.

On this episode, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Luke “Supa” Fricke joins the show to discuss the purpose-built Warthog—as the pilots affectionately refer to it—and answers all our usual questions featured in the ongoing ‘aircraft series.’

During the listener questions segment, we discuss aircraft carrier alert postures, officer-enlisted relationships, and the rudder’s importance in ACM.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell.

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We've been cranking out quite a bit of content lately and need to take a little time off while the kids are on spring break.

So for this week's episode, Sunshine and Jell-O banter a bit before answering a few listener questions. We end with an edited replay of Jell-O's January 9, 2019 appearance answering yet more listener questions on the show Aircrew Interviews.

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Everyone recognizes the F-14 as the star of the 1986 hit movie Top Gun, but few can readily identify the Western fighter that acted as the Tomcat’s nemesis—a role it was perfectly suited for and still performs for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps today.

On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Reserve Commander Paco Chierici joins us to describe how the Northrop F-5 began life in the 1950’s as the ‘Freedom Fighter’ but became and is now known as the Tiger II, still flying 60 years later as a capable adversary aircraft. Paco—the mastermind behind the naval aviation documentary Speed & Angels and author of the novel, Lions of the Sky—not only answers our standard ‘aircraft series’ questions but goes on to tell us about the time he was involved in an F-5 mishap that nearly cost him his life.

During the listener question segment, Jell-O and Sunshine opine on why a bachelor’s degree is a requirement to be a military pilot and who would have prevailed had the two of them dueled it out in the skies. Negative G limits, reasons for the Blue Angels’ flight control modifications, and entry-level pay and benefits for military pilots are also covered.

Click here to read the Flying with the Aggressors article mentioned in the interview and check out our Patreon page for bonus content with Paco.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Jim Hendershot.

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Of all the fighter planes to ever take to the sky, perhaps none is more recognized, or more revered, than the venerable Grumman F-14 Tomcat. Made popular by movies such as The Final Countdown and, of course, Top Gun—not to mention real world heroics off the coast of Libya in the 1980s and Desert Storm in the early 90s—the F-14 is no stranger to attention.

But what was it like to fly? Why is it so big? Why did the A model have one brand of engine and subsequent models another…?

On this episode, former U.S. Navy F-14 pilot and RIO crew Commander Roy “SYFH” Wylie (retired) and Captain John “Cosmo” DePree address these questions and many more—including several listener questions such as the rivalry between Tomcat and Hornet squadrons, bird strikes around the carrier, the procedures for when a weapon fails to release, and large explosions.

Bumper music by Slater Aiello of Jam & Slate. 

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The SEPECAT Jaguar, Vought F-8 Crusader, Mirage F-1, Mirage 2000, Dassault Étendard, and later the Super Étendard were all remarkable aircraft designed to do one or two missions well. But what may be most noteworthy about these aircraft is that they were all replaced by just one model: the incredibly-capable Dassault Rafale.

On this episode, we conduct our first remote interview with Lieutenant Pierre “Até” Chuet of the French Navy who phoned in from the United Kingdom to answer our standard ‘aircraft series’ questions. Até paints a remarkable picture of the one aircraft that replaced so many others and currently serves as the frontline fighter for the French Navy and Air Force, as well as export countries.

During the listener question segment, we discuss the psychology of killing in war, personal camera regulations, left-handed F-16 pilots, and overhead break permissions at the ship.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Jim Hendershot.

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Few Western aerospace design and manufacturing firms can boast an aircraft so successful that it is flown by every branch of the U.S. military, plus the Coast Guard and dozens of countries, with over 4,000 aircraft being built in dozens of configurations. No, it’s not the Lockheed C-130 Hercules or Bell UH-1 Huey. We’re talking the Sikorsky H-60 helicopter.

On this episode, U.S. Navy Commander Jeremiah "FRANK" Ragadio joins us to discuss the numerous H-60 variants, primarily the Blackhawk and Seahawk, but also the Jayhawk and Pavehawk. “FRANK,” a career Seahawk pilot currently in training to assume a leadership position in a sea-going MH-60R squadron, offers a fascinating look at not only all the H-60 variants, but its armament and performance as well.

During the listener question segment we discuss land-based Navy squadrons, S-3 radio limitations, and aircraft carrier landing F/A-18E/F weight limits & ordnance considerations.

Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Jim Hendershot.

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