🎙️ Episode 110 – The Drone Swarm Wake-Up Call: Is the US and our Allies Ready?

Welcome to the 110th episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit show! I’m Mark Hasara, former Air Force KC-135 pilot, Weapons School graduate, and author of Tanker Pilot. For 60 years, aviation has been my world—from flying gas station in the sky to mission planning at the highest levels of command.

This episode is a battle cry.

💥 Ukraine Just Changed the Air Warfare Game Over the weekend, Ukraine launched one of the boldest moves we’ve ever seen in modern air warfare: a long-range drone swarm strike against Russian strategic air bases—some over 2,800 miles from the front lines. Hundreds of one-way suicide drones—hidden in tractor trailers, driven across borders—rained down on strategic bombers, airlifters, and AWACS aircraft sitting out in the open.

And guess what?

It worked. It was well planned, audaciously and flawlessly executed, and was a historic bookmark in air warfare! These drone attacks are a harsh warning to the rest of the world: if your aircraft are sitting in the open unprotected, they’re dead on the ramp.

🚨 America Is NOT Ready!

Here’s the hard truth—we’re just as exposed.

Our tankers, bombers, airlifters, and command-and-control platforms sit outdoors, vulnerable. We’ve allowed millions of unvetted people to cross our borders. Some are not here for the American dream. Some have a different mission. We are under attack—but not just by bombs and bullets. It’s happening across what two Chinese Air Force Colonels described as Unrestricted Warfare: 15 kinds of war with no rules, no boundaries, and no mercy. Here’s they unrestricted warfare they’re using:

Cultural - Economic - Environmental - Finacial - Illegal Drugs - International Law - Information and Media - Telecom and Networks - Political - Psychological - Smuggling - Technology - Terrorists - Gangs

What do we see every night right now and the warning posted for 14 June? Almost every one of those 15 categories of war. And remember... NO RESTRICTIONS! 

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This isn’t a story—it’s a warning order.

Listen. Learn. Act. 

And remember… Nobody Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas... NOBODY!

🎙️ EPISODE 109 – From MiG-21 to A-10 Hawg: The Incredible Journey of Lt Col Joszph “Boarat” Jonas

Welcome back to Lessons from the Cockpit, the show that brings you stories and lessons learned from aviators who've been there, done that, and brought the jet home. I’m Mark Hasara—KC-135 instructor pilot, Air Force Weapons School grad, author of Tanker Pilot, and your host for Episode 109.

This one’s going to hit you right between the afterburners.

✈️ From Opposing Forces to Brothers-in-Arms My guest is Cliff Wilson, an Air Force C-141 Starlifter driver and UPT instructor in both the T-37 Tweet and T-6 Texan II. Cliff has a powerful lesson on facing failure head-on—and how his faith changed his perspective and helped him turn setbacks into comebacks. But here's where the story really takes off! Cliff tells us about his friend—Lt Col József “Boarat” Jonas, a Hungarian-born pilot who trained to fight against us in a MiG-21 Fishbed during the Cold War.

 And now?

He flies the A-10 Warthog for the United States Air Force!

Let that sink in.

This guy served as a US Army CH-47 Chinook Crew Chief in Iraq, then fought his way through the system to earn his USAF pilot wings. Despite every door being slammed in his face, a few bold leaders gave him the shot at Air Force Silver Wings on his chest. Now he’s tearing it up in the Hawg. Lt Col Jonas has many titles now... including A-10 Instructor Pilot of the Year! This is a story of redemption, grit, and brotherhood—the kind of story that reminds you why we do what we do.

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Whether it’s $5 or $50, every bit helps keep the flight deck manned and the gear turning.

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This episode proves one thing: It doesn’t matter where you start—it matters who’s willing to fight beside you.

Until next time… Nobody Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas... NOBODY!

🎙️ EPISODE #108 – The Tanker World’s in Trouble: ARSAG, Anaconda, and Global Tensions on the Nation’s DIME

Strap in and listen up, warriors. Welcome to Episode 108 of the Lessons from the Cockpit Show. I’m Lt Col Mark Hasara, USAF (Ret.)—KC-135 pilot, Weapons School grad, Joint Specialty Officer, and your host for this mission.

I just got back from Air Refueling Systems Advisory Group or ARSAG 2025 at Planet Hollywood in Vegas—a gathering of the best and sharpest minds in global air refueling planning and operations. Senior leaders from the USAF, Royal Air Force, and RAAF, and European Military Refueling groups along with top-tier industry reps, all showed up. Thanks Air Commodore Brad Clarke from the RAAF for spending time with me and discussing what's going on in your very "busy" neighborhood!

Here’s the bottom line: The state of air refueling today? Not good.

We’re flying too few tankers with aging tech in a world that’s moving fast toward major conflict. And my largest concern is our international partners have not been cleared to refuel all aircraft in our USAF inventory. Limited resources dictate creating a collaborative system and we are still fighting the government bureaucratic inertia where interoperability and working with coalition partners is concerned.

Retired General Mike Minihan, former AMC Commander wrote an outstanding article in Defense One on the tanker gap we have now. This is a MUST READ article by the Flag Officer who knows the real story. https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2025...

New ball cap in my collection! Embraer's CEO Bosco de Costa had their new KC-390 on the ramp at Harry Reid International and of course I had to go see for myself. Congratulations Embraer for creating a magnificent mobility aircraft.

Such a cool jet!

I briefed Operation Anaconda and Shock and Awe, but we also heard updates on the future of KC-135, KC-46, and what’s left of our tanker enterprise.

Wait! There's more... With the world heating up, I’m bringing back something I used to teach at the Joint Forces Staff College—a global intel wrap-up I call “On the Nation’s DIME.” Each letter stands for a line of effort: Diplomatic Informational Military Economic In this episode, I break down major flashpoints and what they mean for warfighters, planners, and leaders—from Ukraine to the South China Sea. So grab a cold one, get comfortable, and let’s dig in.

Because the fight is coming. And it’s going to need a LOT of gas.

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Subscribe. Share. Support.

Tell a fellow aircrew member, loadmaster, or aviation nut to tune in.

And remember… Nobody Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas... NOBODY!

🎙️ Episode 107 – Hercules to Hawgs: Flying at Both Ends of the Fight with Col. Derek “Woody” Oaks.

Welcome aboard the 107th sortie of the Lessons from the Cockpit Show I’m Lt Col Mark Hasara, USAF (Ret.), KC-135 Weapons Officer and your pilot for today’s mission. I’ve flown jets, built war plans, and stayed hopelessly addicted to aviation for over 60 years.

This week?

You're in for one hell of a ride. After two attempts, we finally locked in this high-value target: Col. Derek “Woody” Oaks, a pilot who flew both ends of the Air Force spectrum—from hauling cargo in the C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III, to packing a serious punch in the A-10 Warthog. Not many can say they went from tactical airlift to tactical CAS... but Woody can. And he’s got the stories, scars, and lessons to prove it. We break down: Life in the Herc and what it takes to fly into dirt strips under fire Transitioning to the Warthog and how it changes your view of airpower Lessons in leadership, flying under pressure, and staying adaptable when missions shift fast.

This one’s pure jet fuel—don’t miss it.

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🔥 Next Week’s Mission Brief I’m flying solo next week—breaking down current events and the future of airpower: B-2s in Diego Garcia A-10s in the UAE Chaos in Yemen and the Pacific A deep dive into the F-47 NGAD and the Tanker/Mobility gap nobody’s talking about Air bridges and power projection today?

Not like Iraqi Freedom... it’s uglier.

Strap in.

Thanks for flying with me. Subscribe, share, support—help us keep telling these stories.

And remember… Nobody Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas… NOBODY!

Welcome to Episode 104 of Lessons from the Cockpit! I’m Mark Hasara, former KC-135 pilot, author of Tanker Pilot: Lessons from the Cockpit, and a lifelong aviation fanatic. For over 60 years, aviation has been my passion, and this show brings you stories from the cockpit, the mission planning room, and beyond.

This week, I sit down with Mike Ethridge, a longtime friend and fellow Air Force aviator. We met as cadets at BYU’s ROTC Detachment 855, and he went on to fly the KC-10A Extender, KC-135s and every Boeing airframe Delta Airlines has flown around the world.

What’s in This Episode? 

✈️ The KC-10 in Action – Flying the ultimate tanker, refueling everything from fighters to bombers to transports. Mike lead the KC-10 formation of F-111’s going to Libya in Operation Eldorado Canyon

⚠️ T-38 Emergency! – Mike relives a high-speed in-flight emergency that nearly ended in disaster and shares an exclusive piece of that event

🔥 Wild Receivers – The most unusual aircraft that have pulled up behind his KC-10 for gas… the Black Jet! If you love war stories, behind-the-scenes aviation insights, and lessons learned in the air, this episode is for you.

Support the Show & Grab Exclusive Aviation Art! This podcast is fueled by Wall Pilot, creators of custom aviation art. 🚀 Vinyl aircraft profiles – 4, 6, and 8-foot-long, peel-and-stick art for your home, office, or hangar 🛩️ Fighter jets, bombers, tankers, airliners – Over 158 ready-to-print designs 🎨 Custom aircraft available – Add your name, squadron, tail number, and weapons loadout 📍 Check out the full collection here: https://wallplot.com

Join the All Ranks Club – Your VIP Pass to Aviation! Want to take your aviation experience to the next level? Join my Patreon All Ranks Club, where we go beyond the podcast. 🛩️ Exclusive Perks for Members: ✅ Virtual Bar Night – Talk aviation, war stories & current events ✅ One-on-one Zoom calls – Q&A sessions and personal aviation discussions ✅ Monthly 7-inch aircraft profile stickers – Collect famous military aircraft! ✅ Access to our Aviation Discord Journal – Share debriefs, aviation memes & behind-the-scenes stories

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Next Week: Shrek Sullivan spent years in the US Marine Corps as an F-18 and F-35 pilot. Some of his most hair raising stories are from an assignment as a Forward Air Controller during the Battle of Ramadi

🚨 Subscribe now & join the All Ranks Club for behind-the-scenes content & exclusive access!

See you next week on Lessons from the Cockpit! Cleared hot!

EPISODE #105 – Marine Airpower, the Battle of Ramadi, and Flying the Beast: The F-35 and MV-22

Strap in and arm hot, folks—this one’s a burner. Welcome to Episode 105 of the Lessons from the Cockpit show! I’m your host Mark Hasara, retired KC-135 pilot, author of Tanker Pilot, and a lifelong aviation nut with over 60 years of airpower obsession.

This week, I sit down with Colonel Byron “Shrek” Sullivan, a retired United States Marine Corps airpower warrior. And trust me—this is the kind of episode that makes your hair stand up. "Shrek" is a Marine’s Marine—combat leader, airpower tactician, and the former commander of VMX-1, the Corps’ top Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron at Yuma, Arizona. He’s called in air support as a Forward Air Controller on the ground in Ramadi, and he’s led Marines flying cutting-edge aircraft like the F-35B Lightning II and the MV-22 Osprey.

🪖 On the ground or in the air, Shrek brings the thunder—and in this episode, you’ll hear: - What it's like calling in airstrikes under fire - How the Marines train to dominate the battlefield with airpower - The challenges and differences flying the F-35 vs. the Osprey - Why our enemies fear the U.S. Marine Corps and its aircraft

Support the Show & Own a Piece of Aviation History

This episode is brought to you by Wall Pilot, creators of stunning custom aviation art. 🎯 Over 158 ready-to-print vinyl aircraft profiles—WWII, Cold War, and 5th-gen jets 🎯 Printed in 4, 6, and 8-foot sizes to stick on any flat surface 🎯 Want your name on your favorite jet? We’ll design it for you! 👉 Grab your aircraft art at: https://wallpilot.com

Join the All Ranks Club – Your Hangout for Aviation Nerds If you love airplanes and war stories, the All Ranks Club on Patreon is where you belong. 

👨‍✈️ Join at Coin Holder, Designated Driver, or Buy the Bar levels, and you’ll get: ✅ One-on-one Zoom calls with me to talk planes and war stories ✅ Virtual Bar Nights to hang out, swap stories, and talk airpower ✅ Exclusive Q&A sessions to pick my brain or share yours ✅ 7-inch aviation profile stickers – dishwasher safe and collectible ✅ First dibs on our upcoming All Ranks challenge coin 🚀 JOIN NOW: https://www.patreon.com/c/lessonsfromthecockpit/membership

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Keep This Jet Flying Producing this show takes time, fuel, and gear. If you like what you hear and want to help keep it airborne:

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Every bit helps keep Lessons from the Cockpit launching new episodes every week. Next Week on the Show We’re not done with Shrek just yet. In Episode 106, Shrek is back with his good friend and fellow Marine aviator, “Liddy”, former commander of Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1). These two legends dive deep into what it means to lead, innovate, and dominate with Marine airpower.

🚨 Subscribe and join the All Ranks Club so you don’t miss it.

Thanks for listening—and as always… Nobody Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas... NOBODY!

🎧 Episode 106 – Rewriting the Rules of Marine Airpower

Welcome back to Lessons from the Cockpit! I’m your host, retired Air Force Lt Col Mark “Sluggo” Hasara—KC-135 pilot, Joint Specialty Officer, and full-throttle aviation fanatic for over 60 years.

In this episode, we finish a powerful two-part dive into Marine Corps aviation weapons, tactics, techniques, and procedures with my good friend Colonel Byron “Shrek” Sullivan. Shrek is a combat-proven pilot with time in both the F/A-18 Hornet and the F-35 Lightning II. And about halfway through the episode, we’re joined by the former Commander of Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One—better known as MAWTS-1. These two Marines didn’t just fly jets. They rewrote how the Corps fights from the air. From the deserts of Yuma to forward air bases around the world, they explain how new aircraft like the F-35 and the MV-22 Osprey forced a total rethink of Marine air tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how real innovation happens in the military—by combat aviators in the fight. If you love the sound of jet engines, joint warfare, or just hearing how the world’s best warfighters sharpen the sword, this episode is for you.

🛫 Fuel the Flight Deck – Join The All Ranks Club Want more content like this? Help keep the podcast flying by joining our crew on Patreon! At the Coin Holder ($5), Designated Driver ($15), or Buy the Bar ($50) levels, you'll get: Private Zoom calls to talk airframes, war stories, or whatever you want. Group Q&As—dig deeper into the world of military aviation. Virtual Bar Nights—grab a cold one and swap stories with fellow flyers. A pack of ten exclusive 7-inch aircraft stickers (yes, they’re dishwasher safe). Early input on our custom All Ranks Club challenge coin—be part of the design team! 👉 Join here https://www.patreon.com/c/lessonsfromthecockpit/membership

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🎨 This show is supported by Wall Pilot—Aviation Art You Can Stick Anywhere Our sponsor Wall Pilot creates stunning vinyl artwork of your favorite aircraft—P-51 Mustangs, F-4 Phantoms, MiG-21s, F-22s, and more—printed on vinyl in 4, 6, or 8-foot lengths that peel and stick to any flat surface. There are 158 ready-to-print profiles available now at wallpilot.com, or we’ll design a custom print with your name on the canopy rail of your dream jet. Perfect for your office, hangar, or man cave—order 2 or 3 today! https://wallpilot.com

🎙️ Next Week’s Mission: CAS and CSAR with an A-10 Thunderbolt II or "Hawg Driver" Coming up next, we go deep into Close Air Support and Combat Search and Rescue with Colonel Derek “Woody” Oaks. Woody flew C-130s and C-17s before crossing over into the A-10 Thunderbolt II—the legendary Hawg. He commanded a squadron, ran an Ops Groups, and brings decades of insight into saving troops on the ground. 

Don’t miss it.

Until then... remember — Nobody Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas… NOBODY!

Welcome to the ninety-fifth episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit Show! I am your host Mark Hasara, former KC-135 pilot and Airplane Nerd!

I’m really excited to bring this episode to you! Air Mobility Command's Command Chief Master Sergeant Jamie Newman and I met at the Airlift Tanker Association convention in Dallas earlier this year. Coming up through the Air Force Security Police ranks, Command Chief Newman was not only selected to become an elite Air Force Phoenix Raven, but go through the Army’s grueling Ranger School returning later as an instructor at Fort Benning! Command Chief Newman shares with us his leadership lessons at the cutting edge of battle from the land, sea, or air.

A note of gratitude to all of you as the ‪@MarkHasara‬ YouTube page passed 201k subscribers last night and views of my podcast and shorts are now over 145 million views since we started on 2 February 2024! 

Support the Lessons from the Cockpit show by subscribing to the @markhasara YouTube channel or better yet, join my Patreon group at the All Ranks Club. Membership ranges from free to $50 a month. Those of you joining at the Designated Driver ($15) and By The Bar ($50) tiers enjoy virtual Bar Night Live and Q&A sessions via Zoom, your questions go to the top of the list, and each month receive one of ten seven inch stickers, a profile drawing of a famous aircraft you can peel off and stick to any flat surface like a water bottle or laptop. The link to join the All Ranks Club on Patreon is:

https://www.patreon.com/lessonsfromthecockpit/gift

You can see all ten stickers on the All Ranks Club Discord channel, my daily journal on aviation at:

https://discord.com/channels/1285369634329202840/1288163956246057071

If you want to financially support the Lessons from the Cockpit show by just contributing to help keep us going the PayPal link is:

https://paypal.me/MRHSolutionsLLC?locale.x=en_US

Or on Venmo at https://account.venmo.com/u/Mark-Hasara

Thank you for making this channel what it is! I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Welcome to the Lessons from the Cockpit Show and episode number ninety-four! I’m your host retired Air Force KC-135 pilot Lieutenant Colonel Mark Hasara and my passion is everything aviation!

This episode is unique!

I’ve known this incredible artist for years through LinkedIn and Facebook and thought it would be cool to have him explain how he accomplishes his craft. He is a fellow aviation artist but in a league and class by himself. Aviation artist Wade Meyers tells us his story of how he fell in love with airplanes but later in life made a career change and now draws and paints aviation subjects for a living. And they are fantasic! The best part is Wade tells us how he picks his subjects and does the research for his artwork. 

Your favorite aviator would love one of Wade Meyers pieces of artwork for Christmas and you can purchase them from his website at Wade Meyers Studios. 

Wade mentioned he is on Facebook at Wade Meyers Studios. 

Or on his LinkedIn page at Wade Meyers Studios. 

A note of gratitude to all of you as the  @MarkHasara YouTube page surpassed 201k subscribers last night and views of my podcast and shorts are now over 145 million since we started on 2 February 2024! I'm so grateful to all of you for supporting my channel!

Support the Lessons from the Cockpit show by subscribing and becoming a member of my Patreon page and joining the All Ranks Club! Members joining the Designated Driver and By The Bar tiers will each month receive one of our new seven inch stickers! My All Ranks Club Patreon page is at Lessons from the Cockpit.

There are ten famous aircraft stickers which peel off and stick to any flat surface. You can see all ten stickers on the All Ranks Club Discord channel, my daily journal on aviation here. 

We are working on eighteen more for next year... and this is a teaser!

If you want to financially support the Lessons from the Cockpit show by just contributing to help keep us going on my PayPal or Venmo.

Thanks you for making this channel what it is! I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Welcome to Episode #92 of the Lessons from the Cockpit show! I’m your host Mark Hasara, retired KC-135 pilot and Weapons Officer.

I met Colonel Barrett “Scooter” Golden recently at the 2024 Airlift Tanker Association convention in Dallas. Scooter is a long time C-130 pilot and also a graduate of the C-130 Weapons School. During an off station trainer Scooter and his crew were told by the Special Tactics Team on the ground his aircraft did not come off the Red Devil Assault Strip intact. An iPhone photo texted to him from his wingman confirmed his situation not covered in the Pilot Manual Emergency Procedures.

Coloonel Golden's Instagram is:

https://wallpilot.com/product/c-130h-hercules-arkansas-air-national-guard/

And his website is at:

https://www.scootergolden.com/

This episode is financially supported by Wall Pilot, custom aviation art for the walls of your home, office, or hanger. These four, six, and eight foot long profile prints of famous aircraft peel off the vinyl and can be stuck on any flat surface. There are 152 Ready-to-Print profiles of famous aircraft from P-51 Mustangs and Me-109s to fifth generation fighters like the F-22 and F-35. Wall Pilot can also draw your favorite aircraft with your name on it, your favorite unit and weapons load on any profile print. Go to https://www.walllpilot.com to order several of these highly detailed aircraft prints.

Colonel Golden has flown several versions of the C-130 to include the C-130J which his crew experienced a gear failure in. This is the C-130J Hercules of the 19th Airlift Wing Commander at Little Rock AFB.

The Arkansas Air Nationall Guard flies the oldder C-130H version of the Hercules at Little Rock AFB. This is one of thier retro WW II paint schemes they painted on the aircrafft during the 2022 Airshow Season.

This and previous episodes of the Lessons from the Cockpit podcast can be found on my YouTube channel @markhasara or any podcast host like Libsyn and Apple. Support the show by becoming a member of the All Ranks Club for a monthly fee. All Ranks Club monthly subscribers have access to drawings, stickers and Q&A sessions each week with me. Go to my Patreon All Ranks Club to join. 

Next week on the Lessons from the Cockpit show I interview a pilot that has overcome a physical issue which ten years ago would ground any pilot. He flies time sensitive cargo missions all over the US in Citation jets. Please join us next week on the Lessons from the Cockpit show!