Bo joins Fig & RePete to talk about what it takes to be a “RIO” – Radar Intercept Officer – in the F-14 Tomcat. He talks about training to become a tactical jet crew and the process to get there.

Bo tells of the time he spent on Wake Island after a particularly complex night emergency where the dominos kept falling and they were literally inches from disaster as their tail hook destroyed the Fresnel Lens (aka Meatball) on the aircraft carrier preventing them from coming aboard. Fortunately they were just close enough to Wake Island to divert there.

He describes how they lost aircraft and crewmen in the disastrous first two weeks of their second cruise. It’s truly a dangerous profession and we all know too many people who have paid the ultimate price serving this great nation.

He closes out talking about how close he came one night as they were joining on what they initially thought was the tanker aircraft – but it turned out to be something quite different and far more deadly had their ‘spidey-senses’ not kicked in!

Kemo joins Fig & RePete this week to tell how he decided to go into the Navy after finishing the first half of Marine Corps OCS because they offered him a seat in less than two months in flight school without needing a bachelor’s degree. That deal didn’t come without some, shall we say, “complications” though. It wasn’t until Kemo was already in the program that he realized how badly things could go if he didn’t succeed: Motivation!

Additionally, restrictions on his personal life added even more complications to the mix, but Kemo was not deterred. In fact he went on to fly the Tomcat in the same squadron as our previous guest, Nasty.

While that is a story in and of itself, Kemo performed well; so well in fact, he went on to become a Top Gun Adversary Pilot and Instructor. This put him in the cockpit for most of his career flying the F-5, F-16, and A-4 among other cool jets. Come give Kemo a listen and learn how he almost ruined his own day in the middle of a ‘roller’ fight!

This is the second half of our show with Adm. Mike “Nasty” Manazir this week. We chat about his new book, Learn How to Lead to Win: 33 Powerful Stories and Leadership Lessons. Plain and simply put: This book should be mandatory reading for any prospective officer or executive. What’s more, it is a fun read that will give a leg up to anyone who wants to better connect with the people around them and make their organization perform better.

Don’t pass up the opportunity to learn the lessons from a master who breaks down leadership into real-world examples. You don’t need to spend 8 years at sea and 36 years on active duty. You only need a few hours of your time and a willingness to be thoroughly entertained.

Aside from being entertaining and captivating, this book puts leadership techniques into easy to understand, real-life examples that work. Adm. Manazir does more than talk theory here. He has walked the walk. He learned how to humble himself and follow. He perceived when to take command and ownership well above his station when he saw the need; and saved lives. He discovered the fear and loneliness of being responsible for thousands of lives and how to keep a cool head and trust the professionals on his team.

He accomplished so much in his career because of the deeply personal connections he created in his various assignments that motivated his people to give everything they had to make the team better. Most prophetically, he describes how a good leader is one who views his position as one of service and sacrifice rather than power and authority. What I wouldn’t have given to know these things as a 22 year-old 2d Lieutenant!

In this first of two shows this week, we welcome back Adm. Mike Manazir “Nasty” to talk about his new book, Learn How to Lead to Win – 33 Powerful Stories and Leadership Lessons. You may recall two shows with him before – Here’s to Bug Roach Episode 17, and Best Job in the Galaxy Episode 18.

In this and tomorrow’s episode you will gain insight into the reason this man became a Fighter Squadron Commander, Executive Officer of a Large Deck Nuclear Carrier, Commanding Officer of the supply ship Sacramento and the USS Nimitz, and the Strike Group Commander as an Admiral aboard the USS Carl Vinson.

Listening to Nasty his genuine passion for the Sailors and Marines he led comes through loud and clear. His ability to connect with people and lead by example is only part of it. Throughout his book, it becomes clear that his approach to leadership was one of sacrifice and service rather than power and authority.

If you were the most junior Sailor in his command and he knew your name, it was NOT because you were in trouble; it was because he wanted to know more about you. He wanted to know your story and your challenges and strengths. By caring enough to know every member of his command Nasty elicited in people a genuine desire to perform their best and everyone reaped the benefits of a strong and battle-ready unit.

Laugh with us at the successes and failures that helped mold a world-class leader. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone who has others looking to them for answers. If only we’d known what is shared here; how much easier would all of our careers have been?

Come ride along with us and feel like you’re on the Blue Angels Team for the next hour. This is the last of five shows with Lawman. We recorded this in late fall, but in order not to put five shows in a row with the same guest, we held this in abeyance until now.

This is arguably the funniest of the shows with Lawman. He tells us about learning to fly the various maneuvers like the Fleur de L’is for the first time, “swapping paint” (i.e. the occasional mid-air collisions) between the Blue Angels, flying exchange shows with the Thunderbirds, how they map out a show at a new field, and the finest Sailors and Marines on the planet providing the best maintenance in the world.

Panther checked in with us this week to talk about how he knew, before going to the Naval Academy, that he wasn’t interested in flying. After spending a few frosty nights in the woods of VA in January, he quickly reconsidered his flight options.

After flight school he flew more than 100 missions in Vietnam in the A-6 Intruder with VMA-(AW)-533. He describes that time in -533 as the best job he ever had; being a squadron pilot.

After returning from Vietnam, Panther went to Naval Test Pilot school and spent a couple years developing weapons delivery tables and flying other engineering testing profiles. It was from there he was selected to go to NASA. He spent 14 years there and flew in space on four missions.

His descriptions of the training and the missions are enlightening – come listen as he describes the preparation and the missions which include many details of the process involved in launching the Hubble Space Telescope. He talked about why a fifteen minute operation took more than an hour to complete and how close they came to losing Hubble before it even powered up.

Big brains and intense training saved the day!

OAviators: Our Little Horror Story

In This Gripping Episode, We Delve Into The Harrowing Tale Of Aviators Our Little Horror Story That Unfolded During The Infamous Southwest Airlines 1380 Flight. Join Us As We Explore The Courage And Skill Displayed By The Crew In The Face Of Adversity.

The Story Of Southwest Airlines 1380 Is Not Just A Tale Of Survival But Also A Testament To The Resilience And Expertise Of The Crew. As The Aircraft Faced A Catastrophic Engine Failure, The Captain And First Officer Demonstrated Exceptional Airmanship, Bringing The Plane To Safety Against All Odds. This Episode Highlights The Critical Moments And Decisions That Defined This Aviators Our Little Horror Story.

Throughout The Video, We Also Touch Upon The Broader Theme Of Women In Aviation Story. The Captain’s Journey Is A Remarkable Example Of Breaking Barriers And Excelling In A Field Traditionally Dominated By Men. Her Story Is Not Only Inspiring But Also A Significant Part Of Aviation History.

In Addition To The Serious Moments, We Share Some Funny Aviation Stories That Provide A Lighter Perspective On The Challenges Faced By Aviators. These Anecdotes Remind Us That Humor Often Plays A Crucial Role In Dealing With High-Pressure Situations.

Connect With Us

🎬 Video Chapters
0:00:00
Introduction To Episode 35
0:05:24
Fleet Experiences And Instructors
0:10:48
Southwest Airlines Flight 1380
0:16:12
Master Aviators And Heroes
0:21:36
VAQ 34 And A7 Training
0:27:00
Overcoming Gender Bias
0:32:24
Sabotaged Bombs And Humor
0:37:48
Pink Bombs Prank
0:43:12
Handling Setbacks With Grace
0:48:36
Lessons From AOCS
0:54:00
Navigating Squadron Politics
0:59:24
Final Reflections And Gratitude
Conclusion

The Episode On Aviators Our Little Horror Story And The Events Surrounding Southwest Airlines 1380 Offers A Profound Insight Into The World Of Aviation. It Celebrates The Bravery And Skill Of Those Who Navigate The Skies, Ensuring The Safety Of Countless Passengers. This Is A Story Of Heroism, Resilience, And The Indomitable Spirit Of Aviators.

…

SouthwestAirlines1380 #AviatorsOurLittleHorrorStory #WomenInAviation #AviationStories #FlightSafety #AirDisaster #PilotHeroes #AviationHistory #EmergencyLanding #CabinCrew #AirlineSafety #AviationDocumentary #TrueStory #Survival #Aviation

We are joined by “Bonnie” who gained attention the hard way back in 2018 when she and her first officer saved the lives of 148 people after her Southwest Airlines 737 experienced an uncontained engine failure which shattered a window, fatally injuring a passenger.

Her book about that day and her life experiences which prepared her to to meet the challenges she faced that day is called Nerves of Steel. Be aware though, that Bonnie is not self-aggrandizing when she uses that title. It was coined when the EMT who examined her after the jet was safely on the ground who asked her how she could be so calm.

There is no more humble person than Bonnie. In this first of two shows with her (both to be released this week) she relates how she got into the Navy, became a flight instructor and got to the fleet where she was one of the first women to fly the F/A-18 Hornet in the US Navy. She talks about the pranks played on her and nearly having to eject just days before her wedding.

Come along with us and hear what an amazing and gracious lady Bonnie is – and hear some of what prepared her for the greatest aviation challenge of her life.

This is the second show with Dos Gringos – Trip and Snooze joined us to talk more about their music, their experiences in combat and their latest project to help veteran performers and composers get a shot at a big break without having to quit their day job first! If you’d like to help out with this worthy cause, please visit them at Operation Encore.

This is the last show of the year! Thank you for making 2022 so much fun for us. We hope you had as much fun as we did. Look forward to some great shows coming up – A hero captain who saved a severely crippled airliner with 149 souls on board; an Astronaut, a final hour with Lawman and many many more! CHECK SIX!

This week, Dos Gringos join us for some discussion about their music and their flying careers in the F-16. It was fun to learn how they became the Dos Gringos and hearing about the “Highway of Tears.”

We also chatted about their time flying Southern Watch, Op Enduring Freedom, and Op Iraqi Freedom.

We hear some of their songs during the show and some of the back stories to them. This episode is not for the easily offended!