Behind the Wings

The First Woman Thunderbirds Pilot - Episode 51

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Retired F-15 and F-16 fighter pilot Nicole Malachowski tells us about flying 18 inches off the wings of high-speed jets as a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird.


Welcome to Season 6 of the Behind the Wings podcast! In this episode, Nicole takes us through her groundbreaking journey as the first woman to become a Thunderbird pilot. She discusses her combat missions, flying in airshows, her WASP connection, and how a tick-borne illness changed her life forever. There is a lot to learn!

Resources:

  • Nicole Malachowski's Website 
  • Nicole Malachowski's Bio (Wikipedia) 
  • The Thunderbirds' Website
  • The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (Air Force History Fact Sheet)

Chapters:

  • (00:00) - Intro
  • (01:23) - F-15 vs. F-16
  • (02:22) - Early Interest in Aviation
  • (03:26) - USAFA
  • (04:42) - The Ban on Women In Combat Jets
  • (06:38) - Flying the F-15 and F-16
  • (09:06) - Combat Missions
  • (13:50) - Thunderbirds Admission
  • (17:58) - Thunderbirds Training
  • (21:33) - Combat vs. Thunderbirds
  • (24:02) - Audience Interaction
  • (27:34) - Tick-Borne Illness
  • (32:57) - The Wounded Warrior Program
  • (34:12) - WASP Connection
  • (36:55) - The Future of Veteran Medicine
  • (39:21) - Nicole's Legacy
  • (40:42) - Nicole's Advice
  • (41:45) - Outro

    • ...more
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