The Afterburn Podcast #140 Dave "Chip" Berke | TOPGUN Instructor to F-35 Commander: Fighter Pilot on Humility, Ego & Extreme Ownership
Oct 26, 2025
In this conversation, Dave "Chip" Berke, a retired US Marine Corps fighter pilot and leadership instructor, shares his remarkable journey, including being the first to fly the F-35B and the only Marine to fly the F-22. He dives into the importance of humility in leadership and how ego can undermine performance. Chip recounts experiences from his time as a TOPGUN instructor and in combat, highlighting how listening and empowering others create effective leaders. He also discusses the cultural challenges of transitioning pilots to advanced fighters and the universal principles of leadership learned in combat.
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Top Gun Vs. Weapons School
- Berke contrasted Top Gun and the Air Force Weapons School: both teach fundamentals, but WIC extends longer integration training across multiple MDSs.
- Top Gun focuses on making strong small-flight leads for carrier operations while WIC trains larger-scale, multi-asset integration.
Marine As F-22 Exchange Pilot
- As an exchange at the 422, Berke became the only Marine to fly the F-22 and was fully integrated and trusted by Air Force leadership.
- He credited Trigger Vogel and others for treating him like one of their own and giving him leadership roles.
Cultural Reset For Fifth‑Gen Adoption
- Converting diverse communities into an F-35 culture required stripping legacy identities and habits, which challenged egos and traditions.
- Berke called this cultural reset one of the hardest leadership tasks during fifth‑gen integration.
