Fighter Pilot Podcast

We're taking a break this week and instead replaying portions of our summer 2020 Happy Hour discussion with retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cesar "Rico" Rodriguez, the real "only man to shoot down three enemy planes in the last 40 years" (come on, Ed Harris, pfft.)The full video discussion can be found on our found Patreon page and be sure to check out Jamie Hunter's article about Rico at The Warzone.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations

Situational awareness is a precious commodity, especially in armed conflict where the 'fog of war' invariably confuses and distracts commanders. Dedicated aerial platforms are vital to collecting the information needed to ensure warfighters have as accurate a sense of the real world as possible. For Naval Aviation, the key enabler in this regard is the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye.On this episode, former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander and Hawkeye test pilot Jonathan "Gersh" Ulbricht joins us to describe the longest consecutively serving carrier-based airplane in Navy history. And since so much of this platform's mission is based not on the pilots up front but on the flight officers inside, our former Air Intercept Communications episode 31 guest, now-Captain Alan Schiaffino returns to help us understand the Hawkeye from an NFO's perspective.Listener questions include when we might cover the B-36 Peacemaker, fighter pilot fitness, and why the F-14 Tomcat uses spoilers in lieu of ailerons. If you're into rotary-wing sure to check out The Low Level Hell Podcast.Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at the MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations

Bomber Month concludes with the North American B-25 Mitchell.This week, Larry Kelley discusses the World War II bomber that was the first to strike the Japanese homeland in the infamous Doolittle Raid of April 1942. Mr. Kelley describes all the usual 'aircraft series' topics and what it took to personally acquire the B-25J Panchito that is part of the Delaware Aviation Museum.Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at The MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations

Former U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight leaders Captains Ryan "Guido" Bernacchi and Eric "Popeye" Doyle join Fighter Pilot Podcast host Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello for a discussion on the team's transition to the Boeing F/A-18E and F-model Super Hornets following 34 consecutive years flying the F/A-18A-D Hornet.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations

Bomber Month marches on with our first foreign bomber to be featured: the Avro Vulcan.This week, retired Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Martin Withers joins us to discuss this British Cold War-era strategic bomber that found notoriety for a long-range strike on an enemy airfield in the opening hours of the Falkland Islands War. Martin was part of that strike and went on to fly a Vulcan at airshows until its final sundown in 2015.Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at The MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations

Here on the Fighter Pilot Podcast it’s once again Bomber Month!First up this year is the venerable Boeing B-29 Superfortress and joining us is Allen Benzing of the Commemorative Air Force B-29 / B-24 Squadron based in Dallas, Texas. Once an enlisted U.S. Air Force airman, Al worked his way up through civilian flying and is now a Superfortress aircraft commander and instructor for the CAF. Not only that but he knows a thing or two about the B-29's role in WW2 and shares it here with guest host Trevor Boswell.Check out the CAF's B-29 tour schedule here.Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at The MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations

Surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, are sometimes also called "flying telephone poles" because of their sheer size. ...whatever you call them, these deadly weapons are widely proliferated and credited with downing hundreds of allied aircraft since their first widespread use during the Vietnam conflict.On this episode, U.S. Navy Captain and former TOPGUN instructor Thomas "Jethro" Bodine concludes our two-part series on surface-to-air threats with a look at SAMs. We cover types, guidance methods, and countertactics before Jethro regales us with a story of the harrowing night he dodged several SAMs over Iraq in the F/A-18F Super Hornet's combat debut.Guest cohost "Crunch" returns from last week's AAA episode to help explain SAMs and answer listener questions on survival suits, military—civilian pilot certificate equivalency, and low level routes.Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at the MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations

Buck Wyndham was a junior Air Force pilot when Operation Desert Storm kicked off in early 1991. Learn of his harrowing missions which are chronicled in his new book Hogs in the Sand.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations

Anti-aircraft artillery. Air defense artillery. Flak. Ack ack. ...whatever you call it, there is no dispute that the firing of guns, cannon, and artillery at aircraft is a significant threat to said aircraft. Add to that the simplicity, reliability, and proliferation of these weapons and suddenly you have a real concern for military forces.On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Captain and former TOPGUN Surface-to-Air Threat and Countertactics subject matter expert Craig "Crunch" Snyder begins a two-part series on such threats with a look at AAA--what it is, the various projectiles, the types of fire, and more.Cohost "Boat" offers a U.S. Air Force perspective on the subject and helps answer listener questions such as military pilot career progression, the muscle memory challenges associated with returning from an aircraft carrier deployment, nuclear strike in fighter squadrons, and future episode suggestions.Bumper music by Jaime Lopez / announcements by Clint Bell. This episode was produced by our friends at the MuscleCar Place Podcast Network.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations

A short discussion with Dave "Bio" Baranek on his latest book: Tomcat RIO, a Topgun Instructor on the F-14 Tomcat and the Heroic Naval Aviators Who Flew It.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations