Fighter Pilot Podcast

Retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General John "Dragon" Teichert knows leadership.

As an F-15E Strike Eagle and F-22 Raptor pilot early on, Dragon went on to multiple command tours before concluding his 27-year-career as the Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs. Along the way, he championed inspirational, innovative, integrity-filled leadership that culminated in a 2024 run for the U.S. Senate.

Check out Dragon's book, Boom! Leadership that Breaks Barriers, Challenges Convention, and Ignites Innovation here.

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Scott Dworkin won't take "no" for an answer.

As a fighter pilot-hopeful, Scott encountered obstacle after obstacle that forced him to pivot to aviation photography and later aviation photojournalism, where he went on to fly in most US Air Force and many US Navy aircraft, without ever wearing the uniform.

Today, Scott is the genius behind Mach 91 Aerial Photography and the author of this generation's greatest Naval Aviation book, Becoming the Rhino.

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'On Future War' is a 12-part series exploring the evolving landscape of military strategy and defense technologies with a focus on the Pacific.

On this month's episode Scott "Roger" Chafian, Mike "Pako" Benitez, and Matt "Flounder" Arny explore the strategic and controversial world of China's man-made island bases including the historical locations, construction strategies, and strategic intent of these so-called "unsinkable carriers.”

Brought to you by Authentic Media with the support of Cubic Defense.

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Former US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle WSO Mike "Pako" Benitez describes how future fighter pilots will train alongside—and go to war with—unmanned collaborative combat aircraft, sometimes also known as loyal wingmen.'

Subscribe to Pako's newsletter, 'The Merge,' here and check out his YouTube channel here.

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Guest host Ken 'Primetime' Katz returns with his first foray into warbirds, exploring the venerable Douglas C-47 Skytrain (plus its many derivatives) and the role it played in the pivotal D-Day invasions of World War II with guests Eric Zipkin and Moreno 'Mo' Aguiari.

Visit the DC-3 Society here.

Watch Into Flight Once More on Amazon Prime here.

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Retired US Marine Corps Colonel Jim "Boone" Jamison describes being an HMX-1 Presidential Command Pilot during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush presidencies.

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'On Future War' is a 12-part series exploring the evolving landscape of military strategy and defense technologies with a focus on the Pacific.

On this inaugural episode, Mike "Pako" Benitez and Scott "Roger" Chafian set the stage by delving into the challenges posed by technologies (including cruise- and hypersonic missiles) to power projection and the sustainability of forward deployed bases in modern, peer-level conflicts.

Brought to you by Authentic Media with the support of Cubic Defense.

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Planning, briefing, executing per standard operating procedures (SOPs) while using checklists, and then debriefing—these are among the common practices military aviators employ to ensure safe, effective operations in combat and in training. 

On this episode, former US Navy and Air National Guard pilot Yarko "J.J." Sos and Navy RIO-turned-WSO Keith "Kombat" Kimmel explain these best practices and how their company Check 6 adapts these practices to other consequential industries.

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Art Palmer is a child of the dust bowl and self-admitted "hobo" who joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and piloted B-24 Liberators during World War II. Art's plane was shot down on his 50th mission and he spent the remainder of the war as a German prisoner.

Now, at 104-year-young, Art shares his recollections with guest host Matt "Flounder" Arny, proving why his truly was the Greatest Generation.

To read the book of stories and prisoner poems compiled by Art's late wife, visit our Patreon page.

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Imagine flying along at night, in combat, so low that you look up to see car headlights. And that's just the beginning.

On this episode, former US Air Force pilot Jeff "Guinnbob" Guinn and navigator Kevin "Rim" Allen describe their harrowing participation in Operation Desert Storm flying F-111Es out of Turkey.

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"Do you have to be good at math to be a fighter pilot?"

On this episode, the host Vincent Aiello shares a September 2020 blog addressing this question, providing examples of the common math concepts fighter pilots must be able to master.

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Hal Sundt, author of Warplane, How the Military Reformers Birthed the A-10 Warthog, describes the origination story of the close air support aircraft the US Air Force never wanted but pilots and ground troops came to love.

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Situational awareness. Confidence. Teachability and ability to teach. ...wait, helpful?

Ever stop and think about the traits that make a 'good' member of your industry? This week, host Vincent Aiello continues the "audio musing" show format with the narration of a 2019 musing on the Fighter Pilot Podcast blog inspired by a question posed during a live YouTube session.

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More than 81,000 American service members remain listed as 'missing in action' from conflicts dating back to World War 2. 

This week, retired U.S. Marine Derek Abbey, PhD, explains how Project Recover enlists 21st century science and technology to find and repatriate those missing in order to provide recognition and closure for families and the nation. 

As a podcast listener, enjoy a $300 savings when you upgrade your inexpensive suit cases to all aluminum travel cases with Sterling Pacific.

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“December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy...” are among the most famous words spoken by a United States President and have reverberated every year on this day for more than eight decades.

On this special bonus from 2021, author Bert Kinzey of Detail and Scale Aviation Publications explains the significance of the attack and what took place on that fateful Sunday morning.

Having conducted extensive research for his book Attack On Pearl Harbor, Japan Awakens a Sleeping Giant, Bert gives detailed examples of all sides of the engagement including the array of forces, scale of the attack, and the short and long term toll on both sides.

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People are often quick to comment on the Fighter Pilot Podcast's various social media channels that the Navy does not fly F-16s.

Wrong.

This week, host Vincent Aiello shares another article from the Fighter Pilot Podcast blog, this one from 2019 describing how we can all do a better job of avoiding being wrong and reacting when we inevitably are. Find the original musing here.

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Retired US Navy F/A-18 pilot Jack "Farley" Stewart explains who "adversary" pilots are, what they do, how TOPGUN trains them, and why it is vital to have professional adversaries (or "aggressors," as the US Air Force calls them) in the first place.

Check out Farley's exciting first novel, Unknown Rider.

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Hollywood portrays fighter pilots as devil-may-care risk takers and rule breakers intolerant to authority. Is that true in the real world?

This week, host Vincent Aiello shares another article from the Fighter Pilot Podcast blog, this time identifying the top 10 myths about military aviators and why they are wrong. Find the original 2021 musing here.

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You've heard of audio books, what about audio blogs?

This week, host Vincent Aiello introduces a new show format where he narrates one of the articles on the Fighter Pilot Podcast blog.

This first edition is from a December 2022 musing titled, How to Succeed in Flight School? Don't Ask Me!

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The Fighter Pilot Podcast would not be possible without the support of the hundreds of veterans who served both in uniform and, in this case, in the studio.

To those who have served: happy Veterans Day and thank you, from a grateful nation.

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On this 2020 'Happy Hour,' Yonel "Yogi" Dorelis describes a career in aviation that spanned all four branches: Marines, Navy, Army, and lastly Air Force where he spent the majority of his service as a combat search and rescue helicopter pilot. (The Space Force did not yet exist when Yogi served.)

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This week, guest cohost Ken 'Primetime' Katz turns the tables on our usual host Vincent 'Jell-O' Aiello, asking him to explain his role at the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest and what it is like to fly a post-maintenance check flight in F/A-18 Hornets.

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US Navy F/A-18 pilot Joe "Jamboy" Kirksey, a career LSO currently serving as "Force Paddles" at the Chief of Naval Air Forces in San Diego, explains the history of LSOs assisting fixed-wing aircraft on aircraft carriers, how LSOs are trained, and whether they and their grading methods are still necessary with the advent of Precision Landing Mode.

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Retired U.S. Navy Captain J.J. "Yank" Cummings joins FPP cohost Matt "Flounder" Arny to talk Tomcats, flight school, surface warfare, nuclear power, Top Gun: Maverick, and above all, how to lead when in charge of the first ship in a new class of aircraft carriers that has had its share of bad press.

Visit jjcummingsleadership.com to learn more about Yank and his exploits since leaving uniform service.

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Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Evan "Ivan" Thomas joins cohost Ken "Primetime" Katz to discuss the Stratolaunch Roc—the world's largest aircraft initially designed to haul space vehicles into the upper atmosphere that instead found purpose providing commercial "access to the hypersonic" environment.

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MCAS Miramar-based Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 101 closes its doors after 50+ years of teaching U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviators first in the F-4 Phantom and then the F/A-18 Hornet. 

On this episode, the final VMFAT-101 Commander, LtCol Ryan "Yoshi" Franzen and the -101 Operations Officer Maj Erik "Tucker" Rheinhart share the Sharpshooter history and legacy, and what's next for USMC F/A-18 training.

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On this repurposed 2021 'Happy Hour' discussion, retired U.S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel Larry "Racehorse" Rannals describes his career beginning as a Naval Flight Officer before converting to pilot via Air Force flight training and flying the RF-4 in Vietnam--in both seats!



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Robert Dosé was a World War II fighter pilot who shot down an Imperial Japanese Zero. Thirty years later, his son Curt Dosé scored an aerial victory against a North Vietnamese MiG-21, making them the only known father-and-son duo to each achieve air-to-air kills in combat.

"Dozo," as Curt is known, recounts his May 10, 1972 engagement over Vietnam, his remarkable reunion with the former enemy pilot's family more than four decades later, and an aviation career that also included graduating from TOPGUN, serving as a test pilot, and conducting much of the F-14 Tomcat's aircraft carrier suitability testing.

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Nelson "Ed" Cobleigh is a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and Vietnam veteran-turned author who flew the A-4 Skyhawk, F-4 Phantom, Jaguar, F-104 Starfighter, and F-16 Fighting Falcon, among others.

This episode is adapted from a 2022 'Happy Hour' discussion over Zoom.

Visit Ed's website here.

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Retired US Navy Captain Jim "Guido" Dimatteo is a polymath: the son of a WW2 fighter pilot, a former A-4, F-14, F-16N, F/A-18 pilot (and still the F-5), the former purveyor of a successful San Diego bar & restaurant, a rugby veteran, former Director of the Red Bull Air Races, Director of the Breitling Jet Team North American tour, and so much more as you will learn on this intriguing episode.

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FPP friend and occasional cohost, Ken Katz, welcomes back to the show Dr. Eileen Bjorkman to discuss her new book, Fly Girls Revolt: The Story of the Women Who Kicked Open the Door to Fly in Combat.

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Rogers E. Smith is a Canadian-American pilot who served in the RCAF, US Marines, and US Air National Guard and spent a long career testing nearly every American fighter (and several Russian aircraft), despite never attending a formal test pilot school.

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Retired U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General Mike Aguilar explains how the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is moving from MCAS Miramar in San Diego to the Great Park in Irvine, near the former MCAS El Toro., California.

Visit the FLAM website here.

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Retired Italian Air Force General and former Tornado pilot Gianmarco Bellini joins guest host Craig "Crunch" Snyder to discuss his terrifying low-altitude, high-speed ejection in the opening hours of Operation Desert Storm.

Watch the Gianmarco Bellini: Gulf War POW (2023) Official Trailer here.

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Retired US Navy Captain Brett "Chopper" Crozier describes his career from flying SH-60B Seahawks, to returning to flight school to learn the F/A-18 Hornet, to nuclear power school and eventually command of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt—including his public firing in early 2020 at the beginning of COVID.

Order Chopper's book, Surf When You Can, on Amazon.

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Phillip Frawley is not only a retired Royal Australian Air Force fighter pilot, he is a Guinness World Record holder for being the oldest and longest-serving fighter pilot in the world. With a half-century of service and nearly 500 flight students taught, "Frawls" has seen it all.

This Zoom interview was originally recorded during a late 2020 happy hour session for FPP Patreon supporters.

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US Air Force Reserve fighter pilot, Justin "Hasard" Lee, describes his career flying the block 50 F-16 before transitioning to the F-35 and ultimately starting a compelling YouTube channel.

Hasard's exploits and lessons learned are captured in his book, The Art of Clear Thinking.

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Retired U.S. Navy fighter #pilot, James "Slug" Kidrick, makes a case for aviation museums and how to keep patrons, besides just children, walking in the door. Slug had a hand in making the necessary arrangements for a San Diego Air & Space Museum F-14 Tomcat to appear on an aircraft carrier flight deck for the first time in more than a dozen years.

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Retired US Navy captain and MH-60 Seahawk pilot Alan "SugarBear" Worthy explains how military forces and weapons systems designed primarily to destroy and kill are also used to help and heal during natural disasters and humanitarian crises.

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Miss the old show format where Jell-O answers listener questions and makes announcements in his usual quippy style? Well, you're in luck! This week he and guest co-host Ken Katz catch up like old times and clear out the mail bag.

Then Ken interviews civilian test pilot Shannon "Bam Bam" Lunsford on the careful considerations and risk mitigation strategies employed when flying a prototype aircraft for the first time. Get ready for "miles of orange wire" and "YAPS" probes on this episode of the Fighter Pilot Podcast.

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Former U.S. Navy A-4 Skyhawk, A-7 Corsair II, and F/A-18 Hornet pilot Jerry "Lefty" Schubert stopped by the show during a 2020 Happy Hour to share stories on grit, Naval Aviation, and fatherhood.

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Designing and flying a vehicle intended to travel at five times the speed of sound or more presents significant challenges—add a human occupant and the stakes go even higher.

On this episode, former U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress pilot Daniel "Doc" Millman, Ph.D, now of Stratolaunch, joins guest cohost Ken Katz to discuss the challenges of hypersonic aircraft design and flight, and how the U.S. military compares to other nations developing hypersonic aircraft and weapons.

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Retired US Navy Captain Tom "Trotts" Trotter describes flying the beloved F-14 Tomcat and how it compares to the F/A-18 Hornet, then attending TOPGUN as one of the first Hornet students and later commanding the school.

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Mr. Tim Kinsella joins former U.S. Air Force Flight Test Engineer and Fighter Pilot Podcast cohost Ken "Primetime" Katz to discuss the various non-intrusive ways aircraft structures are tested in development and throughout the aircraft's service life.

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Former U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper pilot Jeff "Tico" Tice was callsign 'Stroke 1,' the flight lead for the ill-fated "Package Q" strike on Iraq just days into Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Stroke 3 miraculously dodged multiple Iraqi SAMs and made it home safely where his HUD footage became a sensation. Tico was not so lucky...

Read about Package Q here.

Watch the Stroke 3 video here.

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Former U.S. Air Force cargo pilot Bob Strang describes flying the beloved but not-well-known C-7 Caribou on risky resupply missions during the Vietnam Conflict, often landing on extremely short runways freshly cut from the jungle with no navigational aids or runway markings—all while being fired upon by the enemy.

Visit the C-7A Caribou Association:http://www.c-7acaribou.com/

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A discussion on how the next generation air dominance fighter will redefine air warfare with retired U.S. Air Force General J. Mike "Mobile" Holmes, hosted by Matt Arny.

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U.S. Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Trey Williams joins Retired U.S. Army CW5 (and future Army Aviation Hall-of-Famer) Stan Wood to discuss the Night Stalkers of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) and their role in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu immortalized in the 2001 movie, 'Black Hawk Down.'

Be sure to visit and contribute to the Night Stalker Association as well as Trey's company Aevex and Stan's, Fulcrum Concepts.

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Scott Chafian and Brian "Sunshine" Sinclair return to introduce Authentic Media, a game-changing subscription service providing exclusive military aviation content and community.

Authentic Media subscribers will enjoy access to audio shows offering historical perspectives, detailed engineering, and personal stories—all curated by experts in the field. Subscribers will also be part of a thriving community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for military aviation.

If you are looking to enhance your knowledge and appreciation of military aviation, Authentic Media is the perfect choice. Visit https://www.authenticmedia.io to learn more and start your journey today.

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Former U.S. Air Force F-15, F-5, and F-16 pilot, and Fighter Weapons School graduate, Fred "Spanky" Clifton, describes flying the MiG-29 Fulcrum as a Luftwaffe exchange pilot following German reunification after the Iron Curtain fell.

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