Explore every episode of the podcast Fighter Pilot Podcast

US Air Force Colonel Richard "Dog" Brenneman describes his incredible story of courage and determination. Shot down over North Vietnam on his 26th combat mission while flying the F-4 Phantom II, Col. Brenneman spent more than 1,900 days as a prisoner of war in the Hanoi Hilton before returning home and was awarded the Silver Star for his extraordinary resilience. Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/c/ftrpltpdcst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ron "Toes" Cooper grew up silent, insecure, and certain he'd never amount to much. Then four men believed in him — and everything changed. Toes went on to fly the F-4 Phantom in over 300 combat missions in Vietnam, dodge a MiG-21 missile by a split second, participate in the rescue of a downed pilot who survived 23 days alone in hostile territory, and command a squadron.  In this episode, Toes brings us into the cockpit and into the chaos of combat — and then draws a straight line from those experiences to the leadership lessons that every team, every organization, and every person who has ever doubted themselves desperately needs to hear. Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As software has become the center of gravity for 5th generation fighters, simulation has become increasingly foundational to testing and fielding those aircraft. On this episode, Doug “Rosie” Rosenstock, a U.S. Marine Corps Harrier-turned-test pilot who helped shape the F-35's mission systems and its simulation backbone, explores how the joint simulation environment was—and is—instrumental in the F-35's adoption by frontline forces. Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to go from strapping into fighters to leaving Earth's atmosphere? This week, Jameel “Chocolate” Janjua — Virgin Galactic astronaut and former U.S. and Canadian fighter test pilot — breaks down the mindset behind elite aviation, how test pilots really think about risk, and what it means to operate at the absolute edge of performance. We follow his path from military flight test to commercial spaceflight, the lessons learned along the way, and why — even as technology accelerates — human judgment remains the final safety net. It’s a rare, inside look at a journey very few people on Earth will ever make. Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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!  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when artificial intelligence starts sharing cockpit responsibilities? On this episode, US Air Force Lt Col Raven “Rost” LeClair—F-35 Lightning II test pilot, squadron commander, and autonomy specialist—breaks down how AI is actually being integrated into 5th-generation fighters. We discuss what “human-machine teaming” looks like from the pilot’s seat, how trust in automation is built (and broken), and why the next leap in airpower depends more on judgment, training, and culture than raw hardware. Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The future of airpower is not decided in the cockpit—it’s decided by the acquisition process. In this episode, U.S. Air Force Colonel Tim “Ivy” Spaulding joins new FPP host Tucker “Cinco” Hamilton to break down modern aviation acquisition from a fighter pilot’s perspective. They explore why innovation so often struggles to reach the flight line, how risk and incentives become misaligned, and what it really takes to deliver capability at speed. This candid conversation dives into trust, culture, and people—why acquisition works when operators, engineers, and decision-makers are aligned, and why it fails when they’re not. Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. Air Force Colonel (sel) Tom "WCMD" Meagher and former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Beau "Stewie" Griffith describe how advancements in technology, electric propulsion, and government / industry partnerships are accelerating development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Learn more about AFWERX here: https://www.afwerx.af.mil/ Agility Prime: https://afwerx.com/agility-prime/ Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Fighter Pilot Podcast! This trailer describes who this show is from, who it's for, and what it's all about. Be sure to check out our website and for exclusive content, subscribe to our Patreon Page. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X. To connect with us, email: questions@fighterpilotpodcast.com. Support this podcast at — https://www.patreon.com/cw/ftrpltpdcst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A discussion on how advancements in autonomy, automation, artificial intelligence, and other technological advancements are influencing warfare. Guest host Matt Arny interviews retired U.S. Army Colonel Brad Boyd of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Sponsored by National University. To find out more, visit nu.edu. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. Navy Captain and Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Wing Commodore Sam "Flesh" Bryant describes how the introduction of the CMV-22B Osprey as a replacement for the C-2A Greyhound is changing the nature of aircraft carrier operations and, specifically, the carrier onboard delivery (COD) mission. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Retired U.S. Navy Commander and two-time Blue Angels demonstration pilot Jerry "Turkey" Tucker describes flying airshow performances first in the F-4 Phantom II and then the A-4 Skyhawk, even years later after a fatal mishap caused him to be drafted back on the team. Visit the website of Ryan Nothhaft, grandson of Blue Angels' founder Butch Voris, here. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices