Stay ConnectedThe Fighter Pilot Podcast explores the fascinating world of air combat: the aircraft, the weapons systems, the emerging technologies, and most importantly—the people.
Most episodes feature a guest who helps explain military aviation topics such from Vietnam shoot down stories to how AI is changing air combat.
If you love the roar of a high-speed flyby or are enamored by the poise and confidence of the brave men and women who fly, fix, and fight these amazing aircraft, then this show is for you!
Copyright: © E. Vincent Aiello, 2018
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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