The Afterburn Podcast
Strap in the cockpit as we dive into the stories of the men and women who defend the freedoms we love. From the cockpit of military jets to boots on the ground. The Afterburn Podcast dives into their stories, the planes, and the missions. For Advertising Opportunities or more information visit: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/
Raul Castro Indicted | Is Cuba the Next Venezuela?
On May 20th, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment charging former Cuban head of state Raul Castro with the murder of American civilians. That same day, the USS Nimitz carrier strike group entered the Caribbean. We break down the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shootdown, the GAESA military conglomerate controlling Cuba's economy, and what the Venezuela playbook tells us about where this is headed.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?b...
OA-1K Sky Raider II | Exclusive - How AFSOC's Newest Aircraft Is Built
Watch online: https://youtu.be/uvAyxlmpBdk
We spent two days in Waco, Texas, inside the L3Harris facility where the Sky Raider II International™ is built. From the beginning, where an 802 Air Tractor enters the production line until it rolls out as Air Force Special Operations Command's newest airplane, the OA-1K Sky Raider II. We dive into what it takes to turn a crop duster into a precision-strike and ISR platform capable of operating from austere environments with only a two-man crew and 6,000 pounds of ordnance. Exclusive access to the production line, the weapons systems, and th...
China's Fifth-Generation Fighter Production Exploding | J-20 Production Surging
Video: https://youtu.be/L0D9c5nYO5E
China's Chengdu Aircraft Corporation has more than doubled J-20 production efficiency using autonomous vehicles and AI-driven dark factories. With roughly 300 J-20s in service today and output estimated at 100-120 airframes annually, the PLAAF could field over 1,000 fifth-generation fighters by 2030. Today we discuss what that production capacity means, how it compares to F-35 output, and whether quantity changes the calculus regardless of quality.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bom...
China Helped Pakistan in Combat | J-10CE's First Real War
Watch this episode on YT: https://youtu.be/8X_ll2FrRIA
Beijing confirmed Chinese engineers were at Pakistani air bases supporting J-10CE operations during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. Today we discuss PL-15 & the J-10CE's combat performance data, what China just proved about its export hardware, and what the J-35 deal with Pakistan means now.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit...
Dos Gringos June 13th - Denver
Dos Gringos Concert: dosgringosdenver.com
James "Whacker" Reeman IG: @f16pilot
Whacker's Content: Fastjetfriday.com
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast
🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial
<...
Col Roy "Deacon" Qualls | "Shoot Them Down If They Don't Respond" — The 9/11 ROE Nobody Talks About
Roy "Deacon" Qualls went from zero flight hours to undergraduate pilot training six months later. From there — OV-10s, F-15s, the Louisiana Air National Guard, and a parallel career at American Airlines flying the 777.
In this episode Deacon walks through some of the defining moments of that career — receiving the 9/11 shoot down order on an unclassified fax, scrambling toward Air Force One on the morning of September 11th, flying a night CAP over Houston with a live weapons free ROE, and leading airmen through Hurricane Katrina rescue operations out of New Orleans.
Pilot...
Aircraft BATTLE DAMAGE Repair: The Air Force Capability You Never Hear About
When two brand new F-35s sustained catastrophic damage in separate accidents, the Air Force faced a decision most people don't know exists — write them off as total losses or call in one of the most specialized and least talked about teams in the United States Air Force. They called in the Aircraft Battle Damage Repair team. ABDR.
In this episode, I sit down with General Sebren and Senior Master Sergeant Cross to break down exactly what aircraft battle damage repair is, how the decision gets made to repair or write off a damaged aircraft, and what it...
The A-10 Just Got a Massive Life Extension | Air Force Secretary Announces A-10 Extension
The Secretary of the Air Force just announced the A-10 Warthog will remain in service until at least 2030. For a platform that has been on the chopping block since Desert Storm — with depot maintenance shut down in February, training pipelines closing, and squadrons deactivating — this is a significant reversal
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Become a Patron, Support the Show...
Indonesia Just Rejected America's Military Overflight Request — Here's Why
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast 🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
$75 Billion in Classified Programs | America's Largest Military Budget Eve
The Pentagon just submitted the largest defense budget request in American history — $1.5 trillion for fiscal year 2027 — and buried inside those numbers is a clear picture of exactly where the US military thinks the next war will be fought and how. In this video I break down what each service is actually buying, from the Air Force's $5 billion bet on the F-47 next generation fighter and $4.5 billion for the Sentinel ICBM, to the Navy doubling aircraft procurement to $34 billion, the Army quadrupling missile spending to $36 billion, and a $53 billion autonomous warfare program that signals the Pentagon is serious about drones at s...
NO ESCAPE: US Navy's Full Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast 🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Talks FAIL in Pakistan & Frankenstein KC-135 Returns from Desert
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast 🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nuclear Bomber Base Just Got Overflown by Unknown Drones
In March 2026, somewhere between 12 and 15 drones overflew the flight line at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana — home to the B-52 bomber fleet, Global Strike Command, and the nuclear command and control communications systems that link the President to America's nuclear arsenal. These weren't hobbyist drones. According to reports they flew in close formation, spread out and conducted various maneuvers, and appeared to be jam resistant. Nobody stopped them.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://b...
China & Pakistan ink J-35 Stealth Fighter Deal
The J-35 is China's latest 5th generation fighter jets, and this video discusses its accelerated delivery timeline to Pakistan. We explore the implications of this advanced china fighter jet for military aircraft and the china air force.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast
🥷 Scrub Yo...
Maj. Gen. John "Trapper" Winters on 40 Years of Fighter Aviation
Maj. Gen. John "Trapper" Winters joins the Afterburn Podcast for a two-hour conversation covering one of the most unconventional paths to two stars in Air Force history — starting as an F-4 Electronic Warfare Officer and navigator, then beating 6% odds to earn a slot in pilot training, flying F-16s in the Aggressor program, commanding a fighter squadron, and ultimately rising to Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the Pentagon.
In this episode, we cover it all. Trapper talks about growing up in a military family, knowing since age three that he wanted to...
US Airman Still on the Ground in Iran - What the U.S. is Doing to Rescue Them
Live Stream with Ward: https://www.youtube.com/live/5QSiJmqS6AQ?si=nT-Q09vbwpf3Wuow
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast
🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial
Hosted by...
F-35 Test Pilot Breaks Down China's J-36, CCA, & AI in the Cockpit | Tucker "Cinco" Hamilton
Cinco's book: Unlocking the Last 20%: Rising to Greatness Through Discipline, Balance, and Resiliency https://amzn.to/48cisOP
Tucker "Cinco" Hamilton is an Air Force Colonel, experimental test pilot, and the inaugural Chief of AI Test and Operations for the Department of the Air Force. He flew 30+ aircraft, including all three variants of the F-35, logged 82 combat missions, commanded the largest flight test organization in modern aviation, and was in the cockpit the first time an AI agent took control of a high-performance drone in flight.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT...
Ceasefire? Iran & U.S. Appear to Escalate | Bunker Busters Hit Isfahan & Chechnya Threatens
President Trump's recent comments on a potential Iran ceasefire have sparked much discussion, as we explore the ongoing strikes in the region and the evolving iran war. This video also covers reports of Chechen units preparing for a possible US ground invasion and Iran's reveal of a new underground base for fighter jets, all contributing to the complex middle east conflict. Stay informed on this critical iran update and the latest developments shaping the us iran war.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Bec...
Col Bud Anderson Laid to Rest at Arlington National Cemetery
On March 30th, 2026, Arlington National Cemetery honored Colonel Clarence "Bud" Anderson, a storied combat veteran and test pilot, with a moving ceremony. This tribute to his military service included flyovers featuring F-35s and iconic P-51 Mustangs, some bearing his famous "Old Crow" name. It was a poignant moment of military aviation history, showcasing the legacy of a true American veteran who served in WWII.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappo...
War Over in 2-4 Weeks? A-10 Gun Runs Against Iranian Proxies, F-18 Near Miss
Episode on YT: https://youtu.be/YMZk0NI0rFc
After the upload, news broke last evening that an additional attack against Prince Sultan Air Base injured numerous troops. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/us-forces-saudi-arabia-iran-attack/
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫
🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast
🥷 Scrub Your Info fro...
Air Canada Flight 8646: Runway Disaster at LaGuardia
Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2JnUysRvRvs
On the evening of Sunday, March 22nd, Air Canada Flight 8646 — operated by Jazz Aviation — collided with an airport firefighting and rescue vehicle that had been cleared to cross Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport. The captain and first officer were both killed. 41 of the 72 passengers and 4 crew members were transported to the hospital, with 9 remaining hospitalized as of Monday morning.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=ta...
FAT Targets: The Hidden Cost of Iran War — US Bases in the Middle East
Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/2KKwJTeSEA8
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LowdownNews
Website: https://bit.ly/Afterburn_Website
Merch: https://bit.ly/AfterburnMerch
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast
The United States operates roughly 19 military sites across the Middle East — 8 of them permanent. For decades that presence was the strategy. Deterrence through presence. If you can see us, you won't mess with us.That calculus may be changing.In this video I break down the US basing problem in the Middle East — what i...
America's Newest Weapon | Iran Escalates Conflict with More Strikes
Protect your accounts with Proton Pass: http://proton.me/afterburndefense
The war in Iran is escalating — and the weapons being used are getting bigger. In this video I break down three major developments from the last 48 hours.First, the GBU-72 Advanced 5K Penetrator — America's newest 5,000-pound bunker buster — has been confirmed in combat, used against missile storage facilities threatening the Strait of Hormuz.
🔺 Grab our free newsletter for insights into aviation, defense, and geopolitics - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.c...
Did Iran Finally Hit a US Fighter Jet?
A US F-35 was forced into an emergency landing at a US airbase in the Middle East after being struck by suspected Iranian fire during a combat mission over Iran. CENTCOM confirmed the emergency landing and that the pilot is in stable condition — but has not confirmed what hit it or whether it was enemy fire.
🔺 Grab our free newsletter for insights into aviation, defense, and geopolitics - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off
🛫 Become a Fighter/Bo...
Why Dubai Is in Serious Trouble — And U.S. Allies tell Trump "No" to Helping
🔺 Grab our free newsletter for insights into aviation, defense, and geopolitics - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺
Iran struck Dubai International Airport for the fourth time — the busiest international airport in the world. Flights suspended. Every major international carrier pulled out. War risk premiums are up somewhere between 300 and 1,000 percent depending on the source. Emirates was still running a limited schedule, and I want to talk about what that means for a flight crew managing fuel state and divert options in an active threat environment.
We also cover why the reduced Iranian drone and missile launch numbers ma...
US Strikes Iran's Oil Hub — Marines Heading to Middle East
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast 🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
ATACMS Just Changed Naval Warfare | Heaviest Strike Day Yet
Day 13 of Operation Epic Fury. General Caine and Secretary Hegseth briefed this morning and several details aren't getting enough coverage. CENTCOM confirmed all six crew members of the KC-135 mishap have been killed. Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/6dMaKZ_8CuE
From the briefing: ATACMS — Army Tactical Missile Systems fired from HIMARS — have been used to sink multiple Iranian ships, including a submarine in port. That's a ground-launched ballistic missile being used as an anti-ship weapon and it's a significant shift in how this war is being fought. Today is also the heaviest strike day of the entire...
Fighter Pilot Mount Rushmore: Do You Agree? | Bro Chat 21
In Bro Chat #21, Mike "FLASH" McVeigh, John "RAIN" Waters, Jeff "VADER" Brandon, Jeff "BENDER" Page, and Kevin "KONAN" Parkhurst debate the greatest fighter pilots in American history — and can't fully agree on a single mountain.
Robin Olds is a given. Everything else is up for grabs.
From Royce Williams' classified Korean War sortie to Richard Bong's 40 kills in a P-38, from John Boyd's OODA loop to Eddie Rickenbacker setting the standard in WWI — we make the case, defend the picks, and violently disagree in the comments section. Who did we miss? Drop your Mount Rushmore below<...
KC-135 Tragedy, Day 13 Epic Fury, & The Disappearance of Gen. McCasland
Welcome to a heavy, packed episode of the Afterburn Podcast. Today, we are covering breaking news out of the Middle East, rapid tactical escalations, and a highly concerning mystery stateside.
We open today's show by addressing the tragic breaking news regarding the U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker mishap in western Iraq. We discuss the known details of the mid-air collision during high-tempo Operation Epic Fury refueling operations, the inherent and often-overlooked dangers of nighttime tanking under combat conditions, and we honor the American crew members who lost their lives.
Next, we transition into our...
Iran Updates | F-15E Shoot Downs & More
As many of you probably have noticed, we've been doing a lot more with news and defense analysis over on YouTube. Short 8-15 minute videos on things that are happening. It seems to be received well and has gained some traction. Don't worry, the "standard" podcast is still happening. I think it pairs well. But maybe its not for you...and that's ok.
https://www.youtube.com/@AfterburnPodcast
With this pivot, there's been a learning curve, and so it hasn't necessarily migrated across all the platforms. Some things just aren't quite easy to do, especially w...
#146 MiG-29 Shootdown to Testing the F-22 Raptor | Mike "Dozer" Shower
Mike "Dozer" Shower is a proven combat fighter pilot, having flown both the F-15C and F-22. He is an F-15C MiG killer from Operation Allied Force and one of the original eight pilots handpicked for the F-22 Raptor's initial operational test (IOT&E) at Edwards Air Force Base. In this deep-dive interview, Dozer provides a firsthand account of the transition from 4th-generation fighters to 5th-generation air dominance. We break down the YF-22 and the development of "offensive stealth," and the haunting story of the Raptor's original "Skynet" debrief system.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test...
Super Bowl LX Flyover Deep Dive: The Pilots of Super Bowl 60 Flyover
Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/74ItE7NtKfE
The Super Bowl flyover is an iconic tradition, but Super Bowl LX marks a historic first: a massive joint formation featuring both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. In this episode, we dive into the "puzzle pieces" of this mission, from the complex coordination of mixed-service flight procedures to the technical challenges of flying an eight-ship formation over one of the most congested airspaces in the world.
Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Co...
#145 Dr. Anthony Vinci | Former NGA Chief Technology Officer | Future of A.I. & Espionage
The AI-driven future of espionage is here. In a world where China is building super soldiers and weaponizing AI, the battle to protect America's intelligence dominance has never been more critical. Hear from former NGA Chief Technology Officer Dr. Anthony Vitchie as he reveals the chilling realities of the Fourth Intelligence Revolution - from AI-powered cyber attacks to the democratization of super weapons. This is no science fiction - this is the future of global competition, and the stakes have never been higher.
Website: https://www.anthonyvinci.com/
Dr. Vincis substack: https://vascoduarte.substack.com/p...
#144 Why the 2026 MH370 NEW Search is Different: New Tech & The Avionics Bay Theory | Jeff Wise
How does a massive airliner with hundreds of people onboard simply vanish off the face of the Earth? As we approach 2026, the disappearance of MH370 remains the greatest aviation mystery of our time. In this episode, I sit down with aviation investigative journalist Jeff Wise to separate fact from fiction. Jeff Wise ( @Jeff_Wise ) has spent over a decade deep in the data, appearing in documentaries and writing the definitive books on this mystery.
But today, we’re looking at this from the perspective of the cockpit. In this episode, Jeff joins John "Rain" Waters, a current 777 pilo...
#143 Fighter Pilot's Harrowing Dogfight: Aircraft on Fire, Enemy Closing In : Col Joe Peterburs
Colonel Peterburs is a highly decorated, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and legendary P-51 Mustang fighter pilot whose extraordinary service spans three wars. During WWII, serving with the 20th Fighter Group, 55th Fighter Squadron, he achieved the remarkable feat of shooting down German jet ace Walter Schuck.
Later shot down himself, Col. Peterburs was captured and became a prisoner of war—only to orchestrate a daring escape. After linking up with Russian forces, he fought alongside them until V.E. Day. His distinguished career continued through the Korean and Vietnam Wars, cementing his legacy as a tru...
Bro Chat 20 - "Brakes as Required"
In this Bro Chat episode, the guys dive deep into the realities of modern fighter pilot life in the Guard and Reserve, from the brutal competition of hiring boards to DSG vs. AGR career paths, fitness test changes, and the unexpected challenges of keeping squadrons manned. They also break down the strange trade-offs behind the F-15EX, legacy parts, radar limitations, and what the future holds for the next generation of Vipers, Eagles, and F-35 drivers. It’s an honest look at pilot culture, jet upgrades, leadership quirks, and the everyday frustrations (and humor) of military aviation today. Whether yo...
#142 Rob “Trip” Raymond | F-16 Combat, SEAD, Iraq, and Dos Gringos
Colonel (Ret) Rob “Trip” Raymond sits down with Flash McVay for one of the most wide ranging fighter pilot interviews ever captured on The Afterburn Podcast. Trip is known across the fighter community for his combat time in the F-16, his leadership as a weapons officer and commander, and, of course, his role in the legendary fighter pilot band Dos Gringos.
Become an owner in Winglore Spirits. Invest and join the Squadron here: Winglore Spirits Netcapital: https://netcapital.com/companies/winglorespirits
Pick up a bottle of Winglore Whiskey: Supply
Winglore Spirits: https://winglorespirits.com/su...
Lowdown 17 Nov | NATO Drops the E-7, Air Force Eyes New Anti-Drone Missile, Su-57 Activity
Get your free copy of the Lowdown here: https://www.lowdownnews.us/
This week on The Lowdown, Rain breaks down the biggest stories shaping aviation and global defense. From the growing drama around the E-7 Wedgetail to new counter-drone weapons and intelligence developments across Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific, this episode dives deep into the headlines that matter.
We start with the Air Force and NATO’s shifting stance on the E-7 AWACS replacement and why survivability is becoming a major concern in high end air combat. Rain explains how the E-7 compares to...
#141 Greg "Hoser" Hansen | Carrier Landings, Soviet Intercepts & The Scariest Night Flight
Dive into the phenomenal 35-year aviation career of Greg Hansen (USNA '82), a former F-14 Tomcat pilot, Topgun student, and legendary Topgun instructor, who finished his career as a FedEx 777 Captain. In this full-length episode, Greg shares unbelievable, high-stakes stories from the height of the Cold War and his time flying with the US Navy's best.
- Topgun Inside Track: Learn what it was like to be a "stash Ensign" at Topgun right out of the Naval Academy, getting an early look at the world's elite fighter tactics. - Constant Peg: Hear the full story of flying a...
#140 Dave "Chip" Berke | TOPGUN Instructor to F-35 Commander: Fighter Pilot on Humility, Ego & Extreme Ownership
In this episode 140 of The Afterburn Podcast, Rain sits down with retired US Marine Corps fighter pilot and Echelon Front leadership instructor Dave "Chip" Berke — the only Marine ever to fly the USAF F-22 and the first to operationally fly the F-35B. From deployment on the USS John C. Stennis and TOPGUN instructor duty, to commanding the Marines’ first F-35B squadron and now helping build high-performing teams at Echelon Front, "Chip "brings unique stories and hard-earned leadership lessons.
Find "The Need to Lead" here: https://amzn.to/4nlA67m
“The Need to Lead”...
