So There I Was

1. We Saw the Tracers Ahead of Us Episode 238

   12 de noviembre de 20261 h 28 minA continuación

   We Saw the Tracers Ahead of Us sums up one very slow night for Cobra 3-1 over Cambodia. Actually, the NVA led him so badly that he simply went dark, turned left and lived. Now he’s back with RePete and Fig for …

   Notas del episodio

   We Saw the Tracers Ahead of Us sums up one very slow night for Cobra 3-1 over Cambodia. Actually, the NVA led him so badly that he simply went dark, turned left and lived. Now he’s back with RePete and Fig for round two.

   A Reunion Worth the Trip

   First, one thank-you call from the Gary Sinise Foundation became a sponsored 114th Assault Helicopter Company reunion in Savannah. As a result, attendance jumped from 50 to 170. Then the old gunship pilots tried the Apache simulator. Naturally, Cobra 3-1 saw 220 on an aircraft that stops at 183.

   Also, his old Vinh Long neighbors were the 175th, home of Chuck Howard from Episode 227.

   We Saw the Tracers Ahead of Us, and Other Bad Ideas

   Meanwhile, the 114th had no Loaches, so the lead Cobra became the hunter. Consequently, he flew low, slow and pointing at things. He also explains why the AH-1 Cobra may owe its name to his unit’s third platoon. Then come the bullet catcher, bug-ship flares and the push 21 miles into Cambodia. In fact, he admits the line between crazy and reckless was never clear.

   The Hole Nothing Fills

   However, the heaviest story is his flight school roommate Les. Les died just weeks after his son was born. Furthermore, Cobra opens up about survivor’s guilt and the VA therapy he finally sought. Finally, his father’s merciless teasing over a mystery photo keeps things light. His advice to his 19-year-old self? Full steam ahead.

   Stay Connected

   Watch us live on YouTube. Also, leave a five-star rating to help others find the show.
   Support the show at sothereiwas.us/donate or Venmo @So-There-I-Was.
   This week’s sponsor: DCArtworks.net. Use code STIW for 20% off. It stacks with sales and never expires.

   DFC Presentation in the Hospital

   #SoThereIWas #AviationPodcast #VietnamVeteran #CobraPilot #AH1Cobra #HelicopterPilot #ArmyAviation #114thAHC #VinhLong #VietnamWar #GunshipPilot #VeteranStories #SurvivorsGuilt #GarySiniseFoundation #MilitaryHistory

2. Wooden Bullets Episode 237

   5 de noviembre de 20261 h 58 minTemporada 1 · S01E237A continuación

   Ike returns with F-100 pilots trimming treetops, a nuclear alert eye patch and the Libya raid. Then his first leg flying a 727 nearly ends on top of a commuter.

3. Doober and Whiskey-6 Take Over the Watch on YL-37 Episode 236

   29 de octubre de 20261 h 35 minTemporada 1 · S01E236A continuación

   Doober and Whiskey-6 take over the watch on YL-37, a combat-veteran Marine UH-34D. Fifty-four bullet holes, one crossbow story, and zero chance of saying no.

4. Why Smart Pilots Do Dumb Things Episode 235

   22 de octubre de 20261 h 31 minA continuación

   Why Smart Pilots Do Dumb Things is the title of Heater’s paper. It helped save the Red Eagles. However, this episode opens with a different lesson: never look at your ten o’clock at Groom Lake. CJ “Heater” …

   Notas del episodio

   Why Smart Pilots Do Dumb Things is the title of Heater’s paper. It helped save the Red Eagles. However, this episode opens with a different lesson: never look at your ten o’clock at Groom Lake.

   CJ “Heater” Heatley is back! We promoted him to four-star admiral on the spot. The check is in the mail.

   So there he was, in a MiG-21 at the end of the runway at Groom Lake. Off his left side sat the weirdest-shaped thing he’d ever seen. Then the tower called: “Bandit 8, taxi back to the hangar immediately.”

   He had just seen “Have Blue,” the precursor to stealth. Not even the vice president was briefed in. Consequently, Heater spent quality time in a pitch-black room inside a room, grilled by four men with no names.

   First, though, Heater honors his lifelong friend Sam Young. As kids in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, they built rock cockpits on a red rock hill and flew imaginary fighters. Sitting shoulder to shoulder, Heater couldn’t throw rocks right-handed without clocking Sam.

   So he threw lefty for years and became a southpaw pitcher. That’s where his call sign came from. Sam became a Marine gunnery sergeant, and his Purple Heart story from LZ Russell will stop you cold.

   Furthermore, Heater closes the loop on a Sidewinder with locked fins that turned on his F-14. The admiral was in the back seat. He also tours Rosie’s Tomcat Ready Room in WaKeeney, Kansas. Its diorama is so detailed people think it’s a photo.

   Why Smart Pilots Do Dumb Things: Inside the Red Eagles

   Flying the MiG smelled like hydraulic fluid and an electrical fire. The gauges were Russian, except the altimeter and airspeed. The checkout took minutes, and there was no NATOPS.

   Actually, the MiG-17 couldn’t even taxi like a normal jet. Its pneumatic differential brakes sent first-timers nose-first into the hangar.

   After the program lost Hugh, the brass talked about shutting it down. Heater’s paper made the case to the general. TOPGUN’s best were dying in their first MiG engagements, distracted by the “gee whiz” factor. After debriefs and formation looks, they went home killing MiGs. The program survived.

   Heater also shares a sobering tally: 348 of 512 Red Eagles have died. Plus: his lost Pentagon slides, his rejects on book covers, and 40 years of reader letters.

   Screenshot Stay Connected

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   …

   #SoThereIWas #AviationPodcast #RedEagles #HaveBlue #GroomLake #Area51 #MiG21 #MiG17 #F14Tomcat #TOPGUN #NavalAviation #Sidewinder #FighterPilot #Stealth #DCArtworks

5. Clara Ship! Episode 234

   15 de octubre de 20261 h 45 minA continuación

   “Clara Ship” is what A-6 Intruder pilot Duker radioed when he couldn’t even see the carrier. Forget the ball. He couldn’t find the boat. Duker went from zero stick time to Navy jets through ROTC at USC. In …

   Notas del episodio

   “Clara Ship” is what A-6 Intruder pilot Duker radioed when he couldn’t even see the carrier. Forget the ball. He couldn’t find the boat.

   Duker went from zero stick time to Navy jets through ROTC at USC. In flight school, food poisoning hit so hard his instructors debated flying him home in a baggage pod. Actually, he survived, then tail-slid an A-4 he was never supposed to tail-slide.

   In the A-6, Duker and his bombardier-navigator got in a fist fight over a paper chart. However, they still hit the target on time. He also explains how six Intruders’ bombs registered on seismic instruments in Colorado.

   How Clara Ship Became Duker’s Favorite Sea Story

   As a landing signal officer, Duker graded every landing he waved. He breaks down hook slaps, the barricade, and why LSOs are called paddles. Furthermore, VA-176 was told the war would start when they arrived. Later, General Zinni sent them over northern Iraq with an unforgettable ROE brief.

   Then comes a Case III night recovery to the JFK, southeast of Puerto Rico, in a downpour. The wind was so far out of limits the Intruder weathervaned left. He kicked in rudder, the bottom fell out, and he still caught an OK one wire. Consequently, it took him 20 minutes to climb out of the cockpit.

   Stay Connected

   Duker’s company, Flight Training International, does ATPs and type ratings at FTIRatings.com, and you can use the GI Bill. Our sponsor, veteran-owned DC Artworks, makes laser-cut steel art at dcartworks.net. Use code STIW for 20% off. Grab merch at sothereiwas.us/merch and leave five stars at sothereiwas.us/rate.

   View from cockpit at 3/4 mi Jeff Horneff at 40’ Section approach (me) in the goo El Centro Weps Det

   …

   #SoThereIWas #ClaraShip #A6Intruder #NavalAviation #LSO #CarrierLanding #NightTrap #NavyPilot #AviationPodcast #AviationStories #VA176 #MilitaryAviation #FlightSchool #VeteranStories #CaseIII

6. Unbreakable Wings Episode 233

   8 de octubre de 20261 h 37 minTemporada 1 · S01E233A continuación

   Navy P-3 pilot Derek "DA" Adametz beat a collapsed lung and Hodgkin's lymphoma, then fought the waiver board all the way to squadron command.

7. If You're Gonna Blow Up Episode 232

   1 de octubre de 20261 h 53 minTemporada 1 · S01E232A continuación

   F-100 pilot Ike flew 195 combat missions with an iron sight and nerves of steel. He takes us from night close air support to a 50-pound-fuel landing to the 1986 Libya raid.

8. Guns Are Where It's At Episode 231

   24 de septiembre de 20261 h 23 minTemporada 1 · S01E231A continuación

   Retired Marine Lt. Col. Tim "Monk" Miller nearly punched out mid-nap over Ramadi, then built the Strike Fighter League, where guns are where it's at.

9. Rope Trick Episode 230

   17 de septiembre de 20261 h 28 minTemporada 1 · S01E230A continuación

   Vietnam-era Huey pilot RoadRunner joins RePete and Kemo for combat missions, near-disasters, and the Rope Trick — a Thailand R&R story he never fully explains.

10. A Thousandth of an Inch of Trouble Episode 229

    10 de septiembre de 202640 minTemporada 1 · S01E229A continuación

    This week's episode is a lighter one. It's just Fig and RePete, no guest, trading stories while juggling schedules and a certain eye surgery on the calendar. Before the flying talk starts, Fig recaps a …

    Notas del episodio

    This week's episode is a lighter one. It's just Fig and RePete, no guest, trading stories while juggling schedules and a certain eye surgery on the calendar. Before the flying talk starts, Fig recaps a fundraiser for YL-37, the effort to keep a UH-34 Marine helicopter flying as a living memorial. Vietnam-era crew chiefs, dubbed "Ugly Angels," turned up to honor thirty-three squadron mates lost in the war. It was, by Fig's account, truly spectacular.

11. Semper Gumby: Remembering Sticks Episode 228

    3 de septiembre de 20261 h 10 minTemporada 1 · S01E228A continuación

    This week's episode honors Coast Guard rescue pilot John "Sticks" Hall with his brother-in-law's eulogy and son Tyler's letter, plus a night-divert tale from Stretch off the USS Midway.

12. I Never Exceeded 5' Episode 227

    27 de agosto de 20261 h 37 minTemporada 1 · S01E227A continuación

    5 Feet — that's the altitude Roadrunner held on a self-appointed decoy mission in Vietnam, and it's the heart of Episode 227. It's also the reason he walked away with a Bronze Star. This week, RePete and Fig …

    Notas del episodio

    5 Feet — that's the altitude Roadrunner held on a self-appointed decoy mission in Vietnam, and it's the heart of Episode 227. It's also the reason he walked away with a Bronze Star. This week, RePete and Fig welcome Chuck Howard, callsign Roadrunner. He flew with the 175th Assault Helicopter Company, earning two Bronze Stars and 25 Air Medals for valor. Roadrunner's path started on a Jersey City hammock, watching jets land at Newark. Actually, he almost became a commercial artist before the Army got him first. He walks us through flight school and a co-pilot who froze on short final. Then there's the Cessna climb to twelve thousand feet that ate an entire afternoon. Consequently, we get one of the funniest bike-to-the-airport stories in show history. [Set the following as an actual Heading 2 block, not bold text:] I Never Exceeded 5 Feet: The Decoy Mission The Bronze Star story is the centerpiece. Roadrunner grew tired of rules of engagement that only let him fire after getting shot at first. So he built his own workaround. He stripped down a demilitarized Huey and lit it up like a Christmas tree. Then he flew it straight at the tree line at night. He hovered along the perimeter at an altitude he never exceeded, five feet, daring Charlie to take the bait. However, the story doesn't stop there. Roadrunner later flew Port Authority helicopters and was first on scene for Sully's Hudson River landing. He also worked the water recovery after TWA 800, marking wreckage while FBI agents jumped aboard his aircraft mid-hover. Furthermore, he shares two separate tail rotor failures. In one, he saved a multi-million dollar helicopter by nursing it into a drainage ditch. His book, Tales from the Cockpit, covers even more of this. This episode is also brought to you by DC Artworks. The veteran-owned laser-cut steel shop is keeping gift-buyers out of the doghouse this season. Vinh Long Airfield Huey Gunship in the River Huey Gunship in the River Spraying Agent Orange Link Flight Trainer Chuck Howard in Vietnam Newark Airport Stay Connected Got a So There I Was story of your own? We want to hear it. Follow the show, leave a review, and tell your hangar buddies. ... #SoThereIWas #AviationPodcast #VietnamVeteran #HueyPilot #BronzeStar #AirMedal #USArmyAviation #PortAuthority #SullyHudsonLanding #TWA800 #TailRotorFailure #WarStories #MilitaryAviation #HelicopterPilot #VeteranStories

13. Semper Paratus, Farewell Sticks Episode 226

    21 de agosto de 202613 minTemporada 1 · S01E226A continuación

    Farewell Sticks is the hardest episode we've ever had to record. On August 20th, we lost our friend, producer, and co-host John "Sticks" Hall in a small plane crash near Bristol, Maine. His son Tyler was flying …

    Notas del episodio

    Farewell Sticks is the hardest episode we've ever had to record. On August 20th, we lost our friend, producer, and co-host John "Sticks" Hall in a small plane crash near Bristol, Maine. His son Tyler was flying with him and survived with minor injuries. We're not speculating on cause. Actually, we're not speculating on anything about that day. What we can tell you: it was a Diamond DA20, Sticks bought it last spring, and that's where the facts stop for now. Farewell Sticks: The Man Behind the Mic Sticks was a true unrestricted aviator, qualified in both fixed wing and rotary wing. Furthermore, when the Coast Guard tried to send him fixed wing in flight school, he threatened to drop on request unless they let him fly helicopters instead. That stubbornness paid off. He spent his career as a Coast Guard rescue pilot, flying a hundred feet off the water, a hundred miles out, at night, in weather nobody sane would choose. Consequently, he pulled people off sinking ships when it mattered most. Sticks was also a nurse practitioner who prided himself on being an outstanding diagnostician. He didn't clock out when he left the office, either. Friends of the show can tell you he talked them through injuries and health scares more than once. He met RePete years ago as his son's Boy Scout troop leader. All three of his sons, Noah, Jack, and Tyler, became Eagle Scouts under his mentorship. Sticks first joined the show in Episode 30, "Are You Sure It's Mine," discussing 9/11. He came back most recently to co-host Episode 223, "Coasties in Space." However, his fingerprints are on this show in quieter ways too. He designed the logo, hiding a goat at a 120-degree angle of bank for anyone who looks closely enough. He recruited guests, hauled gear from New Hampshire to North Carolina for the Harrier sundown, and finally met the whole crew in person this past June. His son Tyler appeared on Episode 176, "Don't Be Afraid to Use the E-Word," and is heading into his senior year at Embry-Riddle. We're praying for Sticks and his entire family. Semper Paratus, Sticks. Always ready, right to the end. Here's a link to the news report of the mishap. Stay Connected Send condolences to [email protected] with "Condolences" in the subject line. We'll forward every message to his family. #SoThereIWas #FarewellSticks #SemperParatus #CoastGuardAviation #RescueHelicopterPilot #NursePractitioner #EagleScout #AviationCommunity #GeneralAviation #NavalAviators #PodcastCommunity #InMemoriam #AviationPodcast Drawing by Pat Dowden, USCG Retired.

14. Flight Path: He Who Dies with the Most Laugh Wrinkles Wins Episode 225

    20 de agosto de 20261 h 36 minTemporada 1 · S01E225A continuación

    Retired C-141 pilot and author Chill-Rob McD joins Fig and RePete for a night of Starlifter chaos: a Dutch roll at 35,000 feet, a mid-air fight with a runaway yaw damper, and a landing that ends in blown tires …

    Notas del episodio

    Retired C-141 pilot and author Chill-Rob McD joins Fig and RePete for a night of Starlifter chaos: a Dutch roll at 35,000 feet, a mid-air fight with a runaway yaw damper, and a landing that ends in blown tires and a fifty-foot wall of flame. Add a gunpoint landing fee off the coast of Africa, a loadmaster who nearly ate an elevator cable, and the story behind his book Flight Path: An Irreverent Aviation Tale — this one earns the title He Who Dies with the Most Laugh Wrinkles Wins.

15. Race to the Shear Switch Episode 224

    13 de agosto de 20261 h 33 minA continuación

    Race to the Shear Switch is exactly what it sounds like. You either cut the cable, or the cable decides your night for you. On Episode 224, retired Coast Guard helicopter pilot Larry Hall makes that call for …

    Notas del episodio

    Race to the Shear Switch is exactly what it sounds like. You either cut the cable, or the cable decides your night for you. On Episode 224, retired Coast Guard helicopter pilot Larry Hall makes that call for real. Actually, this episode opens rough. Co-host Fig joins fresh off a highway wreck, rear-ended by a Peterbilt into another rig. However, he's already cracking jokes about mistaking himself for Captain Kirk on the anesthesia. Furthermore, guest Larry Hall isn't new to chaos. The retired Coast Guard aviator flew H-52s off cutters, once herding a boat home with rotor wash. He calls it the Border Collie technique, and it's exactly as wild as it sounds. Race to the Shear Switch: Inside Episode 224 Consequently, the real drama shows up at 2 a.m. Larry is flying a night check ride with a young JG named Charlie Ray. They're trying to pump out a sinking trawler offshore. The hoist cable snags on the boat's outrigger, and it turns into a straight-up race to the shear switch. Both pilots reach for it at once. Once you shear the cable, the helicopter turns back into a slow, sad observation platform that can't do much. Luckily, a Coast Guard boat crew from Station Tybee reaches the trawler first, and everyone gets to go home. Years later, Larry runs into Charlie again, only now Charlie's a four-star admiral who remembers every second of that night, calling it the only shear of his entire career. Not a bad story to swap with the Vice Commandant. Larry also digs into Coast Guard history between stories. He's a volunteer at the service's historian's office, and he name-drops everything from the Cuban boat lift to Douglas Munro's Medal of Honor at Guadalcanal. It's a deep well, and he knows exactly where the good stuff is buried. And that race to the shear switch from decades ago still comes up whenever these two cross paths. Stay Connected📺 YouTube📸 Instagram📘 Facebook🎧 Apple / Spotify

16. Coasties in Space Episode 223

    6 de agosto de 20261 h 26 minA continuación

    This week's Coast Guard aviation stories come courtesy of a special guest co-host: Deuce, a newly retired Coast Guard aviator (and, briefly, the service's senior space attorney). Sticks and Bago hold down the …

    Notas del episodio

    This week's Coast Guard aviation stories come courtesy of a special guest co-host: Deuce, a newly retired Coast Guard aviator (and, briefly, the service's senior space attorney). Sticks and Bago hold down the fort while Deuce walks through the Coast Guard's oddball, everything-service mission set — including how commercial space launches are about to become a Coast Guard headache. From there it's classic So There I Was territory: sleeping inside a helicopter to escape a snoring ops officer, a Katrina-era rescue that saved six sailors drifting toward Morocco, and the almost-unbelievable ditching of a Pan Am Clipper next to the Cutter Pontchartrain. Deuce also breaks down why the Coast Guard is quietly building out a drone rating for search and rescue. Big thanks to DC Artworks for sponsoring the show — go check out dcartworks.net for genuinely one-of-a-kind aviation art.

17. Seeing it Through Episode 222

    30 de julio de 20261 h 26 minTemporada 1 · S01E222A continuación

    An update on Fig's serious crash and injuries and an AMAZING story of heroism under fire in Vietnam!

18. Lt. Jones Needs a Ride Episode 221

    23 de julio de 202639 minA continuación

    RePete opens the show and a call with Sticks about buying an airplane. Apparently, Sticks needed an airplane-shaped hole in his finances! Before that, two quick health check-ins: Fig is nursing an eye injury …

    Notas del episodio

    RePete opens the show and a call with Sticks about buying an airplane. Apparently, Sticks needed an airplane-shaped hole in his finances! Before that, two quick health check-ins: Fig is nursing an eye injury (prescription: beach time, not flight time). Meanwhile, Bago is recovering from a pathologic knee fracture, mistaken for arthritis for weeks. Good news — the lesion's benign, and he'll be back producing the show soon. Then things get properly ridiculous. Naval aviator "Vegas" (aka Lieutenant Jones) joins the show. First there's a reference to a sword salute in his Dress Blues behind a hangar... the full story about that can be heard in our "Blues Brothers Episode 90" then takes the opportunity to relive his Harrier ejection over the Neuse River. During a training hop at VMAT-203, an electronic fuel control failure sparked two engine fires on approach. Buck's play-by-play ("Vegas, you're on fire, eject, eject...") barely finished before Vegas was through the canopy. He landed on a golf course, no green fees required. Finally, Porky swings by to reminisce about the last public USMC Harrier demo. The guys wrap up with "Get Better Fig." Thanks to One Skin and DC Artworks for keeping the lights (and occasionally the jets) on.

19. Fig's Health Update

    18 de julio de 20268 minTemporada 8 · S01E220AA continuación

    Fig was involved in a serious crash on Thursday - 16 July. A Short update on his condition.

20. Putty, Lawman, Gallo and Candyman Episode 220

    16 de julio de 202632 minTemporada 1 · S01E220A continuación

    Putty talks Camp Bastion Attack in Sept of 2012, Lawman describes the most legitimate ejection ever made and Candyman talks traffic tickets in a war zone!

21. Put a Booger on the Winshield Episode 219

    9 de julio de 20261 h 40 minTemporada 1 · Episodio 219A continuación

    Marine Corps aviator Maui (call sign Cobra-31) joins RePete and Fig for stories spanning three decades of naval aviation: serving under Colonel Don Conroy — the real-life inspiration for The Great Santini — …

    Notas del episodio

    Marine Corps aviator Maui (call sign Cobra-31) joins RePete and Fig for stories spanning three decades of naval aviation: serving under Colonel Don Conroy — the real-life inspiration for The Great Santini — flying Huey gunships out of Marble Mountain, a hair-raising New Year's Eve medevac, training Iranian pilots before the Tehran evacuation, and flying CH-46s in Desert Storm.

22. Harrier Sundown: Monster and Rizzo’s Stories Episode 218

    2 de julio de 202636 minA continuación

    In Episode 218 of So There I Was, Fig & RePete bring listeners two stories recorded live at the Harrier Sundown gathering in North Carolina. First up is "Monster," one of the earliest Marine aviators selected …

    Notas del episodio

    In Episode 218 of So There I Was, Fig & RePete bring listeners two stories recorded live at the Harrier Sundown gathering in North Carolina. First up is "Monster," one of the earliest Marine aviators selected for the AV-8B Harrier program back in 1984. He recounts the chaos of being handed the first-ever heavyweight VSTOL launch off an LPH — no computers, no test pilot, just a junior lieutenant, a hazy horizon, and a velocity vector that refused to move. Monster also shares the bookend of his career: selected first to fly the Harrier, and years later, the Marine to retire the Corps' last A-4. Next, "Rizzo" takes listeners to Fallujah and Al-Amariyah during the height of the Iraq War. What started as a routine night of illumination runs turned into a low-altitude gun run that blew straight through the 2,000-foot floor — down to 60 feet, right in the alley. The story closes two decades later, when one of the kids who scavenged his spent shell casings tracked him down on Facebook and sent them back as shot glasses. Two pilots, two eras, one wild ride!

23. We Declined to Apologize for Returning Fire Episode 217

    25 de junio de 20261 h 24 minTemporada 1 · S01E217A continuación

    Marine Cobra pilot X-Man flew combat in both Grenada and Beirut — in the same month. He walks RePete and Fig through his path from a test pilot neighbor in Northern Virginia to the cockpit of an AH-1, the Grand …

    Notas del episodio

    Marine Cobra pilot X-Man flew combat in both Grenada and Beirut — in the same month. He walks RePete and Fig through his path from a test pilot neighbor in Northern Virginia to the cockpit of an AH-1, the Grand Anse campus rescue operation, and a Beirut rules-of-engagement situation where the pilot in command was asked to apologize for returning fire. He declined. At 69, X-Man is still logging AH-1 time with the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation. This one's got range.

24. Crossing the Pond: No, Really! Episode 216

    18 de junio de 202620 minA continuación

    This week’s episode was recorded live at King Mackerel’s Beach Tavern Bar & Grill in Moorehead City, NC, right after the historic Harrier Sundown Ceremony at Cherry Point. In Segment 1, call sign Ag—a Texas …

    Notas del episodio

    This week’s episode was recorded live at King Mackerel’s Beach Tavern Bar & Grill in Moorehead City, NC, right after the historic Harrier Sundown Ceremony at Cherry Point. In Segment 1, call sign Ag—a Texas Aggie and former Harrier XO—takes you on an unforgettable journey crossing the Atlantic to Desert Storm. From a midnight “Casablanca” goodbye at Cherry Point to dangerous night tanking with KC‑10s, metal-to-metal probe contact, a thunderstorm with St. Elmo’s fire, and a tense close ID with an Israeli E‑2, Ag’s story is a masterclass in nerve, precision, and naval aviation under pressure.Segment 2 shifts to DC-style storytelling with Derek from dcartworks.net, the artist behind stunning 3D metal squadron patches, Harrier bottle openers, and custom whiskey glasses. He shares a heart-stopping Afghanistan emergency airdrop in the Korangal Valley—jumping over 16 bundles to fix a ramp/door issue, realizing he’s three feet from the edge with no tether, and facing Taliban fire below. Plus, we uncover how D.C. drove updated tactics and seeker-equipped bombs that prevent the guesswork Harrier pilots endured. Tune in—for service, art, and stories that will stop your heart.

25. Scrape a Hole and Hang On: Buggsy's on Welded Wing Episode 215

    11 de junio de 202659 minTemporada 1 · Episodio 215A continuación

    Buggsy joins us to talk Flight school, Joining the Navy, Flying Harriers, Sundown Ceremony and more!

26. Trainwreck Episode 214

    5 de junio de 202633 minTemporada 1 · Episodio 214A continuación

    A near mid-ground collision by Strecken and

27. Don't Bother Logging It Episode 213

    28 de mayo de 20261 h 24 minTemporada 1 · S1E213A continuación

    Col Bill Wehrung - Horny sits with us to talk Naval Academy, Marine Aviation - including 235 combat missions in Vietnam, getting hit twice and an amazing career spanning 3 decades... starting before Safety …

    Notas del episodio

    Col Bill Wehrung - Horny sits with us to talk Naval Academy, Marine Aviation - including 235 combat missions in Vietnam, getting hit twice and an amazing career spanning 3 decades... starting before Safety Standards were a 'thing!'

28. Belly Up on Lead: The Growler Midair Episode 212

    21 de mayo de 202635 minTemporada 1 · S01E212A continuación

    Fig & RePete go over several aviation topics - including the F/A-18 Growler Mid Air collision in Mountain Home Idaho, last week.

29. I Can't Run That Far Episode 211

    14 de mayo de 20262 h 7 minTemporada 1 · S01E211A continuación

    Brain joins us to talk Flight School, Harriers, Drones and F-35s! Funny, touching... Don't miss this Great American!

30. I Flew Through the Afterburner Plume 'cuz I Heard It Episode 210

    7 de mayo de 20261 h 46 minTemporada 1 · Episodio 210A continuación

    Bonk, Top Gun, Marine MAWTS-1 and Test Pilot Stories kick off with him bobbing in the Pacific after less than 500 flight hours in total flight time! Actually, that’s just the warmup. This week on So There I …

    Notas del episodio

    Bonk, Top Gun, Marine MAWTS-1 and Test Pilot Stories kick off with him bobbing in the Pacific after less than 500 flight hours in total flight time! Actually, that’s just the warmup. This week on So There I Was, Fig and RePete sit down with Bonk, a former Test Pilot School graduate, Top Gun instructor, and MAWTS pilot whose career somehow became more insane every decade. One minute he’s failing eye exams. Consequently, he almost misses aviation entirely. The next minute he’s disconnecting A-4 flight controls in flight and wondering if this was really the best career choice. Then things get weird. Bonk talks about ending up in the water early in his career. Furthermore, he explains what happens when you suddenly discover the ocean is now your office. There are stories about VMFA-531, absurd amounts of flight time, and the strange reality of becoming “the old guy” while still doing incredibly dumb fighter pilot things. Wait, what? At one point, Bonk casually explains flying through an afterburner plume because he heard it. Heard it. Not saw it. Heard it. Naturally, that turns into a discussion about air combat maneuvering, test flying, and the tiny margin between “legendary story” and “aviation mishap report.” The episode also dives into: Top Gun and MAWTS culture Test Pilot School insanity Zero-G flights Engine testing Why Boards of Inquiry can ruin your week The origin of the callsign “Bonk” The strange process of translating fighter pilot language into something normal humans understand This episode feels like sitting at the bar after a squadron reunion while somebody keeps saying, “No seriously… this actually happened.” And somehow, every story gets crazier. Sponsor Spotlight - DCArtworks creates custom CNC-cut aviation and military artwork that honestly belongs in a ready room or squadron bar. Their handcrafted steel work is ridiculously good, and nearly every piece is custom-built to tell your story. Check out DCArtworks.net and talk to Derrick about building something unique for your office, hangar, or home. Sponsor Spotlight - We’re excited to partner with OneSkin, a company founded by PhD scientists dedicated to skin longevity. Rather than just masking the signs of aging, OneSkin’s proprietary OS-01 peptide targets the biological root causes of skin aging at the molecular level. It’s a simple, science-backed addition to your daily routine that helps your skin stay resilient and healthy, no matter how much time you’ve spent in the cockpit or out on the water. It’s dermatologist-tested and even has the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance, so it’s safe for the most sensitive skin. Get 15% off OneSkin with the code STIW at oneskin.co/STIW#oneskinpod

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