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Fighter Pilot Podcast

Fighter Pilot Podcast

Written by: Tucker "Cinco" Hamilton Retired U.S. Air Force Fighter Test Pilot
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About this listen

The Fighter Pilot Podcast explores the fascinating world of air combat: the aircraft, the weapons systems, and most importantly—the people.

Episodes typically feature guests who help explain various military aviation-themed topics, such as how ejection seats work or what it's like to fly on and off nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

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 aircraft, then this show is for you!

E. Vincent Aiello, 2018
Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • FPP212 - Four Stars, One Secretary, Zero Ego - Gen. Goldfein & Sec. Wilson on Servant Leadership
    Apr 20 2026

    What does it take to lead when the mission is hard, the stakes are life-and-death, and nobody is watching?

    In this extraordinary episode, Tucker Hamilton sits down with two of the most consequential figures in modern Air Force history — General (Ret.) David Goldfein, former Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, and Dr. Heather Wilson, former Secretary of the Air Force and current President of UTEP — Air Force Academy classmates who reunited at the Pentagon 35 years after their cadet days to write Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership.

    From Goldfein's F-16 shoot-down over Serbia to Wilson's battles on Capitol Hill and in the halls of the Pentagon, they have lived the kind of leadership not taught in classrooms — the kind forged in adversity, shaped by humility, and proven under pressure.

    In this conversation, they unpack what servant leadership actually looks like when the cost is real, why the most powerful leaders are the ones who put others first, and what the next generation of leaders needs to hear right now.



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
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    56 mins
  • FPP211 - The Last Harrier: Inside the Final AV-8B Squadron
    Apr 6 2026

    The AV-8B Harrier is one of the most demanding, iconic, and battle-proven aircraft in military aviation history. Now, as the Harrier era draws to a close, one squadron remains to carry the torch: VMA-223, the Great American Bulldogs.

    In this episode, Cinco sits down with the commanding officer (Traper) and executive officer (Porky) of the last AV-8B Harrier squadron to talk about the jet, the mission, the culture, and what it means to write the final chapter of an extraordinary community. This is a conversation about legacy, leadership, and the kind of airplane that shaped the aviators who flew it.



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Artemis II: Back to the Moon! (Rebroadcast)
    Apr 1 2026

    With the successful launch of Artemis II and NASA's return to the moon six decades later, we thought this a good time to dust off episode 189 from April 2024 featuring Reid "Tonto" Wiseman, mission commander.

    Godspeed, astronauts!



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-fighter-pilot-podcast/donations
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    48 mins
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