What does it take to command the F-22 Raptor at the edge of the envelope — and then pull the power to idle in a vertical tailslide over 100,000 people? — and then reinvent yourself beyond the cockpit?

Josh “Cabo” Gunderson joins Cinco to unpack elite performance, humility under pressure, the dominance of the Raptor at Red Flag, and the deeper question every operator must face: who are you when the afterburners go quiet? From Cuban immigrant roots to leading the F-22 Demonstration Team before millions, Cabo shares hard-earned lessons on discipline, decision-making, mission command, and finding purpose beyond the uniform.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A look back at 2025 and introduction to 2026's new FPP host in this end-of-year wrap up episode.

Near the end of each year, we feature the hard working men and women of NORAD who tirelessly monitor threats all year long and then, on December 24th, add the mission of tracking Santa.

Enjoy this 2022 rebroadcast on the NORAD Santa Tracker program featuring then-U.S. Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, the Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, the NORAD and NORTHCOM Senior Enlisted Leader.

Merry Christmas from all of us here at the Fighter Pilot Podcast.

Few companies in aviation history can claim an average of one new aircraft flown every year for four decades. Enter Scaled Composites.

Founded in 1982 by legendary designer Burt Rutan, Scaled Composites specializes in designing, building, and flight-testing proof-of-concept, prototype, and milestone-achieving aircraft—often pushing the edge of what’s thought possible.

On this episode, Scaled Composites President Greg Morris and engineering test pilot Justin Gillen pull back the curtain on this extraordinary organization. They explain how Scaled safely develops and flies so many radically different aircraft, why real-world flight test is far more disciplined than Hollywood would have you believe, and what it takes to turn bold ideas into first flights.