Episodios

  • Don’t Be Afraid to Use the E-Word Episode 176

    Don’t Be Afraid to Use the E-Word Episode 176
    Sep 11 2025
    Student pilot judgment takes center stage in this absurdly true tale of near-misses, smart calls, and the mysterious power of the “E-word.” We welcome Chock as he fights through weather, maintenance gremlins, and schedule chaos on the winding road to his private pilot check ride. From an RV-12 with opinions to a Cirrus with a parachute and sparrows doing formation work on the runway, he keeps choosing discretion over disaster—and lives to laugh about it. We unpack why declaring an emergency is free (and wise), how to beat get-there-itis, and why a plastic credit card might be your best safety tool when the forecast lies. Chock’s now at Embry-Riddle, cruising through ground school, logging real-world Aeronautical Decision Making, and proving that repetition builds a rock-solid foundation. Come for the pretty lights and seven welcome wagons; stay to hear how not killing yourself is a habit you can practice.
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    1 h y 6 m
  • You Fly By Your Seat & Your Ears Episode 175

    You Fly By Your Seat & Your Ears Episode 175
    Sep 4 2025
    Booz, a freshly-minted CFI, New Hampshirite, and RePete's daughter—whose glider-to-airline path includes a first solo at 15, a daddy-daughter cross-country in a Grumman Tiger, and a commercial check ride where a simulated engine roughness forced a wrong-side pattern call (good judgment > dogma). We talk density altitude (rude), VMC demos (also leg fatigue), and why hypoxia makes your alphabet wander off the page — thanks, hyperbaric chamber! An alternator gremlin in Texas led to a fateful diversion and meeting CFI legend Mary Latimer (GIFT) [Episode 162], proving aviation serendipity is real. Booz shares practical advice: take a discovery flight, consider scholarships and ANG paths, and remember progress isn’t linear—more like porpoising on a hot day. Come for the thunderstorm-dodging check ride, stay for the cactus awe, checklist Sharpie art, and donuts for the Feds. Listen, laugh, and maybe plot your own glider to CFI journey. Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot
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    1 h y 13 m
  • Moon Child Episode 174

    Moon Child Episode 174
    Aug 28 2025
    Tito brought stories that will make you laugh, wince, and wonder why anyone gives gunners ANY spare time! Kool-Aid boots and hot-sauce toilets are savage reminders that no one is safe in a combat zone! Tito’s journey took him from slinging bombs as a “Load Toad,” to fighting fires in baked-potato suits, to strapping into the legendary AC-130 Spectre gunship—where 105mm recoil could literally make the airplane flinch. He survived dunkers, duct tape wars, pink-mist firefights, and kept Nair on hand as a weapon of revenge. And when he wasn’t flattening bad guys in Afghanistan and Iraq, he was saving lives in HH-60 Pave Hawks. Tito also wrote Moonchild, a raw memoir about combat, camaraderie, and finding humor in the absurd. If you like war stories spiked with ridiculous pranks, blunt honesty, and a side of absurdity, buckle up. This one will shake the walls. Order his excellent memoir here! Moon Child Book CoverVersion 1.0.0
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    1 h y 11 m
  • Time Flies: The Harrier Watch Episode 173

    Time Flies: The Harrier Watch Episode 173
    Aug 22 2025
    This special mid week episode of So There I Was takes a slight detour from our usual lineup of aviators and aircrew—but it’s still all about aviation at heart. Our guest, Mark, from Long Island Watch Co., joined us to share the story behind a limited-run Harrier commemorative watch designed in collaboration with the folks at Patuxent River Naval Air Station (PAX River). PAX, the Navy’s legendary flight test center, was the perfect place for the Harrier community to dream up a way to honor their jet as it heads into retirement. Mark walked us through the design cycle, the hoops of Boeing approvals, and the cool details built into the watch. And yes—Mark is a pilot himself, with a story about learning to fly in some of the busiest airspace around. Aviation, watches, and Harriers—you’ll find it all here. You can see more about the watch here You Can Order the watch here
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    30 m
  • Hunting Tankers In The Desert Episode 172

    Hunting Tankers In The Desert Episode 172
    Aug 21 2025
    Retired Marine AV-8B Harrier pilot, “Cutter,” brings stories that are equal parts funny and awe-inspiring. He kicks off with the 2005 twelve-ship departure from al-Asad—skimming the Saudi desert on fumes, praying the tankers showed up—before pushing through a 10.5-hour odyssey to Rota, Spain. He rewinds to OCS at Camp Upshur with 300 candidates lined up for a cold gamma-globulin shot, then to flight school in T-2s that needed a literal bicycle pump to make the radio work. Cutter recounts the logging cable in Japan that shredded his wing at 480 knots, and the engine fire in Yuma that ended in an ejection so violent it still rattles him. He explains how smart fixes and blade blending saved Harrier engines, why “Hobbitville” became a deployment, and how commanding MCAS Yuma eventually led to teaching in Vermont. It’s fast, funny, and human: Marine brotherhood, cockpit chaos, and leadership lessons from a Colonel who’s seen it all. Stick around for the Extra—Cutter at Mach .99 over on Patreon!
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    1 h y 38 m
  • Disco’s Canteen Got a Refill Episode 171

    Disco’s Canteen Got a Refill Episode 171
    Aug 14 2025
    IIn this wild, laugh-until-your-ribs-hurt episode of So There I Was, we dive into Marine Corps Harrier pilot stories that blur the line between combat history and barroom legend. We round up a squadron of Harrier pilots — including Spiko, who joins mid-flight — for tales of 8.5-G nozzle breaks in the Philippines, midair collisions, midnight carrier deck landings, and questionable uses for government-issued canteens. “Mongoose” lets the squadron run wild, “Woody” wakes up surrounded by boots, and one Marine’s coffee ritual nearly sparks an international hygiene incident. Between the absurd tales, these Marine Corps Harrier pilot stories also carry moments of respect for fallen brothers like LZ and Trey, memorials in their honor, and the unshakable loyalty forged only in the cockpit and combat zone. If you enjoy this chaos in the cockpit, you’ll also love Episode 170 for even more Harrier tales and high-speed mishaps. Equal parts irreverent and heartfelt, this is Marine aviation storytelling at its most unfiltered. Strap in, hold on, and prepare for impact. If you love authentic Marine Corps Harrier pilot stories, this episode delivers them with humor, heart, and the thrill of high-speed flight. 542 Pilot in a Harrier
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    1 h y 15 m
  • Twisted Balls & Flaming Intakes Episode 170

    Twisted Balls & Flaming Intakes Episode 170
    Aug 7 2025
    Strap in and try not to twist your balls. This week’s episode goes full afterburner with the “Young Guns” of VMA-542: Auto, Disco, Pisser, Spiko, Strut, and Vapor join Fig and RePete to recount the wild, the ridiculous, and the occasionally flammable moments of Marine Harrier squadron glory. There’s a missile shoot that nearly ends in a self-induced jet barbecue, poker games that could fund small countries, and bar fights with women who can deadlift your Harley. You’ll hear how napalm delivery tactics were invented on the fly (literally), how morale was fueled by Scope bottle cocktails, and how the infamous “Deadbeat Club” probably violated several Geneva Conventions. This isn’t just war stories—it’s Marine aviation mythology, told by the guys who lived it, built it, and occasionally broke it. Oh—and “Olo Polo”? We don’t know either. Just scream it into the void and roll tape.
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    1 h y 15 m
  • Hook Slaps & Nozzle Flops Episode 169

    Hook Slaps & Nozzle Flops Episode 169
    Jul 31 2025
    This week, we flip the script—Fig and RePete aren’t hosting, we’re the guests on The Flying Dutchman Show. Dutch dives into the stories, chaos, and camaraderie that define life as a Marine Harrier pilot, pulling out unforgettable tales from our years in the cockpit. From flight school struggles and first carrier landings to NATOPS checkride drama and mid-air close calls, no part of Marine aviation is off limits. You’ll hear how Fig got his call sign, how RePete nearly lost his flight contract, and how both of us beat the odds to fly the legendary AV-8B. We talk about our time in VMA-223, what makes the Harrier such a beast to fly, and why landing on a postage stamp at sea isn’t just a figure of speech. Whether you’re a pilot, veteran, or aviation junkie—if you’ve ever wondered what it takes to survive a nozzle-flop or why a death equation matters at 50 feet—this one’s for you. https://youtu.be/v0KBqE97e5I
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    1 h y 18 m