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.

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“The Need to Lead” by Dave “Chip” Berke, with a contribution by Jocko Willink, explores what it truly means to lead under pressure — in combat, business, and life. Drawing on Berke’s rare experience flying the F-18, F-16, F-22, and F-35B, the book distills the lessons learned from two decades of military service and years teaching leadership at Echelon Front. From the cockpits of the world’s most advanced fighter jets to the classrooms where he now trains corporate teams, Berke breaks down how humility, accountability, and decisiveness shape effective leaders. His stories reveal how ego can sabotage performance and how embracing failure, listening, and empowering others are the real markers of command.

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From flying F-16s over Iraq to testing Virgin Galactic’s spaceplanes, Keith “Coma” Colmer has lived one of the most diverse and impactful careers in modern aviation. Raised near John Wayne’s ranch in rural Arizona, he rose from an Air Force ROTC cadet at MIT to a combat and test pilot shaping the future of flight. In this episode, Coma shares untold stories from flying GPS satellites during Desert Storm, developing the Litening and Sniper pods, pioneering electronic warfare systems like the ALQ-213, and leading Virgin Galactic’s early spaceflight test team. He also opens up about leadership lessons from the Air National Guard, directing operations at Gulfstream Aerospace, and why he now flies floatplanes in the Pacific Northwest “just for the fun of it.” This is an incredible deep dive into flight testing, innovation, and the passion that keeps pilots in the sky long after the mission ends.

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In this episode of @AfterburnPodcast host John “Rain” Waters sits down with Bob “Bags” Simeone, a former Navy F/A-18 Hornet pilot who flew combat missions during Operation Desert Storm. From low-level strikes over Iraq to night tanking in icing conditions, Bags shares a raw, often hilarious, and deeply personal account of what it was like to be part of America’s return to high-end warfare after Vietnam.

They dive into what deployment looked like aboard the USS America in the early ‘90s, the challenges of navigating pre-GPS cockpits, and the chaos of coordinating missions in a pre–Link 16 world. Bags recounts everything from near-diverts over Australia to accidentally bombing a Kuwaiti beach house to make Saddam think an amphibious assault was coming.

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Welcome to The Lowdown, your weekly briefing on global aviation and defense. In this episode, we cover the latest on the F-35 Block 4 program and its delays, downgrades, and the TR-3 foundation for future upgrades. We also dive into the next-generation “doomsday plane,” the E-4C Nightwatch, set to replace the Cold War–era E-4B, and explore how Sierra Nevada Corporation is driving the future of airborne command and control.

We break down massive U.S. Army missile contracts, from Patriot PAC-3 interceptors to AMRAAM production, and highlight the rise of low-cost precision weapons like the laser-guided APKWS rockets now used by the F-15E Strike Eagle. From Venezuelan F-16s buzzing U.S. Navy destroyers, to China-linked cyberattacks, to the Air Force’s first pilotless cargo flight across the Pacific, the headlines point to a rapidly changing defense landscape. You’ll also hear updates on the next-generation bunker buster bomb to replace the GBU-57, SpaceX’s global Starlink military applications, and why precision-guided rockets are shaping future conflicts. If you’re passionate about aviation, military tactics, and defense technology, subscribe now for weekly analysis and insight into the future of airpower and national security.

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In July 2012, F-16 pilot Scott “Fester” Fredrick found himself in a fight for survival over the frigid North Pacific. What began as a routine movement flight from Misawa to Eielson turned into a catastrophic engine failure, forcing him to eject over open ocean and spend more than six hours in 55-degree water before rescue.

In this episode, we dive into Fester’s incredible career — from chasing the B-2 Spirit during flight test, to combat over Iraq, to his harrowing ejection and rescue. We talk pilot training lessons, split-second decision making, survival training that saved his life, and how perspective changes after you’ve stared death in the face.

Whether you’re into aviation, military history, or just a great story of resilience and skill under pressure, this one delivers.

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This week on The Lowdown military aviation news: Hungarian MiG-29 theft – Thieves broke into Kecskemét Air Base and stole radar components from retired MiG-29 fighters. Was it an inside job inside NATO territory? F-15 accidental ejection – At Barnes Air National Guard Base a passenger unexpectedly ejected from an F-15D during taxi. We break down how this could happen. MQ-9 Reaper crash – A $13 million Reaper drone was lost in the Mediterranean Sea after a propeller failure. Singapore cancels Guam F-15 training plan – Why Singapore and the United States decided not to move forward with this fighter detachment. B-2 bomber Alaska appearance – A stealth bomber and F-35 escorts arrive during the Putin and Trump Alaska event.

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In this episode of the Bro Chat, "Flash" "Bender" and "Rain" are joined by Kevin "Konan" Parkhurst to discuss flying the F-35 in the reserves, how to get hired by a reserve or guard unit and more.

Check out Authentic Media - Six months Free - Just use code 62F6D at Patreon.com/AuthenticMedia/redeem/62F6D.

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