So There I Was

Nasty’s worst day Navy starts when a young Tomcat hopeful hears “you’re a qual” on the radio, then “you’re a disqual” at the ladder. Consequently, that gut punch on the Lex knocks his timeline off, pairs him with Bug Roach, and quietly sets the stage to help save two lives later. Actually, he walks from Key West heartbreak in a TA-4J Skyhawk to the bridge of Nimitz, with failures, promotions, and a near-buoy strike with an admiral watching. Furthermore, he digs into rules of engagement over Afghanistan, AI-driven factories that can out-build China, and why straight, honest leadership keeps people alive at sea and in combat. The “wait, what?” is how Nasty’s worst day Navy becomes the best thing that ever happened to his career, and to a couple of people who are still breathing because of it. Adm Manazir Commanded the USS Nimitz Adm. Manazir’s Leadership Maxims This week we acknowledge the tragic loss of RS-2 Tyler Jaggers US Coast Guard. Please consider donating to help support his family in this difficult time: https://tinyurl.com/tylerjaggers

He Heard Me Go By pilot story comes from Navy pilot Stretch Curran, who flew the massive A-3 / EA-3 Skywarrior “Whale,” the largest jet routinely launched from aircraft carriers. In Episode 201 of So There I Was, Stretch joins us for a wide-ranging hangar-talk conversation about flying the Whale from carriers, the realities of multi-crew naval aviation, and the kind of moments that make pilots stop talking for a second. Furthermore, Stretch describes launching at night from USS Midway when an electrical fire and system failures suddenly complicate the mission. Consequently the crew must stabilize a very large jet in darkness and poor weather while troubleshooting failures in real time. But that’s only one of the stories. The episode also explores the unique world of EA-3 electronic warfare missions, life operating the largest aircraft ever routinely flown from carrier decks, and the culture of the Whale community. Then comes the moment that gave the episode its title. During one maneuver another pilot later reported he “heard me go by.” Wait… what? Consequently the conversation turns to close passes, crowded training airspace, and the kind of unexpected moments that become legendary sea stories. If you enjoy naval aviation stories, carrier flying, and ridiculous pilot bar stories, Episode 201 delivers all of it. … #navypilot #aviationpodcast #a3skywarrior #carrieraviation #navalaviation #militaryaviation #pilotstory #aviationstory #carrierlanding #aviationhistory #navyaviation #aviationlife #aviationgeek #fighterpilotstories #sothereiwas

Royce Williams Medal of Honor recipient joins the show to recount a legendary tale. Imagine bringing a knife to a gunfight. In this case, the knife is a subsonic F9F Panther. Furthermore, the guns are seven Soviet MiG-15s. This was just a typical Tuesday for Captain Royce Williams.   In this episode, we unpack a 35-minute dogfight hidden for half a century. The government kept it secret to avoid a “diplomatic risk.” Consequently, we dive into how Royce used his underpowered jet like a ballerina. He dodged 760 rounds of Russian spite. Then, he limped back to the carrier in a jet that looked like Swiss cheese.   Actually, this is the greatest naval aviation story you weren’t allowed to hear for fifty years. It finally features a new Medal of Honor and 73 years of “I told you so.” If you’ve ever wondered how a lone naval aviator survives a supersonic ambush, this is for you. We explore pure pilot skill and aggressive engine management.   Stay Connected: Subscribe To The Podcast: https://sothereiwas.us/subscribe/ Follow Us On Twitter: https://x.com/There_I_Was Follow Us On TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@so_there_i_was Website: https://sothereiwas.us … #MedalOfHonor #KoreanWar #MiG15 #NavalAviation #Dogfight #F9FPanther #AviationHistory #PilotStories #AviationPodcast #RoyceWilliams #NavyHero #DogfightStories #MilitaryAviation #FlightTest #FighterPilot

This aviation podcast episode explores real pilot stories, flight safety lessons, and ATC coordination. We dive into the extreme demands of flying high-performance military aircraft like the SR-71 Blackbird.   SR-71 pilot stories don’t get much better than this. On this episode of So There I Was, we sit down with BC Thomas. As the highest-time SR-71 Blackbird pilot in history, BC discusses Mach-3 flying and flight test insanity. He shares the kind of aviation decision-making that only happens at 80,000 feet while moving faster than a rifle round.   From WWII Inspiration to the Cold War Ready Room BC’s journey began with early inspiration during WWII. His career spanned flying the KC-135, C-130, and F-104 before he eventually strapped into the legendary Blackbird. This episode offers a front-row seat to Cold War aviation history. We tell these SR-71 Blackbird test pilot stories the way they sounded in the ready room: honest, irreverent, and occasionally unbelievable.   BC explains what it takes to earn a seat in the Blackbird. The process requires months of systems training and intense blindfold cockpit checks. He describes a safety culture where experts dissect mistakes with surgical precision.   Surviving Mach-3 Unstarts and Hangar Mishaps In this interview, you’ll hear about Mach-3 unstarts that try to swap ends with the airplane. BC also recounts his F-104 “zoom rocket” adventures and the intense pressure of test pilot school. These SR-71 Blackbird test pilot stories even cover why flying the world’s fastest jet can leave you mildly disappointed when nobody shoots at you.   Surprisingly, BC’s closest call didn’t happen at high altitude. It happened while he was sliding sideways across a hangar floor at a walking pace. He found himself pointed directly at a blast fence in a multi-million dollar jet.   Why You Should Listen to This Aviation Podcast If you enjoy SR-71 Blackbird test pilot stories, this episode is packed with aviation storytelling and pilot lessons. It delivers the kind of safety wisdom that only comes from flying the most demanding aircraft ever built. Listen in to hear how BC survived these high-stakes missions long enough to laugh about them. … #SR71 #blackbird #aviation

Discover gripping F-106 pilot stories, test pilot emergencies, and aviation safety lessons from a career pushing airplanes—and luck—to the brink. Buckle up for Da Benj’s wild ride from F-106 ice-breaking sonic booms over frozen Lake Superior to praying “Please God, don’t let me F-up” in the cockpit of the Douglas Aircraft ‘Bird of Prey’—because who straps an Air Force test pilot into a company-funded tech demo that flies like a drunk penguin? This aviation legend spills absurd tales of trapped fuel emergencies, French test pilot school spins that nearly pancaked a Casa 212, and why the 777 feels like it reads your mind better than your spouse. Dive into pilot stories that make you question every career choice while laughing your ass off at near-death absurdities only a true sky god survives. … #aviation #pilot #avgeek #testpilotstories #pilotstories #aviationsafety #militaryaviation #airforcetestpilot #fighterpilotstories #airlinepilotstories #flightinstructor #aviationpodcast #SoThereIWas #NeverRelax

In 1967, legendary author John Steinbeck climbed into a Huey helicopter over Vietnam—and what he wrote afterward was so raw, so strange, and so brutally honest that it still messes with pilots and historians today. This episode dives into the Vietnam War helicopter experience through Steinbeck’s eyes: the sound, the fear, the weird calm, and the “ecstasy” of combat aviation that only those who’ve strapped into a military aircraft truly understand. We unpack what happens when a world-class writer meets rotary-wing warfare head-on, why Huey pilots in Vietnam lived on a knife edge between poetry and panic, and how Steinbeck captured the psychology of flight, risk, and survival better than most official war histories ever did. It’s part aviation storytelling, part Vietnam War history, and part “what did I just read?”—told the only way pilots can: with irreverence, curiosity, and a healthy respect for anyone who willingly steps into a machine designed to hover over a jungle full of people shooting at it. If you’ve ever wondered what flying a Huey in Vietnam felt like, how war correspondents experienced combat aviation, or why pilots sometimes describe danger in oddly beautiful terms… buckle up. This one’s a ride.From Vietnam War Huey helicopter missions to pilot safety, ATC coordination, and the strange psychology of combat aviation storytelling, this episode explores how flying in war changes everyone who touches the sky. Stay Connected: Subscribe To The Podcast: https://sothereiwas.us/subscribe/ Follow Us On Twitter: https://x.com/There_I_Was Follow Us On TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@so_there_i_was Website: https://sothereiwas.us … #VietnamWar #HueyHelicopter #MilitaryAviation #VietnamWarHistory #HelicopterPilot #CombatAviation #WarStories #AviationPodcast #PilotStories #JohnSteinbeck #VietnamHelicopter #AviationHistory #TrueWarStories #USMilitaryHistory #SoThereIWasPodcast

Welcome to a sobering and powerful episode of So There I Was. This week, we explore incredible Hanoi Hilton survival stories with retired Navy Captain Mike “Masher” McGrath. Beyond the technical skill of flying an A-4 Skyhawk, Masher details the sheer mental grit required to survive six years of brutal captivity in North Vietnam. 2,102 Days of Endurance and Torture On June 30, 1967, Masher’s world changed in a heartbeat during a bomb run south of Hanoi. After a violent mid-air ejection that shattered his arm and back, he was captured and thrust into a nightmare. For the next 2,102 days, he lived through the horrific reality of the Vietnamese “rope trick” and constant interrogation. His captors used methods designed to dislocate shoulders and break the human spirit. However, the North Vietnamese could not destroy the bond between the American prisoners. These Hanoi Hilton survival stories are not just about pain; they are about the unbreakable will of aviators who refused to surrender their honor. The Tap Code: A Lifeline Through Stone Walls The “Hanoi Hilton” was designed to isolate men, yet the prisoners found a way to stay connected. They developed a sophisticated “tap code” to communicate through the thick walls of their cells. Because they could not speak, they used rhythmic taps to share information and maintain a military chain of command. Masher describes how this secret language allowed them to teach each other Spanish, discuss philosophy, and even share jokes to keep morale high. This connection was vital because it transformed solitary confinement into a shared mission of resistance. Consequently, the brotherhood forged in those dark cells remains one of the greatest legacies of the Vietnam War. So There I Was: Ready Room Moments This episode places you directly in the ready room to hear the raw truth of naval aviation and sacrifice. We discuss the “banana navigation” in the back of an A-4 and the terrifying reality of landing on a pitching carrier deck at night. Masher recalls the “ecstasy” of the B-52 strikes over Hanoi, which signaled that the end of their long captivity was finally near. The atmosphere is heavy with respect as the hosts listen to tales of the “Hanoi University” and the “Operation Homecoming” release in 1973. Because Masher returned with his honor intact, his story serves as a masterclass in resilience for every pilot and patriot.. … #VietnamWar #POW #HanoiHilton #NavalAviation #MilitaryHistory #AviationPodcast #SoThereIWas #CombatStories #WarStories #USNavy #A4Skyhawk #A7Corsair #Leadership #Resilience #TrueStories

So there I was… five miles from the runway at Stansted, flaps moving from 35 to 50 on an MD-11, when the airplane abruptly rolled to nearly 60 degrees of bank on short final. That’s not a metaphor. That actually happened. In this episode of So There I Was, Fig and RePete sit down with Chubbs, a Guard fighter pilot turned FedEx check airman, for a master-class in aviation storytelling, decision-making, and pure “how did we survive that?” moments. From a flap literally departing the aircraft and landing between cars at a pub, to CRM failures so bad they ended careers, to Guard shenanigans involving stolen cars, helicopters, and a flattened Crown Vic — this one covers it all. Along the way, we dive into MD-11 systems quirks, high-stakes line checks, cargo ops into combat zones, fatigue, judgment calls on short final, and why sometimes the smartest move is to undo the last thing you did and land the airplane. Equal parts hilarious, terrifying, and educational — exactly how aviation stories should be told. … #AirlinePilotLifestyle #WhatIsIOEForPilots #AviationHumor

In this episode of So There I Was, Fig and RePete are joined by Kemo and they sit down with two air traffic controllers to talk about what pilots never see — and rarely understand — on the other side of the mic. From go-arounds that mean “you’re not trying hard enough,” to near-miss moments that make an entire tower pucker, this conversation pulls back the curtain on how airspace actually gets managed. Along the way, we dig into controller training timelines that rival military pipelines, staffing shortages that stretch patience and margins, and what it’s like working a shutdown while still moving metal safely. Then things go sideways — canceled takeoffs for iguanas on the runway, Brasher warnings explained, and stories that absolutely did not make it into the AIM. It’s equal parts aviation reality check, dark humor, and behind-the-scenes storytelling — and once you hear it, you’ll never hear ATC the same way again. This episode dives into air traffic control stories, control tower moments, pilot experiences,aviation storytelling, flight safety discussions, and behind-the-scenes ATC perspectives. … #AirTrafficControl #AviationPodcast #SoThereIWas

New Year’s Eve, no guest, and somehow the cockpit still turns into a full-blown sitcom. Fig & RePete kick off with a takeoff that goes sideways at V1 when “rotate” gets called… and apparently translated into “stare blankly into the void.” From there, it’s the perfect hangout episode: Top Gun continuity crimes (medals disappear, sunglasses teleport), a hard pivot into the Air India 787 post-rotation dual-engine power-loss mystery (and why one explanation feels disturbingly too plausible), and a buffet of leadership horror stories that’ll make you grateful for every normal human you’ve ever flown with. Plus: quiet professionals, jumpseat survival tactics, and one legendary “turn the checklist 90 degrees” power move that ends exactly how it should. Funny, sharp, and just unhinged enough to feel like the crew room after midnight.

This week’s So There I Was episode is a Hangout — that happens when you put pilots, controllers, and a few proud troublemakers in the same virtual room and hit “record.” We swap the kind of stories that never fit in a checklist: a Harrier night recovery that ended six inches from a very bad day, a Learjet that missed an airliner by 100 feet in IMC, and a “UFO” sighting that turned out to be Starlink doing accidental aerobatics in the sun’s glare. Then Heater drops in and casually explains how Top Gun almost became a dark vampire movie (until someone showed the director what blue sky actually looks like). Add laser-strike rage, EMAS explained for non-pilots, and the annual reminder that the Marines were the in-flight entertainment. Happy New Year—check six, and don’t touch the igniter wiring. Sticks Heater Scotty Bag O Pawel Dizzy Porky Fig RePete

This is what happens when you put a Navy Tomcat legend behind a camera and let him tell the story his way. Heater takes us from KC-135 tanker ops with that infamous hard hose, to the kind of “how’d-you-do-that?” plug where he’s steady on the basket and still managing to grab photos mid-refuel. Then we pivot into Top Gun lore from someone who was actually there: the “Star Wars on Earth” in more ways than one; the image that helped ignite the franchise; two days of filming “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it mystery of a possible Darth Vader lurking in the background of the bar scene. Along the way, Heater breaks down what aviation photography really takes: planning, timing, composition, and the occasional blind shot that somehow becomes iconic. And years later, he’s still uncovering gems in old slide boxes that prove the best pictures sometimes outlive the moment by decades. Long-form, hilarious, and packed with aviation history and insider detail. F-14 on the Fantail Heater Paint Scheme

This week’s sponsor: Antigravity A1 Drone. Learn more at sothereiwas.us/antigravity Episode 190 is what happens when you hand the mic to Captain CJ “Heater” Healy and then just try to keep up. Heater takes us from a childhood obsession with WWII airplanes to roller-coaster “G-training,” to flying—then teaching—at the highest levels of naval aviation. Along the way, we hit the $10 “Mexican Justice of the Peace” wedding that turned into a 53-year marriage, the fighter-pilot path that almost didn’t happen, and the mind-bending world of MiGs at Area 51 — yes, the ones that “smelled like a hydraulic leak with an electrical fire.” — Heater also reveals how a single photograph helped spark Top Gun, plus what it was like being on set and shooting real missile events that almost ended VERY badly with a very non-digital camera… including mid-flight film surgery. This one’s a top-five all-timer—no doubt. The Shot that Changed His Life Heater’s Paint Scheme

In this week’s episode of So There I Was, Ike joins us with stories so wild they make the Quigley, Beirut, and Cherry Point weather sound like minor inconveniences. We open with Ike casually mentioning that he once found himself upside-down over the North Atlantic at night — because of course he did. From growing up under the Nashville approach path to being choked in boot camp for laughing, to nearly “smoking” the British ambassador in Beirut when his door gunner got jumpy, Ike’s journey from farm kid to single-seat attack pilot is a rollercoaster with no safety bar. We hit everything: CH-46 shenanigans, A-4 aileron rolls where drop tanks were definitely still attached, Harrier culture, maintenance-shop misery, and why flying vertical is basically a religion. Add in toilet installations on mountain peaks, British PT instructors who try to kill you, and Marines being Marines… and you’ve got an episode that is equal parts chaos, nostalgia, and aviation gold.  Screenshot

B-2 stealth bomber test pilot Sparky joins So There I Was to explain why the world’s sneakiest bomber still can’t go direct to Liberal, Kansas without a paperwork migraine. From “switches up, auto missile, eat a sandwich” bomb runs to 24-hour missions fueled by go-pills, honey buckets, and a hacked-together cot, he walks us through life in a jet built for nuclear armageddon but terrible at simple IFR. Then we follow him to test pilot school at Edwards, where he flies everything from F-16s to flying boats, helps beat up the “Franken-tanker” KC-46, and explains how big airliners survive stalls, rejected takeoffs, and absurd crosswinds. Sparky also tells the sobering story of losing a classmate in a T-38 crash—and the piano-burning tradition that followed—before closing with the truly unbelievable tale of how Wayne Newton kissing his wife on stage earned him his call sign. Burning a Piano B-2 School Mates Last TPS Flight Using the Good Part of the Runway While Craters Get Fixed

Strap in, because Sparky’s ride from the C-17 to the B-2 is basically the aviation version of “What could possibly go wrong?” — except when everything did go wrong, and somehow nobody died. We open with Sparky nearly spearing aPassenger Airliner 737 at FL280 when the T-38’s pitot-static system decided to take the day off. That set the tone. Next, he walks us through dropping flares directly onto a detainee camp in Kandahar (oops), landing a 585,000-pound C-17 on a 3,000-foot dirt strip, and descending at 25,000 feet per minute because… why not? Then we move to the B-2, where one of the highlights is pressing one button and starting all four engines at once, like a nuclear-hardened Nespresso machine. Sparky’s stories swing from hilarious to jaw-dropping, and many would make an FAA inspector faint. It’s chaos, comedy, combat aviation, and classic So There I Was—all wrapped into two monster episodes… This week and next we are honored to welcome our first B-2 Spirit Pilot

So There I Was dives into the UPS MD-11 crash, compressor stalls, and why some jets are “varsity airplanes.” Fig kicks things off with a flaming T-45 compressor stall story, then we walk through what we know so far about the UPS MD-11 crash, V1 decision speed, startle factor, and why “no fast hands” can literally save your life. From tail tanks and induced drag to cargo-pilot zombie sleep schedules, you’ll hear how big jets, night freight, and human factors all collide at high speed. Along the way we roast armchair investigators, explain jet engines and compressor stalls with a clever Taco Bell analogy from BadAss! We share some stories that will make every pilot nod and every non-aviator gasp. If you’ve ever wondered what really happens on the flight deck when everything goes sideways at rotation, this episode is your front-row seat. Screenshot

Six Marines. One table. Zero chill. This round-robin mayhem starts with a Harrier pilot fishtailing toward a hover pad in Iwakuni, Japan when a yaw reaction-control literally comes loose and starts “helping” at random. From there, we spiral into why conventional landings in a Harrier are a last resort, how “taking the jog” at Cherry Point doesn’t mean going for a run! Then we chat about what happens when your fire light says, “Land. Now.” We talk PMCF flights when you shut your ONLY engine off on purpose (whose idea was that?), nozzle jams, outriggers, brake math with one brake, and a Spanish exchange pilot’s mishap that grounded a fleet. In between: Marines being Marines—bridges, beer, tape, typhoons, and the legendary Zero Hangar. It’s loud, fast, and occasionally naked (don’t ask). 

Jedi’s back—and the brake-check lesson starts before the beers do. An F-4 slides into rainy Pensacola, our hero reports “good braking,” and a brick-built Marine promptly edits his vocabulary: “It’s poor.” Decades later, that same Marine reappears—through Jedi’s son. Aviation is a small world with a loud voice. From there, we ricochet through cockpit lore: a British captain freeing stuck throttles by axe-murdering a radar scope (maintenance note: “radar inop”), a Vampire jet literally pruning the only tree in northern Germany—onto a soldier, and the fine art of CRM when an FO treats a 767 like a single-seat fighter. Jedi also talks writing: Substack confessions, a new thriller, and why the FAA’s “kinder, gentler” era works when crews own their mistakes. It’s hangar talk at altitude—equal parts cautionary tale, comedy, and “don’t try this at home.” Strap in, stow your screwdriver, and remember: if a Marine asks about braking action… you already know the answer. To read some amazing aviation stories and other life lessons by Jedi check out his substack here!

Allyn Hinton, Marine and Army aviator, joins So There I Was for a wild, first-person tour from low-level Huey recons over Da Nang to Blackhawks in Desert Storm. In this Allyn Hinton interview, he relives a smoke-grenade surprise that flushed eight guys from a bunker, a foot chase through a dry rice paddy, and a med-evac detour that out-prioritized a Korean officers’ trip to LZ-3! Then we leap to carrier quals, C-130 world travel, and the only thing harder than hovering: trying not to laugh while catching the “wrong” wire. Along the way, Hinton flies with his son, chauffeurs U.S. senators past oil-well fires, and explains why Marines embraced the “Purple Fox” moniker. It’s fast, funny, and shockingly human—aviation history told at rotor-wash speed. Listen now to feel the jet blast, the rotor thump, and the unmistakable Marine grin.