So There I Was

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.

Nose pointed at a rock wall, rescue specialist on the skid, rotor wash bouncing off granite, and then—power loss. Abort! Welcome to the world of helicopter rescue with Double D, Arizona Department of Public Safety pilot and systems operator. He’s pulled climbers out of box canyons, rescued the stranded, recovered the fallen, and somehow lived to tell the story with gallows humor intact. Pete and Sticks dive into hoists, short-hauls, taglines, and near-death pucker-factor flying. We get into what it means to “move at the speed of safety,” how to manage canyon winds, and why teamwork matters more than horsepower when you’re hanging 200 feet below a chopper. Add in rotor-wash physics, and Dos Gringos jokes—it’s absurd, intense, and ridiculously good. Come for the rescues; stay for the adrenaline and the laughs. For an instagram video of the opening rescue sequence on the show, look here

Helicopter search and rescue takes center stage as DPS pilot Darrell Detty walks us through hair-raising missions, near-misses and small-town chases that feel like action movies with rotor wash. From a 50-foot hovering autorotation, governor failures and a frantic stolen-car pursuit that ends in a live carjacking rescue, to talcum-dust LZs and a barbed-wire fence that almost kissed the skid, this episode blends gritty rotor-head detail with absurd human moments. Expect clear lessons on the dead-man’s curve, manual-throttle saves, crew decision-making, and the weird mentorships that keep pilots sane. Laugh, cringe, and learn as we walk the thin line between heroics and hubris. Strap in, grab the collective, and hold on for rotor-powered storytelling. And here’s a link that will raise your heart rate just sitting on the floor – you’ll STILL feel too high up! – TERRIFYING Hoist Rescue!

When a 21-year-old warrant officer thinks he’s bulletproof, fate (and a very determined round of enemy fire) impolitely disagrees. In this episode we ride shotgun with Cobra 3-1 — from Duluth misadventures and Playboy Clubs to flight school horrors, hovering triumphs, and the day a bullet turned a routine racetrack into a near-fatal last stand. He survives being shredded through his legs, gets stitched up by a miraculous surgeon, and later closes loops with the medic and chaplain who kept him breathing and believing. It’s equal parts grotesque, hilarious, and deeply human: the gallows humor of helicopter crews, the absurdity of military bureaucracy, reunion epiphanies, and the weird grace of Honor Flights. If you like flying-too-close-to-death stories served with dry wit, irreverent banter, and surprising moments of spiritual closure — buckle in! This isn’t just a war story; it’s a life told with profanity, humility, and a pilot’s stubborn joy.

Two Marines-turned-airline-pilots go full hangar-talk: first solo flight stories (equal parts terror and triumph), Harrier hover witchcraft, and why unstable approaches demand the magic words “unable” and “go-around.” We compare squadron life to airline ops, decode FOQA, MD-11 bounce-landings, porpoising, and laugh through “death-by-go-around” sim rides. We hit auto-lands, HUD/AOA, guarding the controls, and why seniority rules your calendar—and your soul. We even tiptoe across the third rail: raising pilot retirement age (opinion: individual fitness and cognition should matter more than a blunt number). Come for the aviation stories; stay for the checklist discipline and humor. It’s fast, funny, a little absurd—but always remember – it’s better to die and look good than live and look stupid! RePete & Fig Recording the Show

Welcome to Hangout #2 of So There I Was—a gloriously unfiltered romp of Harrier stories and V-22 tales. Expect FAA side-eye and concussion-grade comedy. RePete and a very lightly concussed Fig corral Sticks, Bago, Lawman, Deuce, Mike Evans, and Col. Jim Schaefer for pure airshow mayhem. We relive Gallo’s rain-soaked Harrier demo that made the FAA clutch pearls. We bust a few Blue Angels myths. We even ask if a Harrier could land on I-93 without leaving a “Harrier kiss.” Then we dive into Osprey translation. Why does the MV-22 fly like a dream—and sometimes like a rumor? Add 53 downwash that can relocate outhouses. Toss in a dolphin mega-pod trying to outpace a Coast Guard helo. Plus, a CH-53K “towing” an F-35 (because why not), the VMA-223 sundown, and a salute to Marines, families, and the legends who keep these stories alive. Come for the aviation nerdery. Stay for the trophy shaped like… well, you’ll hear it. Subscribe, laugh, and check six.

NOTICE***There is going to be a Zoom ‘Hangout’ With the “Numbskulls” on 24 September. If you are a Patreon member or Direct Donor you should get an invitation. If not – check back here on the 24th. I will keep the link from being public until the 24th to prevent trolls from trying to ruin it.***NOTICE So there I was… strapping into a seven-ton “dirt bike with wings.” The Marine Corps OV-10 Bronco was tough, noisy, and sometimes terrifying. It had no autopilot, a canopy down to your thighs, and a relief tube that occasionally worked like a fountain. In this episode, Marine aviators Felix and Pigpen share unforgettable OV-10 Bronco pilot stories from Desert Storm. Flying what they called a “missile magnet,” they marked targets with rockets, juggled five radios, and trusted a GPS that only worked part-time. Humor mixes with danger. You’ll hear about clogged piss tubes, aerobatic joyrides at 100 feet, and even Marines being launched out of the back of the Bronco. But you’ll also learn how these pilots survived night missions without mutual support and earned the deep gratitude of every grunt on the ground. If you thought Harrier tales were wild, wait until you saddle up with the Bronco crowd. This is a mix of absurd humor, combat grit, and aviation history you won’t forget. Screenshot Screenshot Flare – Goin’ back to Cali!

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.

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

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

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

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!

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

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.

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

So there he was…35 feet above the water, at night, trying to airlift survivors. What happens next involves a suitcase, a shrug, and one hell of a throw. Join So There I Was as Coast Guard helo pilot “Sticks” returns to recount harrowing rescues during the Texas floods—where flying into chaos is just another Tuesday. From medevacs that look more like belly-flop contests to triaging 170 people solo in rising waters, Sticks paints a vivid—and frequently absurd—picture of what real-world Coast Guard rescues look like. We talk dynamic rollovers, helicopter dogfights (yep), shared controls (don’t try this at home), and why some paramedics apparently prefer jumping out of perfectly good aircraft with their shoes still on. This one’s funny, terrifying, and humbling. Spoiler: someone ends up soaking wet, and it’s not just the patient. 🎧 Strap in. You’ll laugh, you’ll gasp, and you’ll come away thanking your local Coastie.