Author: sothereiwas

On this episode of So There I Was, Slaf joins Fig and RePete to share some incredible stories from his time as a Marine and Air Guard pilot. From holding a burial at sea for a missing pilot who later turned up, to flying the notoriously challenging Cougar, Slaf’s experiences will keep you on the edge of your seat. He also sheds light on why the F-84 Thunderstreak was nicknamed […]

This week enjoy a thrilling journey with Slaf (Sr.), NavCad, Marine Corps Aviator who flew the SNJ, T-28 Trojan, TV-2 (t-33) SeaStar, F9F2 Panther, F2H4 Banshee, F9F8 Cougar, F-84F Thunderstreak throughout his career. You may remember Slaf from episode 50 who talked about his father being a Marine aviator. Well, he graciously joins us this week and next. Slaf takes us through his training days, where he flew the SNJ […]

Marine, Author, American Hero: LtCol. W.R. Spicer USMC (ret) joins Fig & RePete this week. We delve into the extraordinary life of this Marine who has written a memoir that is nothing short of amazing. In his five books, “Sea Stories of a US Marine,” Spicer shares his incredible journey, from the unlikely event that changed the course of his life to his meeting and interactions with President Kennedy. This […]

Take to the skies with the adrenaline-pumping story of SLAF’s adventures flying the iconic Harrier jump jet. In this gripping show, SLAF shares his journey from aspiring pilot to Harrier Instructor and offers valuable advice on perseverance and overcoming obstacles. SLAF recounts for Fig & RePete some of the most heart-stopping moments of his career, including witnessing a fellow pilot eject from his Harrier not once but twice within 11 […]

Nightmare joins “co-horsts” Fig & RePete and reveals how he got his call sign in flight school. It stuck with him for the rest of his career; which is a good thing! Then he told us how and why he came to want to fly in the Marines and how he “impressed” his LSO when preparing for carrier qualification. Hence this week’s title! Nightmare talks about the challenges of teaching […]

Buckle up and prepare for takeoff with Carrott, Fig, and RePete as they explore the incredible journey of Carrott becoming a Naval aviator. Carrott shares captivating stories of his time in flight school, instructing in the A-4 at NAS Meridian, and flying the S-3 Viking aboard the Nimitz. Hear how his flight jacket disappeared after a wild night of drinking with F-111 pilots; and yet kept popping back up over […]

This is our second show with Kaos. Come along as he tells us about the challenges of owning a Harrier and performing with it in airshows. Spoiler alert: It’s a little more involved than flying to the venue and performing the demo! Up for some special bourbon? 700 Mile per Hour Bourbon raised a nice sum of money for charity, and there may be some left. You have to go […]

Meet Capt Royce Williams, USN (Ret) – Hear how he went out as part of a four-ship and soon found himself alone, in a fur-ball with 6 Russian MiG-15s.  When the smoke cleared and the shooting was over, Capt Williams brought his crippled F9F Panther back aboard the USS Oriskany and was sworn to secrecy.  The ONLY American to ever shoot down 4 enemy aircraft in the same fight wouldn’t […]

Former Marine “Grunt” and current Army BlackHawk Pilot “CandyMan” takes us on a ride through the dust bowl that is Afghanistan. Hair-raising stories of taking fire, near mid-airs with other helicopters, and a C-17 are just a few of the adventures he talks about… But what scared him most? Dust landings. Find out why, and what he did about it. You won’t be disappointed. This is a fun ride. In […]