Category: Podcast

Hop aboard for a thrilling second episode with Bātar, packed with stories that will make you laugh, gasp, and question if pilots moonlight as comedians. The adventure kicks off with the baffling “Hawaii out of gas” debacle and revisits the unfinished “Football Island” tale from last week. Bātar shares a white-knuckle “Utility Hydraulic Failure” and a hilariously questionable moment with his pilot, Fox, debating their sobriety before a mission. Get […]

Join us on this exhilarating episode as we dive into the gripping tales of “Bātar,” a Marine Corps F-4 Phantom RIO who recounts his heart-pounding experiences in the skies over Vietnam. From navigating treetop-level ordnance runs while dodging streams of tracer fire to his journey from a mechanical engineering student at the University of Rochester to the cockpit of one of aviation’s most legendary aircraft, Bātar shares his unique perspective […]

Retired USAF Col. “KC” shared incredible moments from her journey as an A-10 pilot, showcasing bravery, determination, and grit. Some highlights include: The Lucky Rabbit’s Foot and a Baghdad Mission KC recounts a harrowing close air support mission over Baghdad in 2003. Battling poor visibility, she and her flight lead responded to a desperate call for help. Diving under the clouds, she targeted enemies beneath a bridge amid chaos. Her […]

Join us for part two with RobRoy! Hear about his Naval Academy days, life aboard a carrier, landing a C-2 Greyhound, his YouTube channel, FlyBuyer.com, and his final Navy tour. Don’t miss this engaging pilot-to-pilot conversation!

Rob Roy’s path to becoming a Navy pilot started with inspiration from watching Top Gun as a child. Coming from a non-military background, he navigated the path to military aviation on his own, attending the U.S. Naval Academy and graduating in 2011. After completing Aviation Pre-flight Indoctrination in Pensacola, he trained in the T-34 and T-45, before Selecting C-2 Greyhounds, used for carrier onboard delivery. Rob’s journey included deployments, experiences […]

General Jay shares an intense aviation experience during Desert Storm. While on a KC-135 mission, his aircraft suddenly rolled sharply left and right, resulting in the detachment of two engines. The unexpected maneuver was later attributed to wake turbulence from another plane, which caused severe G-forces that sheared the bolts holding the engines. Despite losing power on one side and handling significant challenges, including hydraulic issues and fuel loss, the […]

In this episode, we speak with Bart, a retired two-star general and Harrier pilot, as he shares his incredible journey from discovering his passion for aviation through ROTC to his experiences in the Gulf War, where he was shot down and taken prisoner. Bart recounts humorous anecdotes from flight school, the challenges of flying Harriers, and the camaraderie of military life. He reflects on the impact of his service, advocacy […]

This week on So There I Was, we continue our conversation with retired Marine Colonel and aviator extraordinaire, Baron. He shares how his career progressed after his initial experiences in the Iranian desert, covering his involvement in the development of the Marine Corps Weapons and Tactics Instructor program. Baron recounts his journey back to Yuma, where he eventually became the commanding officer of HMM-361. He also discusses his time as […]

Baron joins us to tell of a harrowing story of survival during his first tour in Vietnam. After an engine exploded mid-flight, shrapnel tore through the aircraft, leaving the crew struggling to maintain altitude. With one engine failing and the other insufficient to keep them airborne, they made an emergency landing at Camp Eagle, narrowly avoiding disaster. The episode then explores how this veteran’s career in aviation began in high […]

Dominique Prinet, author and legendary bush pilot, recounts his harrowing experiences navigating the remote and unforgiving Canadian Arctic. Born in France just prior to World War II, Prinet’s passion for aviation began as a child watching aerial dogfights overhead. He shares captivating stories of his bush flying career, where he faced life-threatening situations, including flying overloaded planes, navigating without reliable instruments near the North Pole, and surviving plane crashes in […]