The Afterburn Podcast

• Lowdown 17 Nov | NATO Drops the E-7, Air Force Eyes New Anti-Drone Missile, Su-57 Activity

  Get your free copy of the Lowdown here:  https://www.lowdownnews.us/This week on The Lowdown, Rain breaks down the biggest stories shaping aviation and global defense. From the growing drama around the E-7 Wedgetail to new counter-drone weapons and intelligence developments across Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific, this episode dives deep into the headlines that matter.We start with the Air Force and NATO’s shifting stance on the E-7 AWACS replacement and why survivability is becoming a major concern in high end air combat. Rain explains how the E-7 compares to the aging E-3, why funding stalled, and what a stopgap C2 solution might actually look like as hypersonic missiles and long range threats spread across the battlespace.Next, we look at the Air Force’s push for cheaper counter-air options as drones continue to reshape modern conflict. Rain breaks down real cost comparisons between AMRAAM shots, laser guided rockets, and the proposed 500 thousand dollar missile aimed at small UAS defense.In the Snapshot segment, we highlight a series of major global updates including the Turkish C-130 crash, the Marine Corps’ past C-130 mishap, new AI driven munitions storage plans, the reported Iranian training on the Su-57, Russia’s intelligence ship operating off Hawaii, and the latest news on Taiwan’s incoming MQ-9 and F-16V aircraft.Aviation, national security, and global defense trends all in one episode.For full breakdowns, sources, and the weekly Threat of the Day, subscribe to The Lowdown newsletter. It is free and lands straight in your inbox. 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺✈ Your Pilot Destination E3 Aviation Association: https://bit.ly/E3AviationBecome a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trialFighter Pilot Book Recommendations: https://amzn.to/4nlA67m Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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• #141 Greg "Hoser" Hansen | Carrier Landings, Soviet Intercepts & The Scariest Night Flight

  Dive into the phenomenal 35-year aviation career of Greg Hansen (USNA '82), a former F-14 Tomcat pilot, Topgun student, and legendary Topgun instructor, who finished his career as a FedEx 777 Captain. In this full-length episode, Greg shares unbelievable, high-stakes stories from the height of the Cold War and his time flying with the US Navy's best. - Topgun Inside Track: Learn what it was like to be a "stash Ensign" at Topgun right out of the Naval Academy, getting an early look at the world's elite fighter tactics. - Constant Peg: Hear the full story of flying against live Soviet MiGs (MiG-23 Flogger & MiG-21) at the secret Constant Peg program and the incredible small-world reunion that happened years later. - The SU-15 Intercept: Greg recounts being scrambled in his F-14 off the USS Ranger in the Sea of Japan to intercept a Soviet SU-15 Flagon, narrowly avoiding an international incident. - Carrier Night Ops Disaster: The heart-stopping story of a catastrophic night carrier landing pattern, an EMCON transit (limited electronic emissions), and the near mid-air collision in the landing groove that confirmed the mantra: "The boat is trying to kill you." F-14 vs. A-4: A technical comparison of the A-4 Skyhawk and the F-14A Tomcat behind the boat, and how he learned to fly the challenging TF-30 engines. FedEx & The F-16: Greg discusses his transition to the FedEx 747, the eye-opening flight into Kuwait City post-Gulf War (flying through oil haze), and his short but intense stint flying the F-16 in the Michigan Air National Guard. 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺✈ Your Pilot Destination E3 Aviation Association: https://bit.ly/E3AviationBecome a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trialFighter Pilot Book Recommendations: https://amzn.to/4nlA67m Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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• #140 Dave "Chip" Berke | TOPGUN Instructor to F-35 Commander: Fighter Pilot on Humility, Ego & Extreme Ownership

  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. Find "The Need to Lead" here: https://amzn.to/4nlA67m “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. 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺✈ Your Pilot Destination E3 Aviation Association: https://bit.ly/E3AviationBecome a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trialFighter Pilot Book Recommendations: https://amzn.to/4nlA67m Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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• #139 F-16 Fighter Pilot to Test Pilot | Keith "Coma" Colmer

  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. 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺✈ Your Pilot Destination E3 Aviation Association: https://bit.ly/E3AviationBecome a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trialFighter Pilot Book Recommendations: https://amzn.to/4nlA67m Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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• #138 Desert Storm: F/A-18 Hornet Pilot Bob “Bags” Simeone

  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. 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺✈ Your Pilot Destination E3 Aviation Association: https://bit.ly/E3AviationBecome a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trialFighter Pilot Book Recommendations: https://amzn.to/4nlA67m Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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