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!
--------
2:01:47
--------
2:01:47
I'm Here for My 45 Year Follow Up Episode 180
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.
--------
2:11:51
--------
2:11:51
Porpoises, FOQA, and the Art of Not Looking Stupid Episode 179
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
--------
1:28:16
--------
1:28:16
So There I Was Hangout Episode 178
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.
--------
1:12:15
--------
1:12:15
Squints and Moles Episode 177
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!
Join hosts, Fig and Repete, as they bring in some great aviation raconteurs to relate the glamorous, hilarious, poignant, tragic, and incredible tales of aviation. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll laugh ’til you cry, but you’ll never be bored!
Canada - english