10 Percent True - Tales from the Cockpit Steve Davies

Dave Berke, the only Marine Corps pilot to fly the F-22 and F-35, discusses 5th generation fighter technology and the F-35B.

Thanks to Authentic Media (www.authenticmedia.io) for allowing me to post this on my channel.
50 second plug for Red Eagles
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Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh
Support the show

Pre-Order Red Eagles: America's Secret MiGs: https://www.10percenttrue.com/shop

Support me with a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/10percenttrue 

Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh

0:00 Intro and welcome back Jim
0:55 “Coming down” after the Libya raid
3:30 Raiders set apart and psychology?
7:10 Avoiding inflation of ego
9:20 Test pilot school - ambition/aspiration/evaluation
15:20 Weapons school not a priority 
16:55 Evaluation flights and data points 
20:20 Variations in sample data
25:10 School 
28:05 Balance of classroom/flying and type variation and contemporaries 
39:05 Did it feel safe?
42:10 Is there a type of person that excels as a test pilot
44:30 System testing? No thanks, I want to go back
48:10 Strike Eagle
55:50 Commercial break
56:44 Testing on the 111 and AMRAAM
1:03:50 The B-1 and shooting at it!
1:10:08 Have Nap AGM-142
1:11:40 Weapons separation?
1:15:15 Did weapon testing ease the “pain” of not being on frontline / Desert Storm begins
1:19:20 Planning for a brand new fighter (F-15E) with new crews and little operational capability
1:24:40 ACE - airborne command element 
1:25:50 Back to Elgin and then “somewhere else” with a polygraph required
1:30:25 En exclusive bar in an undisclosed location
1:34:42 Will this work ever be declassified? 
1:36:00 Close calls and reflection? 
1:41:40 A promise to return and reflect on Air Force Training Command
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Pre-Order Red Eagles: America's Secret MiGs: https://www.10percenttrue.com/shop

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Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh

0:00 Intro and Jim’s background
6:18 Turning initial (F-111) disappointment into determination 
11:44 How she wants to kill you, but WSOs are good!
16:36 Arriving at Lakenheath and an overview of the F-111F
29:25 The mission
33:35 Flying heavy/the end of the world/not all pylons pivot 
38:14 Genesis of the Libya raid, accumulation of “indicators”
47:20 Stepping to the jets, time to go
49:30 The “original” small scale plan, crew selection 
54:57 An ad break we can all get behind!
55:50 Planning, involvement of actual participants, deconfliction with the Navy
1:01:40 CSAR plan?
1:03:30 Practice of long missions?
1:05:30 Deception plan
1:07:50 Planning in more detail
1:11:32 The step in more detail
1:13:36 Emotions and managing them throughout this phase?
1:16:08 Vietnam lessons passed down by vets
1:18:40 The SAM threat and mitigation? 
1:21:17 A couple of side stories before “we” drop off the tanker
1:27:01 Lights off and dropping off the tanker……
1:41:50 Downtown - approaching the target
1:45:14 Off target - delousing ship and 662kts!
1:49:01 First go pill - time to tank
1:52:22 The BBC keeping the crews company on RTB
1:54:55 Coasting in/sunrise/ national anthems
1:57:10 Handing piddle packs to the “welcoming committee”
1:59:20 Debrief and details
2:07:38 Any lasting after effects/thoughts?
2:10:10 Loss of Karma 52
2:14:25 The influence of the raid on remaining service 
2:16:20 The “red headed stepchild” lives up to the moment 
2:18:10 Why the raiders avoided any limelight
Support the show

Pre-Order Red Eagles: America's Secret MiGs: https://www.10percenttrue.com/shop

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Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh

0:00 Intro 
1:00 On today's menu…..
2:02 Timeframe for the move to VMFA-134 - swapping brand new Ds for old As and meeting the Reserves
10:51 Brown Hornets but not Aggressors
13:30 What sort of BFM competency can a reservist expect to maintain?
19:00 Sharing space with Topgun?
20:45 AF weapons instructors looking down on Marines, some tales…..
28:03 Elmendorf deployment - staying at the crackhouse, Eagle squadron arrogance and redressing the balance
4525 Lessons learned?
48:04 Comparing Eagle and Hornet in BVR 
53:45 Secret squirrel AMRAAM stuff and access to materials
59:30 Prevalence of numbers over seat of the pants in the reserves? 
1:03:40 APG-73 (D) vs APG-65 (A) practical differences?
1:10:20 AMRAAM multiple launch? 
1:14:55 Sorting “the sort” and not wasting shots
1:19:02 More on cheating (yes you were taping the bit before about bending fins on bombs) 
1:23:10 Does experience give you the ability to make the numbers without studying them and F3 strafe story. 
1:29:22 Dropping bombs 
1:38:28 A cautionary tale among the “fun”
1:42:54 Mortality coming more into the frame? 
1:46:30 What threat was training (in the marines) focussed on?
1:50:20 Key West Det
1:54:20 Any learning from missile shots?
1:57:30 Nellis/Vegas burnout
1:59:20 Tax on family life/finding balance
2:10:00 Closing thoughts, keeping in contact, reunions and a possible return
Support the show

Pre-Order Red Eagles: America's Secret MiGs here: https://www.10percenttrue.com/product-page/red-eagles-america-s-secret-migs-3rd-ed-pre-order

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Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh

Tug's F-4 Episodes 👇🏼

https://youtu.be/CWJd8AVS-Dk?si=OAQtR_hGJNFGP8D9

https://youtu.be/JuZV_cWQNOk?si=4v1FTDGkCRl2-23D )

0:00 Welcome back, Tug
1:25 Life beyond the Phantom & hoping for an exchange tour
5:28 What the FAC? /pre-tour apprehensions 
10:48 Purpose of exchange given Tug’s background 
15:25 initial impressions of Hornet and overview 
20:35 Phantom or Hornet?
21:55 getting the most out of the Hornet? (Jesus that was a long question!!)
27:48 AoA…….
29:40 airflow disruptions to engines at high alpha? (Don’t be such a nerd!)
33:40 avionics and ergonomics 
41:50 crew coordination 
47:08 cultural differences and calling out less able WSOs
50:25 building experience in MC aviation 
53:20 “working up” to night bombing including a strafing sortie
1:00:20 can you get comfortable with night bombing and live drops. 
1:05:15 AIM-9 shots and Marine Corps can do attitude
1:06:18 FAC-A
1:13:45 banter?
1:16:38 the best dogfighter? Hornet vs friendly contemporaries (EM Nerds look away)
1:30:30 connection to the aircraft
1:33:05 the numbers game, flying as prescribed?
1:36:10 leaving the envelope
1:43:55 any repercussions?
1:46:20 carefree handling vs not abusing it 
1:51:30 emotional steady state in fighter pilot life?
1:55:20 a story to finish “best weekend in an airplane”
2:05:05 outro and preview
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