10 Percent True - Tales from the Cockpit

Steve Davies
  • 4.9 (172)
  • Aviation
  • Updated Biweekly

Interviews and anecdotes from military pilots and aircrew from across the globe. As the rule says, so long as it's 10 percent true, you're allowed to tell the story! Head over to the 10 Percent True YouTube channel to listen and watch at the same time.

  1. 2d ago ·  Bonus

    The Biggest Mistake America Made in Iraq | Former US Diplomat Explains

    Watch full episodes at: 10percenttrue.comJosé Jiménez 10PCT EP59 P4 ClipFormer F-111 pilot, Libya raider, test pilot and squadron commander José Jiménez returns to recount an extraordinary third career. After retiring from the US Air Force and briefly flying Boeing 747s, the events of 9/11 drove him back toward public service. At 44, he entered the US Foreign Service and began again at the bottom, eventually serving in Senegal, Iraq, Morocco and Zimbabwe. In this clip, José offers an unusually candid account of diplomacy, de-Ba’athification, reconstruction, terrorism and the strange realities of representing America in a war zone.#iraqwar #militaryhistory #geopolitics

    The Biggest Mistake America Made in Iraq | Former US Diplomat Explains

  2. Sep 18

    “It’s War Twice a Day” — Inside the Patrouille de France | Easy Béthoux

    Former Mirage F1 combat pilot Easy Bethoux initially dismissed aerobatic flying as “circus” work—until a friend told him that life in the Patrouille de France was “war twice a day.” One selection flight changed everything. Easy went on to fly with and ultimately lead France’s national display team. In this remarkably candid conversation, he explains the fear, trust, discipline and emotional cost behind one of the world’s most respected formation teams.00:00:00 Introduction00:02:15 From the Mirage F1 to the Patrouille de France00:03:26 “I’m not a circus guy”00:04:04 “It’s war twice a day”00:05:31 Arriving for the selection day00:07:00 Flying in the Alpha Jet’s back seat00:09:12 The formation tightens—and Easy cries00:10:33 The dynamic flight at 100 feet00:12:00 The selection interview00:15:00 Joining the team and starting again00:19:40 Searching for the perfect formation flight00:21:16 Going to war with yourself00:25:01 Learning to accept fear00:27:29 “I was afraid of dying”00:34:00 A typical Patrouille de France training day00:39:00 The pilot–mechanic relationship00:44:00 Learning movements from the team’s “Bible”00:50:30 The training flight that nearly ended in ejection00:57:50 The relentless display schedule01:10:00 Safety, fatigue and flying within your limits01:19:09 Dealing with threats during a live display01:25:46 The hardest part of the job01:31:00 When the entire formation reaches 100%01:34:15 Choosing the next leader01:38:25 Emotion and honesty among fighter pilots01:39:43 Easy’s fear above Flight Level 30001:45:01 Creating the “Apache” manoeuvre01:50:00 Meeting the world’s other display teams01:54:57 Why the Alpha Jet works so well02:05:34 What audiences never see behind the display02:15:00 How the show continues to evolve02:21:40 Leaving the Patrouille de France02:24:19 Bringing every pilot home02:24:35 Bertrand and the death of his father02:31:44 “You bring him back every day”02:33:26 The team’s accident and safety briefing02:35:35 Should Bertrand see his father’s fatal accident?02:37:31 The decision and its aftermath02:39:50 “You can be a fighter and you can cry”02:41:00 Closing thoughts

    “It’s War Twice a Day” — Inside the Patrouille de France | Easy Béthoux

  3. Sep 4 ·  Bonus

    Hunting Shahed Drones in a Mirage 2000 [CLIP]

    Watch full episodes at: 10percenttrue.comDiego Salgues 10PCT EP94 P3 ClipMirage 2000 veteran Diego Salgues returns for the final part of our extended conversation. We discuss the Mirage 2000-5, RDY radar, MICA, Link 16, Ukraine and a night interception in which Diego passed approximately 150 feet above a Shahed drone he could not see.We also explore how he transformed a failing conversion unit and what it means to leave fighter aviation after 2,500 hours in the Mirage.

    Hunting Shahed Drones in a Mirage 2000 [CLIP]

  4. Aug 28 ·  Bonus

    “I Woke Up Inverted” — G-LOC in a Mirage 2000 | Diego Salgues (Part 2 Clip)

    Watch full episodes at: 10percenttrue.comDiego Salgues 10PCT EP94 P2 ClipMirage 2000 pilot Diego Salgues recounts suffering G-LOC during a dogfight, waking up inverted and nose-high, and being temporarily unable to make his body recover the aircraft. He explains what caused the incident, why the mission unexpectedly continued, and how he rebuilt his confidence before pulling 9G again.

    “I Woke Up Inverted” — G-LOC in a Mirage 2000 | Diego Salgues (Part 2 Clip)

  5. Aug 21 ·  Bonus

    26 Years Flying the Mirage 2000 | Diego Salgues (Part 1 Clip)

    Diego Salgues spent 30 years in the French Air Force and flew variants of the Mirage 2000 for an extraordinary 26 years. In Part 1, he retraces the demanding route from gliders, the Epsilon and Tucano to the Alpha Jet and finally the Mirage 2000, sharing candid stories about fighter-pilot training, squadron culture and the human cost of military aviation. He then takes us deep inside the Mirage’s fly-by-wire controls and explains how its delta wing, low-speed handling and vertical performance shaped BFM against aircraft including the MiG-29 and F-16.

    26 Years Flying the Mirage 2000 | Diego Salgues (Part 1 Clip)

  6. Aug 1 ·  Bonus

    F-15, F-16, Weapons School & Aggressors | Dave “Khan” Carr

    If you enjoy this episode, please take out a subscription to 10 Percent True at: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/list. 10PCT EP88 Dave “Khan” Carr – F-15, F-16, Weapons School & AggressorsDave “Khan” Carr joins 10 Percent True to discuss an extraordinary fighter career flying the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Viper.From Cold War intercepts over Alaska and Iceland, to the Fighter Weapons School, Red Flag Aggressors, and teaching the next generation of fighter pilots, Khan offers a rare insight into the reality of high-end air combat.This is a deep dive into how the USAF prepared to fight the Soviet Union, how air combat tactics evolved through the Cold War and beyond, and what it really takes to become a top-tier fighter pilot.Along the way, Khan shares stories of Arctic alert missions, Weapons School pressure, Aggressor training, massive Red Flag battles, Soviet threat replication, and how the Eagle and Viper compared in a fight.If you’ve ever wanted to understand what really happens behind the scenes in elite fighter aviation, this is one you won’t want to miss.⸻0:00 Intro Teaser – Eagle vs Viper Differences2:20 A Quick Word from Steve4:04 Welcome Khan4:50 Khan Introduces Himself6:40 First Tour at Elmendorf – Flying the Eagle in Alaska8:38 Early Career Challenges and Encounters12:12 Discussing Losses in the Early Days14:08 Dealing with Loss15:34 Eyeing the Next Career Step – and Making It Happen17:17 Keflavik – CFTs and Diversions to Scotland19:47 Steve Geeks Out on CFTs21:14 The Mission at Keflavik – Bears, Tomcats and Lightnings (with Tankers)23:04 Honing Air-to-Air Skills as the Eagle Matured25:28 Dialling Up the AoA – “It Depends…”26:55 Rudder Use, When to Use It, and Evolving Tactics28:32 Weapons School – Selection, Work-Ups and Challenges32:40 A Memorable Weapons School Sortie – Vark Speed and Perfect Execution35:58 Why No “Super Squadrons”?37:24 The Benefits of Weapons School Graduation40:30 Expertise Across All Facets of the Mission41:52 Tyndall and the FTU44:35 Does It Get Better Than This?46:18 Eagle Culture – and Did It Change?49:52 Peak Performance or Room for Improvement? The Importance of COMMS54:12 Getting Granular – What It Takes to Make It in the Eagle Community56:34 Regrets About Missing Desert Storm?58:12 Joining the Aggressors59:48 Being a “True” Aggressor1:04:25 Gloves Off?1:06:10 Simulating the Threat as Accurately as Possible – Who Sees Who?1:09:48 Maintaining Situational Awareness1:10:55 Becoming a Threat System SME – The Process1:13:05 Expectation vs Reality as More Information Became Available1:15:50 “Natural” Bias?1:17:54 Views on Threat Advantages and Capabilities1:21:45 Eagle vs Viper Comparisons (Intro Teaser Topic)1:25:02 The “Bad Bob” (VX-9 F-14D) Encounter1:26:55 Toughest Opponent as an Aggressor?1:30:19 When Things Don’t Go to Plan – Scaring Yourself1:34:10 Eating Shit as an Eagle Guy Flying Vipers?1:34:54 Twilight of a Career – Guard Life, MSIP A Models, NVGs and Iraq1:39:32 Young vs Old Eagle Driver1:42:14 Keeping Up with Evolving Tactics and Changes1:49:30 Fini Flight1:53:15 Do You Miss It?1:53:54 Thanks Khan – Till Next Time

  7. Jul 31 ·  Bonus

    How Australia Turned the F/A-18A Hornet into a Killer [CLIP]

    Get the full, ad-free episode here: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/listFormer Royal Australian Air Force Hornet pilot and Fighter Combat Instructor Ray "Homer" Simpson returns for Part 2.

  8. Jul 17 ·  Bonus

    How to Dogfight the F/A-18 Hornet | RAAF Fighter Combat Instructor Explains

    Former Royal Australian Air Force Hornet pilot and Fighter Combat Instructor Ray "Homer" Simpson joins me for the first of a two-part conversation covering one of the most detailed discussions of fighter aviation we've ever recorded.In Part 1 we explore Homer's journey into the RAAF after three attempts to join, his early Hornet career, becoming a Fighter Combat Instructor, and the realities of Basic Fighter Manoeuvres (BFM). Homer explains how Hornet pilots learned to dogfight, what separated average pilots from exceptional ones, how the classic Hornet behaved before the flight control computer upgrades, and what changed with the arrival of AMRAAM, ASRAAM, Link 16, JHMCS and the Hornet Upgrade Program.We also discuss DACT against MiG-29s and F-16s, Australian fighter culture, instructor philosophy and the progression from student to instructor.Watch full episodes early and support the channel at:10percenttrue.com

    How to Dogfight the F/A-18 Hornet | RAAF Fighter Combat Instructor Explains
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Interviews and anecdotes from military pilots and aircrew from across the globe. As the rule says, so long as it's 10 percent true, you're allowed to tell the story! Head over to the 10 Percent True YouTube channel to listen and watch at the same time.

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