This is part two with Al Cisneros, and this time, it opens in a hurry. No notice. Grab the jet. Haul critical intel. Get it to Saigon—fast.

Actually, what starts as a straightforward courier mission quickly takes on weight. The tasking is urgent, the stakes are real, and the realization hits that this flight matters far beyond just flying from point A to point B.

Furthermore, that opening story sets the tone for the entire episode. From there, the conversation expands into a full career arc. Early uncertainty. Lessons learned the hard way. Moments of pressure that shape judgment and confidence.

Consequently, the stories build into something bigger than individual flights. You hear how experience stacks over time. How decisions compound. And how leadership isn’t assigned—it’s earned. Anf of course, what a small world Aviation in general is, and Naval Aviation in particular.

By the end, the through-line is clear. The guy flying that mission becomes the one others look to for direction.

And yeah… the path between those two points is anything but predictable.

This episode drops you straight into one of those situations pilots train for—but hope never happens. A routine mission turns serious fast when the fuel state stops being a number and starts becoming a problem. Not a “tight on gas” problem. A zero fuel over hostile territory problem. And now the math matters. Range, burn rate, options… none of them look good.

As the situation unfolds, you’ll hear how quickly cockpit priorities shift. There’s no room for denial. Gauges are questioned. Assumptions get challenged. And the reality sets in: this might end with an ejection into a very bad place.

Then comes the sliver of hope—a tanker. But even that isn’t simple. Different aircraft, mismatched speeds, and a setup that doesn’t quite work on paper. What follows is a tense, improvised attempt to make something possible out of something that really shouldn’t be.

The story walks through the decision-making, the physics, and the human side of being right on the edge. There are moments of calm, flashes of clarity, and a few “this is really happening” realizations that hit hard.

By the end, it’s not just about how it worked out—it’s about what it took to get there, and what sticks with you long after a flight like that is over. Tune in to this week’s show for the build up and amazing stories – and next week, we close the loop!

Fig & RePete kick back for a raw hangar-talk session unpacking aviation’s razor edge: LaGuardia runway crash layers failing Swiss-cheese style, sim freezes hiding ghost jets, and C-130 crews lining up on the wrong damn strip packed with paratrooper Chinooks. Lessons learned? Night viz traps, CRM meltdowns, bozo announcements, and “shut up, navigator” tricks that nearly sparked war’s biggest fireball—plus hand-on-head foul-deck signals and trainee controller fumbles. Irreverent, technically sharp close-call confessions that’ll have pilots nodding and laughing darkly.

The C-130 flight engineer is a disappearing breed. However, the stories remain.

In this episode of So There I Was, DC pulls back the curtain on high-stakes aircrew life. We explore the Air National Guard culture and the “routine” moments that turn sideways. Why is the Flight Engineer being phased out? We discuss what is lost when a computer replaces a human eye.

We also spend some time chatting about DCArtworks – Online at DCArtworks.Net – DC is a sponsor of our show and – Go check out his amazing work – you will want SOMETHING either for yourself or as a gift. These are AMAZING pieces for the person who has everything… cuz they don’t got one of these!

From crew dynamics to the reality of flying with “Fig,” DC shares the grit of a career spent in a Herc. Beyond the cockpit, we are also supporting our airmen downrange in Operation Old Spice by providing necessities they can’t access while deployed. This is a wandering hangar story where “normal” is only a temporary state of mind.

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C130 #FlightEngineer #AirNational Guard

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Naval aviation stories rarely go as planned. This episode of So There I Was features Matt “Taco” Bell sharing his wildest moments… This episode of So There I Was delivers multiple “wait, what?” moments from Matt “Taco” Bell, from getting in trouble over a low transition (yeah… that didn’t go well), to realizing just how terrifying it is to be the instructors’ instructor in Kingsville, to being “in the barrel” at night trying to get aboard the boat. And talk about a small world?!?! — The jumpseat story hits. Consequently, this is one of those episodes where every segment somehow tops the last.

• Low Transition Trouble: Taco shares a naval aviation story about a flight maneuver that went lower than expected and the debrief that followed.
• Kingsville Instruction: Insights into the high-stakes environment of training the next generation of Navy pilots.
• Night Carrier Landings: A firsthand account of being “in the barrel” and the precision required for night operations.
• The Jumpseat Story: A unique connection that proves how small the aviation community really is.

If you enjoyed these naval aviation stories, check out our previous episodes featuring F-14, F-18, and A-6 Intruder pilots. Each episode of So There I Was brings you the raw, unscripted reality of life in the cockpit.

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#aviation #navalaviation #pilotstories

Nasty’s worst day Navy starts when a young Tomcat hopeful hears “you’re a qual” on the radio, then “you’re a disqual” at the ladder. Consequently, that gut punch on the Lex knocks his timeline off, pairs him with Bug Roach, and quietly sets the stage to help save two lives later. Actually, he walks from Key West heartbreak in a TA-4J Skyhawk to the bridge of Nimitz, with failures, promotions, and a near-buoy strike with an admiral watching. Furthermore, he digs into rules of engagement over Afghanistan, AI-driven factories that can out-build China, and why straight, honest leadership keeps people alive at sea and in combat. The “wait, what?” is how Nasty’s worst day Navy becomes the best thing that ever happened to his career, and to a couple of people who are still breathing because of it.

This week we acknowledge the tragic loss of RS-2 Tyler Jaggers US Coast Guard. Please consider donating to help support his family in this difficult time: https://tinyurl.com/tylerjaggers

He Heard Me Go By pilot story comes from Navy pilot Stretch Curran, who flew the massive A-3 / EA-3 Skywarrior “Whale,” the largest jet routinely launched from aircraft carriers.

In Episode 201 of So There I Was, Stretch joins us for a wide-ranging hangar-talk conversation about flying the Whale from carriers, the realities of multi-crew naval aviation, and the kind of moments that make pilots stop talking for a second.

Furthermore, Stretch describes launching at night from USS Midway when an electrical fire and system failures suddenly complicate the mission. Consequently the crew must stabilize a very large jet in darkness and poor weather while troubleshooting failures in real time.

But that’s only one of the stories.

The episode also explores the unique world of EA-3 electronic warfare missions, life operating the largest aircraft ever routinely flown from carrier decks, and the culture of the Whale community.

Then comes the moment that gave the episode its title.

During one maneuver another pilot later reported he “heard me go by.”

Wait… what?

Consequently the conversation turns to close passes, crowded training airspace, and the kind of unexpected moments that become legendary sea stories.

If you enjoy naval aviation stories, carrier flying, and ridiculous pilot bar stories, Episode 201 delivers all of it.

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#navypilot #aviationpodcast #a3skywarrior #carrieraviation #navalaviation #militaryaviation #pilotstory #aviationstory #carrierlanding #aviationhistory #navyaviation #aviationlife #aviationgeek #fighterpilotstories #sothereiwas

Royce Williams Medal of Honor recipient joins the show to recount a legendary tale. Imagine bringing a knife to a gunfight. In this case, the knife is a subsonic F9F Panther. Furthermore, the guns are seven Soviet MiG-15s. This was just a typical Tuesday for Captain Royce Williams.

In this episode, we unpack a 35-minute dogfight hidden for half a century. The government kept it secret to avoid a “diplomatic risk.” Consequently, we dive into how Royce used his underpowered jet like a ballerina. He dodged 760 rounds of Russian spite. Then, he limped back to the carrier in a jet that looked like Swiss cheese.

Actually, this is the greatest naval aviation story you weren’t allowed to hear for fifty years. It finally features a new Medal of Honor and 73 years of “I told you so.” If you’ve ever wondered how a lone naval aviator survives a supersonic ambush, this is for you. We explore pure pilot skill and aggressive engine management.

Stay Connected: Subscribe To The Podcast: https://sothereiwas.us/subscribe/ Follow Us On Twitter: https://x.com/There_I_Was Follow Us On TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@so_there_i_was Website: https://sothereiwas.us

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#MedalOfHonor #KoreanWar #MiG15 #NavalAviation #Dogfight #F9FPanther #AviationHistory #PilotStories #AviationPodcast #RoyceWilliams #NavyHero #DogfightStories #MilitaryAviation #FlightTest #FighterPilot