This week kicks off with Kemo back in the saddle, and it goes sideways immediately!

Actually, this one starts fast. No warmup. No easing in. Just straight into stories that make you stop and go, wait… what?

Kemo’s back. And if you’ve heard him before, you already know this is going to be ridiculous. If you haven’t—well, buckle up. This is one of those episodes where the stories don’t just escalate… they stack.

First, we get into how his name came to be. Sounds simple, right? It’s not. Then somehow we’re talking about Marine Corps commandants, open bars, and a story that absolutely should not exist—but does.

Furthermore, things pivot hard into airline life. Boeing vs Airbus logic. MD-11 decisions. The kind of stuff that sounds boring—until it isn’t. Because the real question becomes: what happens when automation replaces instinct?

And then… carrier ops.

Night landings. Yellow shirts. That moment where you’re taxiing and thinking, “this feels wrong,” but also knowing it’s exactly right. Consequently, the conversation shifts into something deeper—manual flying skills vs modern systems.

Then comes the F-35 discussion.

This is where it gets interesting. Helmet tech. Sensor fusion. Seeing through the jet. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s not. The real debate? Whether pilots are gaining capability… or losing something critical.

Meanwhile, Kemo’s stories keep landing like punches. Red trucks. Target talk-ons. Situations where you’re listening and thinking, “there’s no way this ends well…”

But it does. Somehow.

Eventually.

And just when you think it’s wrapping up, we detour into three-eyed turtles, legacy, and a closing stretch that feels like the perfect bar story ending—half reflection, half chaos.

So yeah… this one’s a ride.

Doober comes back to tell of his acquisition of former US Marine Corps H-34 helicopter, YL-37. The helicopter restoration story starts with a mission that sounds simple. It is not. Actually, it quickly turns into a “wait, what?” situation.

This episode picks up with Doober and the ongoing saga of bringing YL-37 back from the brink. The aircraft is not just old. It is stubborn. Furthermore, every step forward seems to uncover two new problems.

At first, it looks manageable. Then reality shows up. Parts are rare. Systems are tired. And the deeper you go, the more you realize this is not just a restoration. It is a resurrection.

Consequently, the team has to make decisions that are equal parts engineering and gut instinct. Do you rebuild? Replace? Or walk away? (Spoiler: nobody walks away.)

Meanwhile, the human side of this story becomes the real hook. The persistence. The frustration. The small wins that feel huge. Actually, those moments are what keep the whole thing moving.

Then comes the turning point. A breakthrough that shifts everything. But does it stick? Or is this just another setup for the next problem?

By the end, YL-37 is more than a machine. It represents effort, risk, and a refusal to quit. And yeah… you will absolutely wonder if you would have stuck with it this long.YL-37 helicopter restoration story starts with a mission that sounds simple. It is not. Actually, it quickly turns into a “wait, what?” situation.

This episode picks up with Doober and the ongoing saga of bringing YL-37 back from the brink. The aircraft is not just old. It is stubborn. Furthermore, every step forward seems to uncover two new problems.

At first, it looks manageable. Then reality shows up. Parts are rare. Systems are tired. And the deeper you go, the more you realize this is not just a restoration. It is a resurrection.

Consequently, the team has to make decisions that are equal parts engineering and gut instinct. Do you rebuild? Replace? Or walk away? (Spoiler: nobody walks away.)

Meanwhile, the human side of this story becomes the real hook. The persistence. The frustration. The small wins that feel huge. Actually, those moments are what keep the whole thing moving.

Then comes the turning point. A breakthrough that shifts everything. But does it stick? Or is this just another setup for the next problem?

By the end, YL-37 is more than a machine. It represents effort, risk, and a refusal to quit. And yeah… you will absolutely wonder if you would have stuck with it this long.

This episode proudly sponsored by DCArtworks.net and OneSkin at https://www.oneskin.co/SoThereIWas #oneskinpod #sponsored #ad

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.

…

C130 #FlightEngineer #AirNational Guard

Click the Photo to Donate

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.

…
#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