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