EPISODE THIRTY-FIVE
Welcome to “Safe on Deck”. My name is Antonio Gemma More'. In the fleet I flew the MH-53E “Sea Dragon” helicopter, and these days I instruct the next generation of Naval Flight Officers in the T-6A “Texan II”. Throughout my incredibly short time in aviation I have been fortunate to meet a wide cross-section of aviators. Along the way I have done my best to document each and every flying memory, but eventually I came to realize that even the sharpest photo or the highest-quality video can only really capture so much.. Everyone I have met has a unique story to tell, and “Safe on Deck” is my humble attempt to capture as many of those exciting and inspiring aviation stories as possible.
For episode thirty-five I sat down with Maj Gen Clay McCutchan at his home in Harold, Florida. After earning his commission in the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant, the general served as a VT-29B “Samaritan” VIP airlift pilot, training officer, and public affairs officer before leaving active duty and transferring into the Air Force Reserve. Next, the general served as a special operations pilot, command post controller, historian, and executive officer flying the AC-130A “Spectre” gunship assigned to Duke Field, Florida. While flying the gunship he deployed to the Caribbean, Honduras, Columbia, and Peru and he flew combat missions in Kuwait and commanded a gunship during operations in Haiti. The general also flew AC-130A counterdrug missions and commanded MC-130P “Combat Shadow” deployments to Italy in support of operations over Bosnia. The general is a command pilot who logged over 4600 hours in the Air Force in the VT-29B, C-130A/E, AC-130A, and MC-130P in addition to over 3000 of civilian flying, and his individual decorations include the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Thank you for taking the time to listen. In the future, I plan to continue to share similar interviews with both current and retired military aviators. If you have a question or a suggestion for a future interview please leave it as a comment below. “Safe on Deck” episode thirty-five, with Maj Gen Clay McCutchan. Enjoy!
“Maintain absolute integrity” - The story behind Maj Gen McCutchan’s Legion of Merit award
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Podcast timestamps:
19:04 - Working together as one team in Air Force pilot training
42:21 - "You're gonna get a medal or a court martial, I don't know which.."
59:29 - "Man that was close!" - flying CAS overhead the Marriott Hotel hostage rescue
1:13:16 - Flying the AC-130A "Spectre" in combat during Operation Desert Storm
1:35:40 - Close air support for the farmer
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** The views and opinions presented on “Safe on Deck” are my own and those of my guests and do not represent the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or its components. **
6 сен 2024
