Fighter Pilot Ethos with "Bones" (ep. 155) 

Excited to see this new format. FPP taking it to the next level!

I think these podcasts will quickly become timeless much like the interviews and first hand accounts of so many legends. Legends like Snodgrass, Olds, R Graham, B Hoover, and many more. These men and women tell the legends of our time. Keep it up!!

As a listener to the podcast from Day One, I'll admit I was skeptical about this switch in format. I had numerous questions like, how will I watch a video while commuting? Can I keep my eyes on the video while saving the world as I fold laundry? Well, consider me convinced, especially with an episode like Bones right out of the gate. Nicely done Jello.

Thanks Bones. Great to hear your story so far. Jello, thanks once again to you. I think the video episodes will be appreciated by all "listeners". Good move. Good luck to you both with your ongoing projects.

It is great, and I appreciate that no words are beeped out, just show it as it is. It tells me that the FPP takes it audience seriously and treats them as adults. Keep up the great work.

Honestly I was sceptical that going visual would add anything over the audio version, but wow it really works. Really great production standard too

Video is my favorite format for enjoying podcasts so great to see this new era begin for The Fighter Pilot Podcast!

This is a PHENOMENAL first video, Jell-O; and Bones is absolutely fantastic. I want to drive over to Gillespie just to shake his hand. Thank you so much for the FPP.

Can't wait! I've been wishing and hoping for a transition to video and am just so chuffed you made the jump. Happy New Year to you and yours Jell-O

I have watched this one 4 times now - and thoroughly enjoyed it each and every time. Bones is da man! 🙂

I've been listening to the podcast for years and it's fantastic. I have no doubt your channel will explode in popularity. It feels like it's entering a new stage and I'm excited to see what new guests and planes we'll get to see.

Enjoying the unpolished candor of this episode. Feels like getting to chat with old buddies

"Going video" is a great idea. Production quality is phenomenal. Love it.

Hahahahaaaaaa!!!! Dude Bones is a rare gem not produced anymore. I laughed my ass off! What a character!!! We need more Bones in aviation….. love this guy!!!!

greetings, Mr. Aiello! I recently washed up on the shores of your YT channel, and you DEFINATELY have a new fan. as you know, there are A LOT of aviation channels, and podcasts out there, but I think yours is one of the best! thank you so much.

I am currently working on my PPL license in Germany and have been grounded for months due to bad weather. The comment at 33:17 about Germany having 3 VFR days per year made me chuckle :) Really enjoying the new format, keep up the awesome work Jell-O!

I was wondering how you could improve the original podcast. The maps and the on screen definitions are an excellent touch, not just talking heads. Great first guest and interview with Bones. Looking forward to the new shows! - thanks

Jell-o and crew, I love the new format. I’ve listened to the podcast and couldn’t help but go back and watch the videos when I’ve had time, to see all the photos. Many thanks to all involved for your hard work!

Love the new format. And thanks to Bones for his great stories.

I was in the first week of pilot training too when Top Gun came out. We still hadn't seen a plane yet. Our class went en masse that weekend to the theater to see it. Talk about getting stoked for your future!

That was an awesome interview, great job, I love everything about the Fighter Pilot Podcast. Every time I tune in you guys hit a home run. Thanks so much for this fantastic content. God Bless.

Brilliant…love the video..gives more of an in depth experience of hearing and seeing fighter pilots..a profession that few are able to achieve..I so much appreciate your putting these videos out to the public

Bones was awesome. Great to see people like him giving it his all for aviation. Love the new format Jello and everyone at FPP!

Love the new format.........you've created the Gold Standard of great video !!! ...Semper Fi ...

Bones for President! A chicken in every pot and an F-5 in every garage!! Well done, guys. Sandy

Love the face to face format and great to see there own photos as well 👍

I like that you bring the laptop out to show the pictures man, that's a nice touch.

Subscribed and hooked. I’m a former Air Force weapons loader on F-4D’s and F-16’s in the 80’s. Loved Bones’ talking about his relationship with the maintainers. And now as an old retired guy, I occasionally get to fly formation with some warbird pilots, not as a pilot but as a photographer. Living the dream as they say. “Bones sets a high bar for your guests.👍

Great interview. I flew Phantoms and was a couple classes ahead of Bones at George AFB. My first assignment I went to Osan, Korea. Bones was fortunate to go to PACAF and fly in the "good ol' days". I would take nothing for my PACAF time. Phantoms Phorever!!

Awesome interview! Bones has an incredible life story. My 10 year old son loves math and is obsessed with the idea of owning a fighter jet so… maybe I should share this with him 😅

I love this new format. Thank you for the quality content.

I've listened to all your interviews, but I think I enjoyed this one the most. Great idea to go with the new format. Thanks so much. Jello, you really need to relax.

Love the new format, thank you Bones and everyone to make FPP make the next leap forward.

That! was a great talk. And Bones has shown himself to be a fine bloke.

That was so entertaining Jello. Loving the new format. Looking forward to more of these. First thing to do after listening to this is to look up how to get a ride in his F5!

Been a huge fan of the podcast for a few years. Going to enjoy the new format, as well. Now you just need to get "Robson" in the studio for a no-hold's-barred discussion on the F-117 and...uh...other stuff. Keep up the amazing work!

I really like the video format. I enjoyed watching while I listen. The studio looks really cool as well. Maybe put more memorabilia on the walls, would love to see more of it.

Yeah.... this is the way to do it!!! Outstanding work gentleman 👏

Glad to see you’re going video. Thanks for a great podcast.

As a long time Patreon supporter I really enjoy the transition to video. Have to switch between car audio, make notes on the time for interesting points then watch the video. Keep it up FPP

Great, great episode! I was a RADAR/missile fire control tech on the F-4J/S Phantom II in the Marines, latter half of the 70's. I remember seeing F-5's at Holloman on a deployment, and remember thinking "Man, what a blast it would be to own one of these!" You're living my 40+ year old dream!

Love this new format!!!

I was at Clark AFB until 91’ and would watch the F4s daily. Raw power. What a sight and sound. “Brass Knob” on Friendship Rd..

Great format 😊 really looking forward to all that’s coming.

This is amazing and what a great interview! Really like this style!

I wanted to check out the new format and am really impressed. Bonus of this interview? I covered ENJJPT in the late 80s when I was a TV reporter at KAUZ in Wichita Falls, Texas. (what year was he there?) Interviewed a lot of those pilots and went up in a T-37, and have a 4 part series on it in my archives! A Navy kid and sports/biography story-teller in San Diego, I'm enjoying the flow of the interview and adding in the pics and video. Nice job by you and your co-producer/editor/photog. Hope to connect in town sometime soon. :) Jane.

Absolutely great interview. I'm new to your channel and lived in North County for about 10 years and wish I had have cruised RU-vid more back then. Made out of Gillespie a couple of times on the NG company plane to Palmdale so I get the references to the neighborhood. Bones is obviously a top dog at what he does. I could relate to everything he said about his career since I spent time in the Phantom back in the 70's, went to Cope Thunder when based at Kunsan AB, was a Fighter Lead-In instructor after that (77 - 80). He was spot-on about everything he was saying. Lots of good memories. The only thing I would differ with is the comment he made about handling being about the same between the F-4 and the T-38. I felt they were very different. The 38 was like a small sports car while the Phantom was like a beast that needed lots of power just to stay airborne. About the only thing I remember in common was the pitch attitude and handling of a T-38 no-flap landing from the back seat on short final was just about what a Phantom looked like in a normal landing situation. Tell Bones I still have a spare T-38 wingtip if he needs the part. The back corner is bent up from impact with the runway when a newly minted UPT pilot (fighter lead-in transition training) couldn't land the airplane without bouncing. A microburst caught him at the top of one bounce and we rode it down to the runway scraping the right wing, then immediately violently snapping left and bending the left wingtip up. I figure that if the snap left had been one or two feet higher off the runway, we wouldn't be here today. I can verify that the 38 can perform a roll rate of 720 degrees per second. It snapped so fast that my helmet slammed into the side of the canopy and the next thing I knew our wheels were touching the runway. And one of the engines was FOD'd so it became a Class 1 accident due to cost. I was not a happy camper.

Love the format love the podcast

Oh this is great now we can see them talk and dogfight with their hands!

Great video. It brought back a lot of memories from my time flying A10’s, F4’s, and F16’s.

What a great interview. Bones is such a fun guy. Sorry the interview finished.

I remember seeing phantoms coming in to land whenever I was driving through the expressway on my way home to Baguio in the Philippines. Too bad the politicians opted not to renew the mutual defense treaty back in the early 90s. China would probably not be this aggressive in the region today if you guys were still in Clark and Subic. Great podcast, Jell-o! Keep 'em coming!

Great interview and great stories told, congrats on the new format Jello (and the BVR team)!

I could listen to this Bones Dude…All Effing Day‼️ Fabulous Interview!! Most enjoyed the F4 stories having had a Love Affair with that airframe since I was a kid, having built a model of that as a kid, and having hung around that plane when I was in Nam! One of THE Most Wicked Looking Planes Built on Design Alone!! Thanks for that interview! 👏👏👏👏👏

I love the new format

"Bones", I was a GBU-15 WSO at Clark. I think we crossed time briefly in the 3rd TFS ('87-'90). I left April '90 before Pinatubo blew it's top. Peugeots and Phantoms Phorever! Cheers, "Jason"

This new look is fantastic. Happy New Year.

Great new format. Now I'm torn between listening at work and watching at home! Nice dilemma to have. BZ

I was trained as fighter ground crew at Sheppard AFB. Then was at Holloman for 2 years ground crewing F-100s. Volunteered for Viet Nam and arrived at Da Nang in 1968 right after Tet offensive. Stayed for 1 year at 366 TFS crewing D model and then E model Phantoms. Went from there as E4 to George AFB at Victorville crewing E models. We trained aircrew from Iran as Iatola was still in charge. Discharged in November 1969 to attend college at University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ.

Love hearing the stories, and learning from the last few generations that there’s something even after the service, I’m not an aviator, prior Army, but I have been called professional Ballast… a CW-4 called me that about the third training flight I rode after the duty day at Ft Hood. I can attest the camaraderie is what I miss the most!

Love the new format. Great job

Loved flying that whole area around KLAS. Fond memories of KVGT, KHND, Lake Havasu, and around AZ and UT. Awesome.

For those of us who are not military pilots , the explanation of some of the jargon would be great.

"you know the airport was kind of in the hood" **Nervous agreeable laugh**

The Minnesota ANG flew the F4s as part of North American Air Defense as I was growing up in the 70s, and they were always out flying. That is where my love of the F4 started.

Love the video format! Great interview…

Great interview! The recruiter part was funny. That's why I went Marine aviation , every Marine a rifleman so you understand your job even better.

3 words... "That was Awesome" ! 👍

The F4E was the meanest looking Phantom, especially with the shark mouth paint job.

Those CF-5s were hot rods.....it was sad to see them upgraded, then basically retired. That left a huge hole in our Fighter Lead-In Training, as Canada didn't start flying the CT-155 Hawk until 2000. How big was that hole? Pilots going to the Hornet did FLIT in the CT-114 Tutor.....same jet that our Snowbirds still fly.

Very enjoyable interview! Cheers from the UK! 😄👍

Good you guys went video :)

Interesting interview. Listening to a high achiever like Bones reminds me that I was just an average fighter pilot. This is the first FPP interview I've watched on RU-vid. I prefer the audio only format of the podcast as the visuals distract me a bit from the content.

Petered out of FPC for a bit but I'm back baby!! Great episode. Thanks Jell-o! Bones is the man!

eagerly waiting for this :)

I was in the last F-4 RTU class in 91. We flew the E. But went operationally into the RF and the G. The last RF-4 active duty was at Bergstrom and it flew after the E retired. I was at the RTU during Desert Storm.

This is amazing interview and chat.

Bones….. I think you were one of the luckiest of men in the world. You got to fly the F-4. I’ve lived aviation all my life literally. I started flying at age 3, dad owned a super cub. I flew for the airlines from 89-2011 (lost medical :(… ) my airline had hundreds of Nam era F-4, F-105, B-52 pilots….. very interesting group of men. I grew up on a ranch in the mountains of New Mexico just to the east of Holloman….. we use to have F-4’s, T-38’s, F-15’s flying over our ranch. Many many times while rounding up cattle, I’d hear an F-4, look for smoke and realize the aircraft were flying up the canyon below my altitude. It was so cool. One time an F-15 flew by about 200’ below my altitude. On the Guadeloupe mountain edge (our ranch was where the Sacramento and Guadeloupe mountains come together. The PIO VORTAC was about 4 miles to the south west of our home. Later years I lived in Victorville when George was open. Bond. Did you ever cross path with Larry Nic___s. He was in F-4’s at George around that time. Went on to Southwest

LOVE your podcast. Excited for video. Thank you for all the work you do to make these happen, Jell-O & FPP team! Technical FYI: some TVs have burn-in issues. Plasma & OLED, maybe others. The permanent logo in the top center is problematic for us that own those & watch RU-vid on TV, espec since so contrasted against the black. Maybe put it in the video frame intermittently? Thx!

Love the video format!!

Ooh, going VFR? Nice! 😎

Amazing interview 👏

VIDEO SHOW: 👍👍👍👍👍👍 LOVE THE NEW VIDEO FORMAT!!!

Outstanding, thank you.

GREAT GREAT SITE … thanks …?son flew Harriers .. 27 years … USMC ..💪💪💪💪💪💪❤️❤️❤️❤️

That’s a cool helmet, Mr. Aiello and great episode 💯

Great video! I need an F-5, former AF fighter pilot with 10 years in the F-15 A/C at Holloman, Kadena, and Elmendorf.

I remember occasionally someone from the AFROTC program would get picked to go to ENJJPT straight out of college. One I remember went on to F-16s and eventually went to Test Pilot School. Interesting stuff.😀

Interesting career turns and twists that Bones went thru in his life (the path is not always a straight line). It would be interesting to know the success rate of ENJJPT graduates once they get out to the fighter world. I instructed there for a couple years in the mid 80's and thought most of the students were pretty good. Also really great times at the Sheppard O'Club ( I "heard" all the nurses go thru there to receive their initial officer training). Nowadays, I see students getting planes other than fighters when they graduate. You see the assignments on the ENJPPT assignment night videos.

Awesome episode!

Wow, what a great first YT episode! To think, darn near a full squadron of private F-5s! If Bones can keep that business going he'll become another Kermit Weeks!

The experience of missing the hyper competitive team and mission reminds me so much of leaving MIT. Getting on with life vs the running with a super fun “intense fraternity” choice is oh, so bittersweet. Funny enough, i also went to b-school and thought about mgmt consulting (McKinsey, not BCG) and took my tech background into venture capital. Deal-making feeds my internal “adrenaline junkie.” 😉

Oh so this is who operates the F-5s out of Gillespie. I live on the hill on the west side of the main runway and its not infrequent to get woken up early by those F-5s lol.

Love the videos Jello!! This is next level. 500k subs by end of 2023 if not more

one of the coolest things on youtube

Great format. Great podcast and guest!

Very cool !

Nice! FPP moving up in the world!

I would like to point out that this interview motivated me in a unique way: I hope to one day become wealthy like the guest (or Jello) through hard honest work so that I too could have as much fun as this guy who has found a way to turn F5's into a legitimate business. Or another example so that I could one day race cars like Jello does.

Talk about living the aviation dream!!!