"Trots" talks Tomcats and TOPGUN (ep. 163) 

I was in VF-142 with Trotts on his first tour (my callsign Granola). We're both from Colorado and talked about it. One day he ejected after a bolter, not by his choice (thanks to a nervous RIO). When I went through water survival/seat shot training with him after that incident the instructor asked if anyone in the group had ejected and Trotts raised his hand and with a disgusted look spat out "I WAS ejected". Obviously, it didn't affect his career!

As a former A7 and FA-18 pilot this really took me back…. It really was about the people you served with

Amazing interview and love the stories of the Tomcats. Great to hear the respect to Dale 'Snort' Snodgrass (R. I. P)

He is by far the most knowledgeable and interesting guest yet! I learned a ton of information from him! WOW!

That was so awesome, he's a really easy guy to listen to. Great job as always. Civilian life doesn't compare. Thanks Jell-O

I could listen to you guys banter all day. What a life to live.

I was honored to serve with CAPT Trotter while he was the Deputy Inspector General of US Space Command. He owned a Cherokee 180 that we would fly to lunch in Pueblo. Trots is one of the finest officers I ever served with. He also inspired my son to become a pilot. I love his energy and enthusiasm for Naval Aviation. Thanks for a great interview.

Thank you very, very much for putting on The Podcast. I know it's a lot of work, and you're greatly appreciated. And you're absolutely right it helps me stay connected as well. Thanks for your service, sir!

What a personality and so much energy. Lots of gems in here regarding the turkasaurus...

Tom and I were both in drill team at NROTC Colorado. Good days

Wonderful. Thanks guys !

awesome show, trotts was awesome, such a fun time to fly, he was living the dream

What a character, that guy! Keep bringing it Jello, very entertaining!!

Great episode, I really liked this interview

Love how with the video format you can just include the glossary definitions for terms people may not know without having to interrupt the guest and break up the flow!

Love it! Fun interview! Thank you

Enjoyed this! Thanks for posting.

another top notch podcast...thanks...

What a great interview! "Trotts" has great energy.

Great interview. Love the video format over the audio only.

Great interview! Subbed

Your response to whats the acronym for fighter attack guys was priceless... Also really loving the video format.

Great interview - you can really tell he likes to talk 👍🏻

Guy has the flair... super great interview.

Huh, I just noticed by accident that you're already at episode 163 here on youtube. I'm following your podcast for years now and have listened to ~95% of your episodes, but I was always listening to them on your website, not on youtube, so I was wondering for the past few months what's going on as the most recent episode on your website is still episode 154. It was only now that I saw that there are more recent episodes here on youtube, so I wonder: What happened to your website?

This is a channel that just improve and evole to more impressive content each time. Love you guys!

I was stationed at MCAS Cherry Point when the Marine maintainer went on the A-4 joy ride around SOCAL for thirty minutes if I recall correctly. He held an FAA glider rating and some type of record in gliders. Additionally he suffered from a neuro condition in which he was unable to pass the mil flight physical so no mil flying option.

The first Tomcats off of the America in 75 after our yard stint and it was amazing. I was deck edge for Cat 1 and they were sweet to watch leave the deck at night.

Well, I'm not in a mine, but between teaching high school engineering classes I just spent 1:35:18 listening to two guys talking and never got bored; great job, Jello!

1:07:03 - I think Trots’ is seeing a cultural change in progress. Capt. Dan Pederson wrote in his book that his only regret was the effect of his storied career on his family. Being so devoted to TOPGUN and other aspects of his Naval career perpetually separated him from his kids, and it’s something modern service people are more cognizant of today then they were in the earlier generations. I think people are still enthusiastic about the fighter pilot life, but they’re also making realistic decisions and weighing the costs on family life. Being a proficient fighter pilot demands time, sacrifice, academics and substantial time away from home. While cruising in a P-8 might not make for an exciting movie, it’s still honorably serving your country and is less stressful on an officers (or enlisted support members) family.

I think the Discovery Channel incident, the crew was pulled out of the water. About that time there was a similar accident with VF-11, which was on the Vinson. The pilot was a young Lieutenant who I had met at an air show, Bluto Clark, who perished. He was a good guy. Answered all of my questions. I remember he mentioned that his grandfather was a fighter pilot during WWII. I was sad to read about the accident.

Now the transfer from Miramar to Fallon had to be harder informing your spouse than a room full of bros. Is there a favorite bar off base that’s frequented?

"Somebody did a zero airspeed vertical departure and had to eject and then we couldn't do it anymore." *cough cough* Nasty *cough cough* Slammer *cough cough* excuse me.

I from Colorado as well! I live in superior and there's an airport right next to me. Never been to pueblo though. Neat.

I'm having a blast in Fallon right now. 😅

Great interview - now make sure you do your Jet Card - don't remember doing one in the fleet ever!

Trotter was my CAG in 99 on the Connie. I have stories. I used to wave him at night, scary AF lol

Awesome

The Jolly Rogers transition from VF-84 to VF-103 happened because of/with the support/influence of both Snodgrass (who was the commodore of Fighter Wing Atlantic at the time) & then-VADM Jay Johnson, a former CO of VF-84.

Hahaha...GREAT EPISODE! Trotts was almost TOO good a guest LOL. Good work getting a word in edgewise, Vince!

Enjoyed watching this podcast Jello and your you have very interesting guest. My question i noticed a pilots helmet on the rack has the Royal Maces symbol on it. That’s the same squadron my son assigned now with same helmet symbol. When we’re you assigned to that squadron?

Love this guy!!!

Cool!

This guy is so cool!

I'm a Pueblo resident love the museum at the airport

I loved working the flight deck, but hated living on the boat…

cant believe this guy retired as a captain shouldve been at least a 2 star admiral..

I knew and flew with Rodger Welch. Small world!

Is Steve Foley that was mentioned the same Steve Foley who was the Blue Angels boss in 2006?

Hey I recognise him he was in PBS carrier pitching deck.

Great interview!!! FWIW, the F-16N is a F-16C (block42) with a GE F110 BUT the F-16A radar the APG-66 and not the "C" radar APG-68 which was much more advanced and had better performance.

"Fighter Attack Guys". Too funny.

There were two separate chapters of the F-16 in the Navy. F-16N were built for the Navy that went in-service in 1986 with the GE-F110 engines. They were based on the F-16C Block 30 except they were lighter by 1000 lbs. They only lasted 3 years as they had fatigue cracks and by 1989, they were retired as Navy did not want to fix them. Then, Navy got F-16A in early 2000s that were supposed to be for Pakistan, but were the re-purpose as part of the sanction for Top Gun.

Did I miss the mach numbers in the F14?

The acceleration required to go from 150 knots to 610 is about 2.5 G’s, roughly the same as an average Catapult shot. It’s highly unlikely that this sea story is accurate.

we have the best trained in the best planes... but how will we deal with fighter drones that have more stealth and can take epic G's?

So bottom line to me - The Tomcat was a great platform, 1) When it worked and 2) If you didn't push it into a bad situation. The question is, will there ever be another jet with swing wing or the ability to "transform itself" like the F-14. Engine technology and flight control systems seem to be the key to obtaining the same sort of performance in a modern jet. Also I don't think we can ignore the fact that the F-14 was an very expensive jet even back then. Perhaps not proportionately as expensive as the F-22 is/was but very expensive and also very BIG. If I'm not mistaken wasn't it the biggest fighter to ever fly off carriers in terms of overall size AND weight when loaded? Still it was the dream machine of many naval aviators as this story tells. You just couldn't count on going flying on any given day.

year late but thx good listen.

The topper guy was the funniest 🤣 😂 😆

There actually was a Topgun trophy at Miramar, there was a gun derby every year and the trophy was at least six feet tall and rotated among the winners. Painting tips of thousands of 20mm rounds was a pain in the ass!

Bottom of 9th, walk off home run! Bravo zulu! Keep at it!

The recently proposed budget from the Congressional Budget Office includes some drastic changes in benefits for our Veterans. These proposed changes are quite alarming and will have a significant effect on the livelihood of many Veterans.

What is Strike You?

Shipmate sounds like Garth Brooks.

Man, this guy loves himself?

Thanks for the interview. I couldn't watch it all in one go though. The guy is just too intense (I'm being kind). Anyway, I'll have to raise the bullshit flag on his inference that the F-14A was so unreliable that the spare almost always launched. Two med cruises late '70s in the A and I only downed the jet twice while on the deck.

Why does Trots refer to “the Commodore?”

Trots is one of the most humble guys I've ever watched!

An unlucky call sign there.

Love to see NROTC success. Do we really need the boat school? Land Based Maritime Patrol is the way to go!!!! VP VP VP 🙂

Yet here U are ... Capt'nnnn 😆

Actually the first Topgun's model effects were filmed in the Oakland hills off 580/Keller Blvd. And the six foot models were indeed hanging on a cherry picker. The pyro FX involved black powder and gasoline. The set was visited by an EKA-3 from Alameda during filming.

Dude looks like Templeton Peck's brother or something even his maneurisms.. face mimic..

Interesting thogh Top Gun was started for phantom pilots. The failure of LBJ administrations Beyond Visual Range ONLY Doctrine would put phantom pilots in close range Dogfights without pilots trained to maneuver the phantom. However those pilots who could maneuver the phantom would become ACEs . Captain Frank Ault did a report on this called the Ault report and he found the issues to be with missile failures and poor in close pilot training. So Dan Pedersen armed with this report started to retrain these phantom pilots at a school he started called Fighter weapons school. These phantom pilots took the ratio from 2:1 to 24:1 with the phantoms by the end of Vietnam. Why this new phantom record is never discussed remains a mystery..

hell yeah go CHIEFS! good job Trotts, BBQ rules.

😍 OUR BLESSED UNITED STATES MILITARY BRAVE WARRIORS. I DO HOWEVER, WORRY ABOUT THE SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE TOP BRASS PENTAGON WOKE LIBERAL OFFICIALS . IT'S TIME TO RESTORE AMERICA AND THE PENTAGON, WE NEED HARD ASS PATRIOTIC AMERICAN PENTAGON OFFICIALS. THOSE WHO WILL NOT SELL OUT AMERICA 🇺🇸 AS TRAITORS. G-D BLESS MY BELOVED UNITED STATES MILITARY AND G-D BLESS MY BELOVED AMERICA 🇺🇸

This guys sounds exactly like the atheism is unstoppable guy

I have to be honest, and this admission perhaps reveals more about my own sensibilities than any reflection on the individual in question; I must concede that I did not find myself favorably disposed to this gentleman. There, I have said it! It is important to note, however, that my appreciation and admiration for the FPP over the last few years remains steadfast. The podcast has produced an abundance of noteworthy accomplishments, so much so that singling out a single highlight proves a daunting task. Regrettably, this gentleman's habit of interrupting Jello repeatedly was a source of irritation for me. I apologize for my negative critique, but you have always emphasized the importance of forthrightness.

Topper-guy… The Definition of the fighter pilot era that seems to have been lost to wokeness.