
Show Notes
This week’s episode was recorded live at King Mackerel’s Beach Tavern Bar & Grill in Moorehead City, NC, right after the historic Harrier Sundown Ceremony at Cherry Point. In Segment 1, call sign Ag—a Texas Aggie and former Harrier XO—takes you on an unforgettable journey crossing the Atlantic to Desert Storm. From a midnight “Casablanca” goodbye at Cherry Point to dangerous night tanking with KC‑10s, metal-to-metal probe contact, a thunderstorm with St. Elmo’s fire, and a tense close ID with an Israeli E‑2, Ag’s story is a masterclass in nerve, precision, and naval aviation under pressure.Segment 2 shifts to DC-style storytelling with Derek from dcartworks.net, the artist behind stunning 3D metal squadron patches, Harrier bottle openers, and custom whiskey glasses. He shares a heart-stopping Afghanistan emergency airdrop in the Korangal Valley—jumping over 16 bundles to fix a ramp/door issue, realizing he’s three feet from the edge with no tether, and facing Taliban fire below. Plus, we uncover how D.C. drove updated tactics and seeker-equipped bombs that prevent the guesswork Harrier pilots endured. Tune in—for service, art, and stories that will stop your heart.
More from So There I Was
Why Smart Pilots Do Dumb Things is the title of Heater’s paper. It helped save the Red Eagles. However, this episode opens with a different lesson: never look at your ten o’clock at Groom Lake.
“Clara Ship” is what A-6 Intruder pilot Duker radioed when he couldn’t even see the carrier. Forget the ball. He couldn’t find the boat.
Navy P-3 pilot Derek "DA" Adametz beat a collapsed lung and Hodgkin's lymphoma, then fought the waiver board all the way to squadron command.
F-100 pilot Ike flew 195 combat missions with an iron sight and nerves of steel. He takes us from night close air support to a 50-pound-fuel landing to the 1986 Libya raid.
Retired Marine Lt. Col. Tim "Monk" Miller nearly punched out mid-nap over Ramadi, then built the Strike Fighter League, where guns are where it's at.