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PODCAST

The Afterburn Podcast

John "Rain" Waters

Strap in the cockpit as we dive into the stories of the men and women who defend the freedoms we love. From the cockpit of military jets to boots on the ground. The Afterburn Podcast dives into their stories, the planes, and the missions. For Advertising Opportunities or more information visit: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/

leisure aviation

All Episodes

01:47:21

#150 Combat Search & Rescue: HH-60 Pave Hawk Into a...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/08/02

Today we sit down with an HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and rescue (CSAR) pilot who flew through some of the worst fighting in Afghanistan, and the single mission that changed how he trains the mind for combat.John "Rain" Waters talks with retired Lt. Col. John Mangan, a decorated CSAR pilot with more than 200 combat missions who commanded the 33rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron in Kandahar. They get into the leave-no-one-behind ethos, the honey-buns story that got a grounded rescue bird fueled in

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01:11:57

Why Iran Holds the Better Hand Against the US Right...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/07/25

Today we break down why the US-Iran war reignited over the Strait of Hormuz, why the June ceasefire collapsed, and what a waterway a single drone can shut means for oil prices, escalation, and how this conflict actually ends.Mike "FLASH" McVay sits down with Dr. Michael Bosack, founder of the Parley Policy Initiative and former Deputy Secretary of the UN Command Military Armistice Commission, to make sense of the current escalation. The conversation covers the five ways wars actually end, the

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00:19:44

Operation Midnight Hammer | Part III - Striking...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/07/16

This is a 3-part series. Best if viewed on Afterburn Defense Youtube. Part I: https://youtu.be/MgQ_X3Td8a4 Part II: https://youtu.be/GzdL6NMYDso Part III: https://youtu.be/Xc22-2RaGSY Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses,

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00:16:16

Operation Midnight Hammer | Part II - The Plan to...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/06/28

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible. Part two covers the mission planning and the thoughts of the pilots and other squadron members when they thought of the upcoming

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00:13:55

Operation Midnight Hammer | Part 1: Before Iran,...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/06/21

This episode was designed for video. Watch this episode for text and graphical explanations: https://youtu.be/EDnLrP_45fkOperation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible. Part

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00:05:24

[Official Trailer] Inside Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER |...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/06/19

YT: https://youtu.be/rvVVQ3n081I This is the untold story of the F-16 pilots who flew deeper into Iran than any fourth-generation aircraft during Operation Midnight Hammer, the historic B-2 strike targeting Iran's nuclear sites with the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. These were the only non-stealth jets escorting the B-2 strike package, flying over 250 nautical miles into one of the most sophisticated integrated air defense networks on Earth, well beyond the range of any personnel recovery assets

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01:29:22

Rob "ZMan" Zettel | Inside the USAF's Red Eagles

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/05/29

Rob "Z-Man" Zettel is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, commercial airline captain, and author of American MiG Pilot who served as a top-secret Red Eagles instructor pilot flying Soviet MiG-21 and MiG-23 fighter jets during the Cold War program Constant Peg.American MiG Pilot: Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles” MiG Squadron: https://amzn.to/4fLi2DA Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off🛫 Become a

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00:09:39

Raul Castro Indicted | Is Cuba the Next Venezuela?

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/05/29

On May 20th, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment charging former Cuban head of state Raul Castro with the murder of American civilians. That same day, the USS Nimitz carrier strike group entered the Caribbean. We break down the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shootdown, the GAESA military conglomerate controlling Cuba's economy, and what the Venezuela playbook tells us about where this is headed. Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman

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00:15:05

OA-1K Sky Raider II | Exclusive - How AFSOC's Newest...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/05/17

Watch online: https://youtu.be/uvAyxlmpBdkWe spent two days in Waco, Texas, inside the L3Harris facility where the Sky Raider II International™ is built. From the beginning, where an 802 Air Tractor enters the production line until it rolls out as Air Force Special Operations Command's newest airplane, the OA-1K Sky Raider II. We dive into what it takes to turn a crop duster into a precision-strike and ISR platform capable of operating from austere environments with only a two-man crew and 6,000

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00:08:48

China's Fifth-Generation Fighter Production Exploding...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/05/15

Video: https://youtu.be/L0D9c5nYO5E China's Chengdu Aircraft Corporation has more than doubled J-20 production efficiency using autonomous vehicles and AI-driven dark factories. With roughly 300 J-20s in service today and output estimated at 100-120 airframes annually, the PLAAF could field over 1,000 fifth-generation fighters by 2030. Today we discuss what that production capacity means, how it compares to F-35 output, and whether quantity changes the calculus regardless of quality. Air Force

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00:06:38

China Helped Pakistan in Combat | J-10CE's First Real...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/05/13

Watch this episode on YT: https://youtu.be/8X_ll2FrRIABeijing confirmed Chinese engineers were at Pakistani air bases supporting J-10CE operations during Operation Sindoor in May 2025. Today we discuss PL-15 & the J-10CE's combat performance data, what China just proved about its export hardware, and what the J-35 deal with Pakistan means now. Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off🛫 Become a

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00:03:55

Dos Gringos June 13th - Denver

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/05/08

Dos Gringos Concert: dosgringosdenver.comJames "Whacker" Reeman IG: @f16pilot Whacker's Content: Fastjetfriday.com Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits:

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01:25:22

Col Roy "Deacon" Qualls | "Shoot Them Down If They...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/04/25

Pilot's Edge: Think, Train, and Fly Like a Pro: https://www.amazon.com/Pilots-Edge-Think-Train-Like/dp/B0FY26ZJJM Deacon Fini Flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4X8CIjCj9k Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺Become a Patron, Support the Show,

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00:34:38

Aircraft BATTLE DAMAGE Repair: The Air Force...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/04/24

When two brand new F-35s sustained catastrophic damage in separate accidents, the Air Force faced a decision most people don't know exists — write them off as total losses or call in one of the most specialized and least talked about teams in the United States Air Force. They called in the Aircraft Battle Damage Repair team. ABDR. In this episode, I sit down with General Sebren and Senior Master Sergeant Cross to break down exactly what aircraft battle damage repair is, how the decision gets made

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00:11:15

The A-10 Just Got a Massive Life Extension | Air...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/04/21

The Secretary of the Air Force just announced the A-10 Warthog will remain in service until at least 2030. For a platform that has been on the chopping block since Desert Storm — with depot maintenance shut down in February, training pipelines closing, and squadrons deactivating — this is a significant reversalAir Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 :

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00:09:29

Indonesia Just Rejected America's Military Overflight...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/04/21

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast 🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free

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00:07:31

$75 Billion in Classified Programs | America's...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/04/18

The Pentagon just submitted the largest defense budget request in American history — $1.5 trillion for fiscal year 2027 — and buried inside those numbers is a clear picture of exactly where the US military thinks the next war will be fought and how. In this video I break down what each service is actually buying, from the Air Force's $5 billion bet on the F-47 next generation fighter and $4.5 billion for the Sentinel ICBM, to the Navy doubling aircraft procurement to $34 billion, the Army

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00:08:03

NO ESCAPE: US Navy's Full Blockade of the Strait of...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/04/16

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingmanhttps://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast 🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free

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00:11:27

Talks FAIL in Pakistan & Frankenstein KC-135 Returns...

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/04/12

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingmanhttps://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off 🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫 🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺 Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast 🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free

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00:08:51

Nuclear Bomber Base Just Got Overflown by Unknown Drones

The Afterburn Podcast ·

2026/04/12

In March 2026, somewhere between 12 and 15 drones overflew the flight line at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana — home to the B-52 bomber fleet, Global Strike Command, and the nuclear command and control communications systems that link the President to America's nuclear arsenal. These weren't hobbyist drones. According to reports they flew in close formation, spread out and conducted various maneuvers, and appeared to be jam resistant. Nobody stopped them.Air Force Officer Qualifying Test

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