Best Chuck Newton and Pete Harmon Podcasts (2025)

1
Radar Inop Episode 184 1:34:22

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6h ago1:34:22

1:34:22

Jedi’s back—and the brake-check lesson starts before the beers do. An F-4 slides into rainy Pensacola, our hero reports “good braking,” and a brick-built Marine promptly edits his vocabulary: “It’s poor.” Decades later, that same Marine reappears—through Jedi’s son. Aviation is a small world with a loud voice. From there, we ricochet through cockpi…

51
Going to LZ-3 Episode 183 1:43:16

7d ago1:43:16

1:43:16

Allyn Hinton, Marine and Army aviator, joins So There I Was for a wild, first-person tour from low-level Huey recons over Da Nang to Blackhawks in Desert Storm. In this Allyn Hinton interview, he relives a smoke-grenade surprise that flushed eight guys from a bunker, a foot chase through a dry rice paddy, and a med-evac detour that out-prioritized …

101
From Box Canyons to Brotherhood Episode 182 1:44:57

14d ago1:44:57

1:44:57

Nose pointed at a rock wall, rescue specialist on the skid, rotor wash bouncing off granite, and then—power loss. Abort! Welcome to the world of helicopter rescue with Double D, Arizona Department of Public Safety pilot and systems operator. He’s pulled climbers out of box canyons, rescued the stranded, recovered the fallen, and somehow lived to te…

151
My Introduction to Arizona Talcum Episode 181 2:01:47

21d ago2:01:47

2:01:47

Helicopter search and rescue takes center stage as DPS pilot Darrell Detty walks us through hair-raising missions, near-misses and small-town chases that feel like action movies with rotor wash. From a 50-foot hovering autorotation, governor failures and a frantic stolen-car pursuit that ends in a live carjacking rescue, to talcum-dust LZs and a ba…

251
I'm Here for My 45 Year Follow Up Episode 180 2:11:51

29d ago2:11:51

2:11:51

When a 21-year-old warrant officer thinks he’s bulletproof, fate (and a very determined round of enemy fire) impolitely disagrees. In this episode we ride shotgun with Cobra 3-1 — from Duluth misadventures and Playboy Clubs to flight school horrors, hovering triumphs, and the day a bullet turned a routine racetrack into a near-fatal last stand. He …

1
Porpoises, FOQA, and the Art of Not Looking Stupid Episode 179 1:28:16

1M ago1:28:16

1:28:16

Two Marines-turned-airline-pilots go full hangar-talk: first solo flight stories (equal parts terror and triumph), Harrier hover witchcraft, and why unstable approaches demand the magic words “unable” and “go-around.” We compare squadron life to airline ops, decode FOQA, MD-11 bounce-landings, porpoising, and laugh through “death-by-go-around” sim …

351
So There I Was Hangout Episode 178 1:12:15

1M ago1:12:15

1:12:15

Welcome to Hangout #2 of So There I Was—a gloriously unfiltered romp of Harrier stories and V-22 tales. Expect FAA side-eye and concussion-grade comedy. RePete and a very lightly concussed Fig corral Sticks, Bago, Lawman, Deuce, Mike Evans, and Col. Jim Schaefer for pure airshow mayhem. We relive Gallo’s rain-soaked Harrier demo that made the FAA c…

401
Squints and Moles Episode 177 1:49:47

2M ago1:49:47

1:49:47

NOTICE***There is going to be a Zoom ‘Hangout’ With the “Numbskulls” on 24 September. If you are a Patreon member or Direct Donor you should get an invitation. If not – check back here on the 24th. I will keep the link from being public until the 24th to prevent trolls from trying to ruin it.***NOTICE So there I was… strapping into a seven-ton “dir…

1
Don’t Be Afraid to Use the E-Word Episode 176 1:06:18

2M ago1:06:18

1:06:18

Student pilot judgment takes center stage in this absurdly true tale of near-misses, smart calls, and the mysterious power of the “E-word.” We welcome Chock as he fights through weather, maintenance gremlins, and schedule chaos on the winding road to his private pilot check ride. From an RV-12 with opinions to a Cirrus with a parachute and sparrows…

551
You Fly By Your Seat & Your Ears Episode 175 1:12:34

2M ago1:12:34

1:12:34

Booz, a freshly-minted CFI, New Hampshirite, and RePete’s daughter—whose glider-to-airline path includes a first solo at 15, a daddy-daughter cross-country in a Grumman Tiger, and a commercial check ride where a simulated engine roughness forced a wrong-side pattern call (good judgment > dogma). We talk density altitude (rude), VMC demos (also leg …

1
Moon Child Episode 174 1:10:54

2M ago1:10:54

1:10:54

Tito brought stories that will make you laugh, wince, and wonder why anyone gives gunners ANY spare time! Kool-Aid boots and hot-sauce toilets are savage reminders that no one is safe in a combat zone! Tito’s journey took him from slinging bombs as a “Load Toad,” to fighting fires in baked-potato suits, to strapping into the legendary AC-130 Spectr…

651
Time Flies: The Harrier Watch Episode 173 30:04

3M ago30:04

30:04

This special mid week episode of So There I Was takes a slight detour from our usual lineup of aviators and aircrew—but it’s still all about aviation at heart. Our guest, Mark, from Long Island Watch Co., joined us to share the story behind a limited-run Harrier commemorative watch designed in collaboration with the folks at Patuxent River Naval Ai…

651
Hunting Tankers In The Desert Episode 172 1:37:53

3M ago1:37:53

1:37:53

Retired Marine AV-8B Harrier pilot, “Cutter,” brings stories that are equal parts funny and awe-inspiring. He kicks off with the 2005 twelve-ship departure from al-Asad—skimming the Saudi desert on fumes, praying the tankers showed up—before pushing through a 10.5-hour odyssey to Rota, Spain. He rewinds to OCS at Camp Upshur with 300 candidates lin…

701
Disco’s Canteen Got a Refill Episode 171 1:14:59

3M ago1:14:59

1:14:59

IIn this wild, laugh-until-your-ribs-hurt episode of So There I Was, we dive into Marine Corps Harrier pilot stories that blur the line between combat history and barroom legend. We round up a squadron of Harrier pilots — including Spiko, who joins mid-flight — for tales of 8.5-G nozzle breaks in the Philippines, midair collisions, midnight carrier…

751
Twisted Balls & Flaming Intakes Episode 170 1:15:19

3M ago1:15:19

1:15:19

Strap in and try not to twist your balls. This week’s episode goes full afterburner with the “Young Guns” of VMA-542: Auto, Disco, Pisser, Spiko, Strut, and Vapor join Fig and RePete to recount the wild, the ridiculous, and the occasionally flammable moments of Marine Harrier squadron glory.There’s a missile shoot that nearly ends in a self-induced…

1
Hook Slaps & Nozzle Flops Episode 169 1:17:37

3M ago1:17:37

1:17:37

This week, we flip the script—Fig and RePete aren’t hosting, we’re the guests on The Flying Dutchman Show. Dutch dives into the stories, chaos, and camaraderie that define life as a Marine Harrier pilot, pulling out unforgettable tales from our years in the cockpit.From flight school struggles and first carrier landings to NATOPS checkride drama an…

1
They Had Their Shoes On and Everything episode 168 1:16:44

4M ago1:16:44

1:16:44

So there he was…35 feet above the water, at night, trying to airlift survivors. What happens next involves a suitcase, a shrug, and one hell of a throw. Join So There I Was as Coast Guard helo pilot “Sticks” returns to recount harrowing rescues during the Texas floods—where flying into chaos is just another Tuesday.From medevacs that look more like…

951
Early Is On Time, Unless You're Too Early Episode 167 58:20

4M ago58:20

58:20

From screw-up recruit to revered drill instructor, First Sergeant John Crouch takes us deep into the crucible of Marine Corps transformation. In this gripping episode, Crouch recalls his early days at bootcamp, his infamous misstep during the Laws of Land Warfare class, and the brutal but formative experience of Drill Instructor School at Parris Is…

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$174 in Pain and Pennies Episode 166 1:06:24

4M ago1:06:24

1:06:24

So there I was… with $174 in loose change, one Garande rifle, and a sandpit full of regret. In this unforgettable episode, retired Marine First Sergeant John Crouch returns to So There I Was to share a story so absurd, it should be fiction—but it’s 100% real! From psychological stress at Officer Candidate School to creative punishments involving un…

1
Goat Hunters, Jet Jocks & a $3,000 Rifle Episode 165 1:25:14

4M ago1:25:14

1:25:14

We’re honored to be joined by retired USCG Chief Claude Morrissey—a veteran rescue swimmer with decades of gripping search and rescue tales. From cliffside hoists in Kodiak to extracting F-18 pilots from the Atlantic, Claude brings raw stories, grit, humor, and humility. He shares what it takes to make it through the brutal Rescue Swimmer A-School,…

1
Just Get Airborne Episode 164 1:44:12

4M ago1:44:12

1:44:12

Stealth takes us straight into the Cold War cockpit on a Navy E-2 Hawkeye as he stood the watch during some of America’s most tense moments. From scrambling on alert after Reagan was shot, to deploying over the North Atlantic in DEFCON 2, to narrowly avoiding catastrophe when a 'friendly' dropped a bomb on a U.S. cruiser—this episode is packed with…

1
No Show – 19 June 2025 3:00

5M ago3:00

3:00

🎙️ No New Episode This Week – But Wait… It’s a Good Thing! 🎙️Last week’s So There I Was with Dos Gringos clocked in at over 2 hours and 15 minutes — a wild ride packed with laughs, songs, and unforgettable stories. Add in some tech gremlins this week, and we figured: let’s give you a little more time to soak it all in.If you haven’t heard it yet (o…

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We're Gonna Piss on That Episode 163 2:21:58

5M ago2:21:58

2:21:58

This very long—but hilarious and heartfelt—episode dives deep into fighter pilot culture; think less dogfights, more Dos Gringos. We sat down with the irreverent band, their musical wingmen from Los Gringos, and the founders of Winglore Spirits to talk whiskey, war stories, squadron bars, and the art of laughing at yourself. You’ll hear about bad r…

1
I Was Only Going to Hit One Episode 162 1:44:25

5M ago1:44:25

1:44:25

She’s five feet tall and larger than life! She once grounded an entire A&P school’s ego. Meet Mary Latimer — a pilot, mechanic, controller, examiner, and walking aviation pioneer. In this episode, she narrowly avoids lawn-darting a Cessna 172 from 5,000 feet with no elevator control using trim like a Jedi, and managed a mag failure mid-checkride. S…

1
A Case of Scotch the Hard Way Episode 161 1:30:13

5M ago1:30:13

1:30:13

Ben Densley joins So There I Was to share his extraordinary journey—opening with a terrifying incident during a night parachute jump on to becoming a Green Beret, then a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He recalls intense special forces training, covert operations in Laos, and flying for Air America in combat zones. Ben speaks candidly about the danger…

Chuck Newton And Pete Harmon Podcasts