The Fighter Pilot Podcast

At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union fielded a formidable navy—both above and below the surface. In response, the United States Navy required a carrier-based, fixed-wing aircraft with long on-station time and an extensive air-to-surface and -subsurface avionics sweet and weapons capability. The result was the twin-turbofan, high-wing Lockheed S-3 Viking.On this episode, retired U.S. Navy Commander David “Deke” Slayton joins us to discuss S-3 variants, which weapons it carries, why it looks the way it does, and more. Deke was an S-3 instructor when co-host Sunshine received his initial fleet training in the Viking—an aircraft he would fly before later transitioning to the F/A-18 Hornet.During the listener question segment, we dig a little deeper into the Mutha trophy, discuss the purpose of exchange programs, talk about the relevance of a gun on combat fighters, stereotypes for military pilots, the need to self-assess before flight, and brushes with death.Click here to check out Wings Over America a