Get the full, ad-free episode here: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/list 10PCT EP88 Dave “Khan” Carr – F-15, F-16, Weapons School & Aggressors Dave “Khan” Carr joins 10 Percent True to discuss an extraordinary fighter career flying the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Viper. From Cold War intercepts over Alaska and Iceland, to the Fighter Weapons School, Red Flag Aggressors, and teaching the next generation of fighter pilots, Khan offers a rare insight into the reality of high-end air combat. This is a deep dive into how the USAF prepared to fight the Soviet Union, how air combat tactics evolved through the Cold War and beyond, and what it really takes to become a top-tier fighter pilot. Along the way, Khan shares stories of Arctic alert missions, Weapons School pressure, Aggressor training, massive Red Flag battles, Soviet threat replication, and how the Eagle and Viper compared in a fight. If you’ve ever wanted to understand what really happens behind the scenes in elite fighter aviation, this is one you won’t want to miss. ⸻ Full episode timestamps: 2:20 A Quick Word from Steve 4:04 Welcome Khan 4:50 Khan Introduces Himself 6:40 First Tour at Elmendorf – Flying the Eagle in Alaska 8:38 Early Career Challenges and Encounters 12:12 Discussing Losses in the Early Days 14:08 Dealing with Loss 15:34 Eyeing the Next Career Step – and Making It Happen 17:17 Keflavik – CFTs and Diversions to Scotland 19:47 Steve Geeks Out on CFTs 21:14 The Mission at Keflavik – Bears, Tomcats and Lightnings (with Tankers) 23:04 Honing Air-to-Air Skills as the Eagle Matured 25:28 Dialling Up the AoA – “It Depends…” 26:55 Rudder Use, When to Use It, and Evolving Tactics 28:32 Weapons School – Selection, Work-Ups and Challenges 32:40 A Memorable Weapons School Sortie – Vark Speed and Perfect Execution 35:58 Why No “Super Squadrons”? 37:24 The Benefits of Weapons School Graduation 40:30 Expertise Across All Facets of the Mission 41:52 Tyndall and the FTU 44:35 Does It Get Better Than This? 46:18 Eagle Culture – and Did It Change? 49:52 Peak Performance or Room for Improvement? The Importance of COMMS 54:12 Getting Granular – What It Takes to Make It in the Eagle Community 56:34 Regrets About Missing Desert Storm? 58:12 Joining the Aggressors 59:48 Being a “True” Aggressor 1:04:25 Gloves Off? 1:06:10 Simulating the Threat as Accurately as Possible – Who Sees Who? 1:09:48 Maintaining Situational Awareness 1:10:55 Becoming a Threat System SME – The Process 1:13:05 Expectation vs Reality as More Information Became Available 1:15:50 “Natural” Bias? 1:17:54 Views on Threat Advantages and Capabilities 1:21:45 Eagle vs Viper Comparisons (Intro Teaser Topic) 1:25:02 The “Bad Bob” (VX-9 F-14D) Encounter 1:26:55 Toughest Opponent as an Aggressor? 1:30:19 When Things Don’t Go to Plan – Scaring Yourself 1:34:10 Eating Shit as an Eagle Guy Flying Vipers? 1:34:54 Twilight of a Career – Guard Life, MSIP A Models, NVGs and Iraq 1:39:32 Young vs Old Eagle Driver 1:42:14 Keeping Up with Evolving Tactics and Changes 1:49:30 Fini Flight 1:53:15 Do You Miss It? 1:53:54 Thanks Khan – Till Next Time

Get the full, ad-free episode here: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/list 10PCT EP87 Marty "Pappy" Brogli - A-10 Desert Storm Pappy Brogli joins 10 Percent True to tell the story of flying the A-10 Warthog in Operation Desert Storm. From Cold War preparation and the long deployment to the Gulf, to tank killing, SAMs, AAA, and losing friends in combat, Pappy delivers an extraordinarily candid account of what it was really like to fly the Hog in one of the most dangerous air wars in history. This is not the sanitised version of Desert Storm. Pappy talks honestly about fear, humour, squadron culture, survival, morality, and the reality of combat at low level in an aircraft built to take punishment – and sometimes barely survive it. Along the way, he shares remarkable stories of crippled aircraft, manual reversion landings, near disasters, and the unique camaraderie of the A-10 community. If you’ve ever wondered what Desert Storm looked and felt like through the eyes of an A-10 pilot, this is one you won’t want to miss. Full episode timestamps: 0:00 Intro Teaser – “No Brakes” 3:05 Welcome Pappy – Career Path (ROTC, Engineering Degree, RECCE WSO, Pilot Training, the Hog, “Tip of the Sword,” and a Hog Driver’s View of Current and Future Air Power) 28:16 Setting the Timeframe 29:20 Weapons and Training Sorties of the Era 33:20 Simulating MANPADS and AAA Threats – “TLAR” and Evaluation 38:38 “Interesting” Training – 30 Days of Live Dropping and Firing 41:20 Sortie Duration and Diversions 44:20 Pre-War Stress Testing and an Overnight at Fort Hood as World Events Cast the Die 49:00 Deployment Looms 57:35 The Joys of Piddle Packs and Go Pills 1:04:10 More Atlantic Crossing Anecdotes 1:08:30 Coming Down in Spain After a 14-Hour Hop 1:09:55 Arrival in Saudi and Settling In 1:17:45 A Visit from Chuck Horner 1:19:37 Desert Shield Begins – Living Conditions 1:25:58 The Flying 1:27:45 Painting the Jets? 1:29:50 Back to Flying – Standard Training Sorties and Limited Range Time 1:31:50 “Furniture” 1:32:50 90 Days, No Rotation, and an In-Theatre Check Ride 1:34:55 The Love Boat 1:35:55 Calling Home and Communication 1:41:18 The Threat – Intelligence Briefs, Preparation, and Whether There Was a Plan 1:45:20 Dividing “The Pie” – Force Allocation 1:49:50 Advice from Vietnam Veterans? 1:51:50 Mood Among “The Troops” 1:57:00 CSAR Perspective – Punching Out Over Territory You Had Been Attacking 1:59:35 Preparing for the First Mission 2:03:15 Day Two on the Frag – Looking for Targets 2:08:00 Target Identification 2:11:05 Weaponeering and Weapons 2:15:30 Strafing from 10,000 Feet and ID Panels 2:24:30 Second Guessing as a Result? 2:26:05 The Tower by the Mosque 2:31:10 Losses (Including the Intro Teaser Story) 2:44:00 Combat Psychology 2:49:17 Radar-Guided Threats, Jamming Pods (ALQ-119), and Weasel Support 2:53:55 Attacking an SA-6 Site 3:01:04 Attacking an SA-2 Site 3:04:32 Were These Missions Trained Pre-War? + F-16 Crash Anecdote 3:11:07 Considering Your Own Mortality as Time in Theatre Goes By 3:16:50 Reflections 3:21:38 Readjusting to Peacetime Operations and Guarding Against Complacency 3:25:55 Leaving the Hog 3:31:05 The Reserves and the Airlines

This is the first episode of a new series we’re calling The Bullshit Detectorist. I’m joined by Starbaby Pietrucha, and the idea is simple—take some of the stuff you hear all the time about military aviation and see if it actually stands up. Stealth’s dead, drones have changed everything, low-frequency radar can see anything… we get into all of it. 0:00 Aurora 1:00 welcome back Starbaby - series outline/premise 3:55 super low freq/passive radars are the death of stealth 11:15 other dimensions of lo-observable? 15:11 collapsing the kill chain? 16:40 HARM were used to maybe make the Iraqis duck a bit…… (Dan Hampton quote) 🤡 21:35 “it’s not the plane, but the person in the box” 26:02 “there’s no 100% defence against low cost cruise missiles (Shahed/Geran etc)” - previews further discussion on mass as a principle of war 33:23 Starbaby and the Somme teaser 34:06 “SR-71 shouldn’t have been retired” 37:10 why did the U-2 survive? 39:25 Aurora? 43:36 “Crewed, oxygen breathing AEW aircraft are overrated and unnecessary…..” (incl underfunding/mismanagement of suck programs follow on) 49:28 “the appearance of an aircraft is the most important (in US combat aircraft selection)” Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 53:32 “high speed low level penetration of an enemy IAD is redundant because of stealth” 56:38 low level mitigation? 59:25 “Ghost Bat” or “MQ-28” 1:01:18 SDB stormbreaker mean 1000 and 2000lbs bombs are unreasonable risks of collateral damage 1:07:30 intercepting bombs is much harder than cruise missiles 1:08:46 Stormbreaker 2 and associated marketing 1:12:15 wrapping up

Get the full episode here: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/list In Episode 3, Benji Prefontaine takes you into the most demanding phase of his combat experience—flying the Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard over Afghanistan in a crowded, chaotic coalition battlespace. With limited sensors, minimal weapons, and no datalink, every mission becomes a test of situational awareness and judgment. He describes near-misses in mid-air, fuel emergencies, comms failures, and the constant risk of fratricide—all while supporting troops in contact on the ground. The central theme is stark: the biggest danger isn’t always the enemy—it’s the environment, the complexity, and your own decisions. Benji explains why the urge to drop a weapon can be the most dangerous instinct a pilot has—and why sometimes the right call is to hold fire. This episode is a raw, honest look at the reality of close air support—and the responsibility carried by the person in the cockpit. ⸻ 0:00 intro teaser - CAS story 2:40 Welcome back (Again!) Benji 3:30 recap of Super E capabilities as deployment to Afghanistan looms 6:28 Spinning up and deploying 9:02 commencing ops in a relatively quiet 2006 11:04 2007 tougher (expanded ops, integration of new Rafale capabilities) 14:30 “joint” Navy buddy mission with Rafale on 27/03/07 (including 5:59:59 flameout) 19:01 admin can kill you - fuel problems and deconfliction 22:48 2008 Carrier stood down for refit/repair so Super E is ground based at Kandahar 26:55 reviewing the learning points emerging from the initial engagement (including Damocles limitations and intro story) 34:36 integration into ATO? 37:25 personal growth? 42:24 USB exchange pilot contributions? 44:48 full access? (and the perils of Super E cockpit for the well built gentleman) 48:07 kneeboard capabilities 52:11 comms - satcom 54:11 going back to F1, missing it, an adjustment? 58:58 back to Kandahar in the F1 1:02:44 revisiting the psychological aspect in terms of Afghanistan (and Libya) 1:06:41 Dollars! 1:11:40 Libya - state of play/the vagaries of real world deployment and getting in on the action 1:23:50 the benefits of a tight knit community (moving a squadron whilst fighting a war and training new people) 1:29:58 the toll on family? 1:32:42 threat levels in Libya 1:37:22 XCAS and Intel? 1:40:28 SCUD launcher mission 1:44:00 tanker scarcity 1:45:10 ATL2 1:46:12 QRA/policing/Chad (again) 1:53:10 intercepts and “etiquette” 1:55:30 flying with MiG-29SMTs 2:00:17 drinking vodka with MiG-31 squadron cmdr 2:01:43 Foxhound intel?/diplomacy/history 2:05:49 rounding out Air Force career and next chapter 2:11:40 Merci Benji

Get the full episode here: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/list 10PCT EP86 P2 Benji Prefontaine In Episode 2, Benji Prefontaine moves from early operations into real combat experience—flying the Dassault Mirage F1 in Africa before transitioning to carrier aviation in the Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard. He describes the shock of adapting from Air Force flying to life on the carrier—where precision, discipline, and consistency are everything. Landing on the boat becomes a defining challenge, exposing the difference between being a good pilot and being an operational one. The episode also explores the limitations of the Super Étendard—an aging, analog jet forced into modern combat—and how that shapes tactics, workload, and risk. Benji highlights the realities of coalition warfare, early Afghanistan deployments, and the steep learning curve of operating in a far more complex and demanding environment. This is where the story shifts from “becoming a pilot” to learning how to survive and operate effectively in combat. 0:00 Teaser – Pyjamas, Wine, Corkscrews and Cigarettes 1:45 Welcome Back Benji (Steve’s Lost It!) + Episode Outline 3:20 First Operational Squadron – Tough Start to Mixed Force Ops 9:20 Post-9/11 Politics and Operational Reality 12:38 Red Flag – Flying with Mirage 2000D 15:36 Did Red Flag Validate the EW Suite? 18:41 How Red Flag Prepared Him for Combat 22:26 Inferiority Complex in Coalition Ops? 28:02 Social Life on Squadron 31:24 Old School vs New School – What Works? 35:38 Deployments to Chad 40:42 Threat Environment and Risk 44:48 Ferry Flight to Red Flag – Single-Engine Stress 47:43 Bird Strikes and Wildlife Hazards 52:09 Survival Kit – What’s On Board? 55:10 CSAR – Expectations vs Reality 57:46 What Is a Pilot Worth? 59:05 Combat Psychology 1:04:18 Managing Pilots Doing “Cool Stuff” (Photos/Video) 1:09:54 Romania Deployment – Encounters with MiGs 1:18:09 QRA – Intercepts and Real-World Stories 1:24:45 French Air Force “Urban Legends” 1:27:27 Encounters with USAF Incursions? 1:30:08 End of First Tour – Seeking Exchange Opportunities 1:32:50 Carrier Tour Expectations – Charles de Gaulle 1:35:15 No Night Landings? 1:36:30 Targeting Pod (PDLCT) 1:37:52 FCLP – Carrier Landing Practice 1:42:12 The Hardest Part of Carrier Ops 1:45:15 Nuclear Strike Mission Explained 1:51:53 Super Étendard Capabilities (Including Exocet) 2:01:17 From Detection to Attack 2:05:00 Situation Display, Autopilot, Datalink 2:07:55 Tuning Exocet Targeting and Performance 2:09:12 How Do You Attack a Carrier Group? 2:13:00 Part 3 Preview – Combat and Command

10 Percent True EP89 P2 MeSo Mask Clip MeSo and Mask, who ejected over Libya in March 2011, explain the process of re-integration and how the experience of ejecting over enemy territory affected them. Full episode out in June 2026.