378 - Flying the F-18 Classic Hornet

omega tau - English only

Guests: Jerry Deren, Nick Anderson
Host: Markus Voelter Shownoter: Bastian Hundt

It’s been 377 episodes and we have not yet dedicated one to the F-18. This changes now. In the episode we first talk with Jerry Deren, a former US Navy Hornet pilot who also flew with the Blue Angels; we cover both aspects of his career. In part two we chat with Nick Anderson, former RAAF F-18 pilot (and co-host of the Airline Pilot Guy podcast). We chat about his experience flying the Hornet Down Under, focussing on quirks and funny stories.

There’s also a nice F-18 walkaround on Youtube with Jerry. Check it out!

Introduction of Jerry Deren

00:02:08

US Navy

Basics of the F/A-18 Hornet

00:03:48

F/A-18 Hornet | F/A-18E/F Super Hornet | A-6 Intruder | A-7 Corsair II | F-14 Tomcat | YF-17 | F-16 Fighting Falcon | Aircraft Carrier | Fly-by-Wire | Flight Controls | Arresting Gear | Folgind Wing | Stabilator | Angle of Attack (AOA) | Leading-edge extension | Dogfight | Basic Fighter Maneuvers | Episode OT-376 (German) about Air-to-Air Combat | Falling Leaf

Landing and Handling the F/A-18

00:27:38

Head-up Display | Autothrottle | Aircraft Catapult | Glide Slope | Optical Landing System | Indicated Airspeed (IAS) | Tailhook | Trim | Jettison | Aerial Refueling

Cockpit, Sensors, Avionics

00:56:00

HOTAS

Operational History

01:00:33

USS Enterprise | Operational Deployment | C-2 Greyhound | S-3 Viking | Touch and Go | Operation Southern Watch | Night-Vision-Goggle | NATO | MIG-29 | SU-27 | Operation Desert Fox | Landing Signal Officer (LSO) | T-45 Goshawk

Lost-Wing Incident

01:16:13

Flying with the Blue-Angels

01:21:28

Blue Angels | Aerobatics | Thunderbirds | Diamond Formation | g-suit | Traffic Pattern | Aerobatic Maneuver

Nick Introduction and Exchange Tour

01:55:50

Airline Pilot Guy Podcast | Plane Tales | Mirage III | RAF Weapons School | Sunderland Flying Boat | Pom | F-16 | F-18 | F-18 in Australia

Anecdotes from Australia

02:03:10

AIM-7 M Sparrow | P-3 Orion | Episode with Maz | OCU | Carbon Fiber | Cu Nim | HOTAS | Doll's Eye | Hypoxia | Probe and Drogue | INS | Laser Ring Gyro | Launch Bar | Ayres Rock | Pine Gap | Williamtown | F-111 | LEX

Life after the Hornet

03:32:15

Tornado F.3 | Eurofighter | A-330 | A-340