Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Commander Alex 'Rattler' Rucker, who flew the F-8 Crusader in Vietnam and brought his skills as a gunner and tactician to Topgun as an instructor before transitioning to the F-14 Tomcat.In one of two episodes about his career in naval aviation, Rattler talks about flying the F-8 during three Vietnam deployments and discusses an incredible maneuver by legendary aviator Joe 'Hoser' Satrapa.Rattler talks about Topgun, and about his eventual transition to the big fighter, where he first flew with a RIO in the backseat. About Rattler: Alex ‘Rattler’ Rucker entered the U.S. Navy in 1965 through the U.S. Naval School of Preflight, and was selected to fly the F-8 Crusader in 1967. Following three deployments to Vietnam, Rattler was assigned to Topgun as a gunnery and tactics instructor in 1974. He transitioned to flying the F-14 Tomcat in 1977.Rattler’s Tomcat career included tours with VF-142 and VF-14. He was named Fighter Pilot of the Year for Fighter Wing One in 1979, and served as the F-14 demo pilot for Fighter Wing One in 1980. Rattler retired in 1985 as a Commander and flew commercially, retiring from American Airlines as a Captain in 2003. About the hosts:Mitch 'TACO' Parmentier has 16 years of experience with the F/A-18 Super Hornet as a Weapons System Operator (WSO). He has a longstanding love of aviation and history that he brings to the podcast.Beth Bailey was raised by F-14 Radar Intercept Officer Glen 'Wheels' Wheless and grew up around aviators and their unique brand of storytelling for most of her childhood. Beth worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner, and host of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on X: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today, I'm so excited to introduce my co-host and the great thinker behind this podcast, Mitch 'TACO' Parmentier.

Mitch has 16 years of experience in the Super Hornet, and comes to the podcast with an enduring love of history and aviation.

If you've ever been involved with fighter aircraft, we want to host you. Please reach out to bwbailey85@gmail.comAbout the host:

Beth Bailey was raised by an F-14 RIO, which shaped the course of her life in a massive way. She worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner, and host of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on X: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Rear Admiral Frederick ‘Bad Fred’ Lewis, who accumulated an incredible 6,500 accident-free flying hours in tactical aircraft and more than 1,200 carrier arrested landings in his flying career. In today's episode, Bad Fred talks about the highlights of the last portion of his U.S. Navy career, and the incredible work that followed. We talk about his work reconciling the Tailhook Association with the U.S. Navy, his efforts to commemorate the F-14's heyday with the Tomcat Sunset celebration, and his support of the creation of the Tomcat Monument at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront and Pensacola.About Bad Fred:A 1962 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Bad Fred was designated a naval aviator in November 1963 and initially became a flight instructor before training on the F-4 Phantom in 1965. Bad Fred deployed throughout the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, as well as twice deploying to the Gulf of Tonkin to take part in combat missions in North Vietnam. He then attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1969, but in so doing missed the opportunity to be a Blue Angel. Following F-4 replacement pilot training, Bad Fred established the F-14 RAG in Oceana in 1974.Bad Fred went on to have multiple command assignments, and was in command of CAG 8 on the USS Nimitz when his pilots downed two Libyan fighter aircraft in the Gulf of Sidra in 1981. After inaugurating the “Super CAG” program and taking on several prestigious staff assignments in Washington D.C., Bad Fred was selected for promotion to Commander, eventually taking command of Carrier Group Four, at which time he also became qualified on rotary wing aircraft. Prior to retiring, Bad Fred stood up the Naval Doctrine Command as its Commander in 1993. Following retirement, Bad Fred was President of National Training and Simulation Association. He was formerly Chairman of the Tailhook Association, becoming part of a team that reconciled the Navy and the Tailhook Association in 2000. He has also served as President of the Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association, otherwise known as the Golden Eagles.About the host:Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner, and host of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on X: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Rear Admiral Frederick ‘Bad Fred’ Lewis, who accumulated an incredible 6,500 accident-free flying hours in tactical aircraft and more than 1,200 carrier arrested landings in his flying career. In today's episode, Bad Fred recalls some of his favorite flying memories, including his first flight in the Phantom. We talk about the progression of his career after his Gulf of Sidra deployment in 1981, concluding with his involvement in creating the Super CAG program in 1986. About Bad Fred:A 1962 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Bad Fred was designated a naval aviator in November 1963 and initially became a flight instructor before training on the F-4 Phantom in 1965. Bad Fred deployed throughout the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, as well as twice deploying to the Gulf of Tonkin to take part in combat missions in North Vietnam. He then attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1969, but in so doing missed the opportunity to be a Blue Angel. Following F-4 replacement pilot training, Bad Fred established the F-14 RAG in Oceana in 1974.Bad Fred went on to have multiple command assignments, and was in command of CAG 8 on the USS Nimitz when his pilots downed two Libyan fighter aircraft in the Gulf of Sidra in 1981. After inaugurating the “Super CAG” program and taking on several prestigious staff assignments in Washington D.C., Bad Fred was selected for promotion to Commander, eventually taking command of Carrier Group Four, at which time he also became qualified on rotary wing aircraft. Prior to retiring, Bad Fred stood up the Naval Doctrine Command as its Commander in 1993. Following retirement, Bad Fred was President of National Training and Simulation Association. He was formerly Chairman of the Tailhook Association, becoming part of a team that reconciled the Navy and the Tailhook Association in 2000. He has also served as President of the Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association, otherwise known as the Golden Eagles.About the host:Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner, and host of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on X: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Rear Admiral Frederick ‘Bad Fred’ Lewis, who accumulated an incredible 6,500 accident-free flying hours in tactical aircraft and more than 1,200 carrier arrested landings in his flying career. Today's episode contains some recollections from Vietnam before moving forward to the earliest deployments Bad Fred wet on with the Tomcat. He also discusses his 1981 deployment on the USS Nimitz to the Gulf of Sidra, where two American pilots downed two Libyan fighters that had fired upon them with hostile intent.Along with the Gulf of Sidra incident, Bad Fred shares another recollection of much-loved aviator Dale 'Snort' Snodgrass, and speaks of the fates of the aviators involved in the Libyan shootdown.About Bad Fred:A 1962 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Bad Fred was designated a naval aviator in November 1963 and initially became a flight instructor before training on the F-4 Phantom in 1965. Bad Fred deployed throughout the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, as well as twice deploying to the Gulf of Tonkin to take part in combat missions in North Vietnam. He then attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1969, but in so doing missed the opportunity to be a Blue Angel. Following F-4 replacement pilot training, Bad Fred established the F-14 RAG in Oceana in 1974.Bad Fred went on to have multiple command assignments, and was in command of CAG 8 on the USS Nimitz when his pilots downed two Libyan fighter aircraft in the Gulf of Sidra in 1981. After inaugurating the “Super CAG” program and taking on several prestigious staff assignments in Washington D.C., Bad Fred was selected for promotion to Commander, eventually taking command of Carrier Group Four, at which time he also became qualified on rotary wing aircraft. Prior to retiring, Bad Fred stood up the Naval Doctrine Command as its Commander in 1993. Following retirement, Bad Fred was President of National Training and Simulation Association. He was formerly Chairman of the Tailhook Association, becoming part of a team that reconciled the Navy and the Tailhook Association in 2000. He has also served as President of the Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association, otherwise known as the Golden Eagles.About the host:Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner, and host of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on X: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Rear Admiral Frederick ‘Bad Fred’ Lewis, who accumulated an incredible 6,500 accident-free flying hours in tactical aircraft and more than 1,200 carrier arrested landings in his flying career. Today's episode focuses on the portion of Bad Fred's military career that spanned his second deployment to Vietnam as a pilot in the F-4 Phantom to his marriage and period at the Naval Test Pilot School, and his later transition to the F-14 Tomcat. We cover in this episode how Bad Fred worked with a team to stand up the RAG in Oceana and how he first became acquainted with beloved aviator Dale 'Snort' Snodgrass. In this episode, we also talk about fighter pilot lore and the importance of the O-Club in aviator culture.About Bad Fred:A 1962 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Bad Fred was designated a naval aviator in November 1963 and initially became a flight instructor before training on the F-4 Phantom in 1965. Bad Fred deployed throughout the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, as well as twice deploying to the Gulf of Tonkin to take part in combat missions in North Vietnam. He then attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1969, but in so doing missed the opportunity to be a Blue Angel. Following F-4 replacement pilot training, Bad Fred established the F-14 RAG in Oceana in 1974.Bad Fred went on to have multiple command assignments, and was in command of CAG 8 on the USS Nimitz when his pilots downed two Libyan fighter aircraft in the Gulf of Sidra in 1981. After inaugurating the “Super CAG” program and taking on several prestigious staff assignments in Washington D.C., Bad Fred was selected for promotion to Commander, eventually taking command of Carrier Group Four, at which time he also became qualified on rotary wing aircraft. Prior to retiring, Bad Fred stood up the Naval Doctrine Command as its Commander in 1993. Following retirement, Bad Fred was President of National Training and Simulation Association. He was formerly Chairman of the Tailhook Association, becoming part of a team that reconciled the Navy and the Tailhook Association in 2000. He has also served as President of the Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association, otherwise known as the Golden Eagles.About the host:Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner, and host of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on X: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/

Welcome to the Fighter Pilots’ Guide to Living. Today’s guest is retired Rear Admiral Frederick ‘Bad Fred’ Lewis, who accumulated an incredible 6,500 accident-free flying hours in tactical aircraft and more than 1,200 carrier arrested landings in his flying career. Today's episode focuses on the first five years of Bad Fred's military career, from his time in the U.S. Naval Academy to a period as a Naval test pilot, and on to the first portion of his years spent flying the F-4 Phantom. The episode ends with Bad Fred's first deployment to Vietnam on the USS Forrestal, which ended with the devastating fire that killed 134 and left 161 injured.About Bad Fred:A 1962 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Bad Fred was designated a naval aviator in November 1963 and initially became a flight instructor before training on the F-4 Phantom in 1965. Bad Fred deployed throughout the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, as well as twice deploying to the Gulf of Tonkin to take part in combat missions in North Vietnam. He then attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in 1969, but in so doing missed the opportunity to be a Blue Angel. Following F-4 replacement pilot training, Bad Fred established the F-14 RAG in Oceana in 1974.Bad Fred went on to have multiple command assignments, and was in command of CAG 8 on the USS Nimitz when his pilots downed two Libyan fighter aircraft in the Gulf of Sidra in 1981. After inaugurating the “Super CAG” program and taking on several prestigious staff assignments in Washington D.C., Bad Fred was selected for promotion to Commander, eventually taking command of Carrier Group Four, at which time he also became qualified on rotary wing aircraft. Prior to retiring, Bad Fred stood up the Naval Doctrine Command as its Commander in 1993. Following retirement, Bad Fred was President of National Training and Simulation Association. He was formerly Chairman of the Tailhook Association, becoming part of a team that reconciled the Navy and the Tailhook Association in 2000. He has also served as President of the Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association, otherwise known as the Golden Eagles.About the host:Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner, and host of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on X: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/