Episode #107 – Hercules to Hawgs: Flying Both Ends of the Fight with Col. Derek “Woody” Oaks

🎙️ Episode 107 – Hercules to Hawgs: Flying at Both Ends of the Fight with Col. Derek “Woody” Oaks.

Welcome aboard the 107th sortie of the Lessons from the Cockpit Show I’m Lt Col Mark Hasara, USAF (Ret.), KC-135 Weapons Officer and your pilot for today’s mission. I’ve flown jets, built war plans, and stayed hopelessly addicted to aviation for over 60 years.

This week?

You're in for one hell of a ride. After two attempts, we finally locked in this high-value target: Col. Derek “Woody” Oaks, a pilot who flew both ends of the Air Force spectrum—from hauling cargo in the C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster III, to packing a serious punch in the A-10 Warthog. Not many can say they went from tactical airlift to tactical CAS... but Woody can. And he’s got the stories, scars, and lessons to prove it. We break down: Life in the Herc and what it takes to fly into dirt strips under fire Transitioning to the Warthog and how it changes your view of airpower Lessons in leadership, flying under pressure, and staying adaptable when missions shift fast.

This one’s pure jet fuel—don’t miss it.

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🔥 Next Week’s Mission Brief I’m flying solo next week—breaking down current events and the future of airpower: B-2s in Diego Garcia A-10s in the UAE Chaos in Yemen and the Pacific A deep dive into the F-47 NGAD and the Tanker/Mobility gap nobody’s talking about Air bridges and power projection today?

Not like Iraqi Freedom... it’s uglier.

Strap in.

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And remember… Nobody Kicks Ass Without Tanker Gas… NOBODY!