10 Percent True - Tales from the Cockpit

Pinbag Shaw | 10 Percent True | EP83 Part 3In the final instalment of my conversation with Thomas “Pinbag” Shaw, we close out his Phantom career.From Cold War nuclear strike planning in Europe to flying large-force exercises at Nellis and combat-ready deployments in the Pacific, Pinbag walks us through the evolution of the F-4E and the realities of fighter operations in the late Cold War.We talk about weapons school culture, the ar...

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Pinbag Shaw | 10 Percent True | EP83 Part 2

In Part Two of our conversation, Thomas “Pinbag” Shaw takes us operational.

From Korea to Germany, this is life in a Cold War Phantom squadron — where Victor Alert was real, nuclear strike planning was routine, and NATO air defence timelines were measured in minutes.

In this episode we discuss:

• What sitting nuclear Victor ...

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Pinbag Shaw | 10 Percent True | EP83 Part 1

Thomas “Pinbag” Shaw flew the F-4E Phantom II at a pivotal moment in USAF history.

Commissioned during the draft era, he entered Tactical Air Command just as the Air Force was absorbing the hard lessons of Vietnam and rebuilding its fighter culture from the ground up.

In this first part of our conversation, Pinbag expl...

Jif Paines | 10 Percent True | EP82Chapters

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In this episode, former RAF Harrier pilot and X-35B test pilot “Jif” Paines explains how the F-35B’s revolutionary STOVL flight control system was born.

From early Harrier night attack operations to experimental fly-by-wire research on the VAAC Harrier, Jif traces the technical and philosophical battle that led to Unified ...

EE Lightning P1B | 10 Percent True | EP84 – Part 1

In a secret barn in East Anglia, former RAF Lightning pilot Ian “Blackie” Black reveals the extraordinary story of the very first English Electric Lightning P1B — the first British aircraft to reach Mach 2.Built by English Electric and flown by Battle of Britain ace Roland Beamont, this hand-built prototype marked Britain’s leap into the supersonic age.

Decades later, after museum l...

Mattes Kries 10 Percent True EP81 Part 2Former Luftwaffe Tornado IDS pilot and weapons school instructor Mattes Kries returns to break down how a Cold War–era strike aircraft was pushed far beyond its original design. From low-level nuclear strike doctrine to medium-altitude workarounds, “dumb” HARM employment, Red Flag and Nellis weapons school, and the arrival of TAURUS, this episode explores how crews compensated for limited kit...

Mattes Kries | 10 Percent True | EP81 – Part 1

In this episode, Mattes Kries—a former Luftwaffe Tornado IDS pilot and weapons instructor—traces his career from a hard-won start in NATO jet training through frontline Tornado operations, weapons school, and senior tactics leadership. He explains how Germany’s Tornado force evolved from Cold War low-level nuclear strike toward conventional, medium-altitude employment; how lessons f...

Super Harris 10 Percent True EP80 P1In Part Two of this conversation, retired USAF Major General “Super” Harris moves from diagnosis to consequence, explaining how the erosion of developmental testing has already led to real-world accidents, wasted lives, and broken programmes. Drawing on his role as Air Force Test Center Commander, Harris dissects the Light Attack experiment, the fatal risks of mixing developmental and operational...

Super Harris 10 Percent True EP80 P1In this wide-ranging and unvarnished conversation, retired USAF two-star General “Super” Harris explains how U.S. military acquisition and flight-test culture has changed since the end of the Cold War—and why he believes those changes are dangerous. Drawing on decades as an electronic warfare officer, developmental tester, squadron commander, and instructor at Test Pilot School, Harris lays out a...

Get Mike's book: https://amzn.eu/d/b2lcwQtGet ad-free, early access to new 10 Percent True videos: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/listPig Penn, 10 Percent True Episode 79.In this extraordinary episode of 10 Percent True, Mike “Pig” Penn—US Navy A-7 Corsair II pilot, Iron Hand aviator, and Vietnam POW—walks through a life defined by combat, captivity, survival, and purpose. Pig recounts flying alpha strikes and Iron...

Get ad-free, early access to new 10 Percent True videos: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/list0:00 intro and welcome back Buck1:38 weapon school genesis and selection6:21 3 times through and a baby on board!7:57 standing up the school12:42 light grey snub comes full circle!16:17 fighting institutional resistance in AFSOC18:16 the value and the sanctity of the debrief19:16 bilat story - AFSOC resistance continued23:10...

Get ad-free, early access to new 10 Percent True videos: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/list0:00 Support the channel0:33 welcome back Buck and episode outline2:59 an appeal and a thank you 5:28 AMA (Jim’s) question - division of labour among crew 10:43 Maintaining SA once engaged 13:20 journey to the Air Force and route to the Gunship17:10 route to AFSOC20:08 any lack of fulfilment having missed out on fighters?24:00 g...

Get ad-free, early access to new 10 Percent True videos: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/listGrease Panarisi, 10 Percent True Episode 73 Part 50:00: Support the channel3:10 Welcome back Grease - and ama question from Blair regarding maritime strike role for the Strike Eagle 7:18 discord follow up on “stand-in” weapon system 13:50 AIM-174 known to USAF? 14:10 Strike Eagle in maritime strike 20:03 fast forward to Quick St...

Subscribe to 10 Percent True for ad-free, early access to new episodes: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans10PCT EP77 Part 20:00 intro teaser (ejection story)0:49 welcome back Shamu1:55 bookending the instructor period, a shoutout, and the benefits of weapon school grads in the instructor cadre 8:17 to Alaska9:45 the mission(s)12:02 aircraft fit - cfts, 3 bags? 14:51 the bomber intercept mission17:52 JTIDS/FDL/AESA20:29 fro...

Subscribe to 10 Percent True for ad-free, early access to new episodes: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans10PCT EP77 Part 10:00 Welcome Shamu0:50 outline of Shamus’s AF career5:20 Air Defence roll in the 48th TFW 11:05 long range interception or BFM or both14:22 old tech “smoke a lucky”16:55 DACT vs Oceana Tomcats21:15 live intercepts? 23:30 radar capabilities 25:50 VI (visual intercept) button 27:15 culture - wing perform...

Subscribe to 10 Percent True for ad-free, early access to new episodes: https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plansFred Knowles EP76 P2In Part 2 of our conversation with retired USAF pilot Fred Knowles, we dive into his 15 years flying the A-10 Thunderbolt II in Alaska and a tour in South Korea. Fred explains the Hog’s unique firepower, tactics, and survivability, shares vivid stories about Arctic survival training, flying in bruta...

In this episode of 10 Percent True, we sit down with retired U.S. Air Force pilot Fred Knowles, whose career spanned two of the most unique fighters in American service: the supersonic F-106 Delta Dart and the rugged A-10 Thunderbolt II.Fred shares vivid stories of flying the T-33 and F-106 in Air Defense Command—intercepting Soviet Tu-95 “Bear” bombers, training with nuclear-tipped Genie missiles, and living the culture of the Col...

10 Percent True Squadron Leader Tier subscriber? Join OP for the Live Lounge session on 28 Sept 2000Z.Want ad-free, early access? https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/listOP Denney, Episode 75.OP Denney shares his incredible journey from growing up as the son of a Vietnam-era Army aviator to becoming an F-15C Eagle pilot, USAF Weapons School graduate and MiG killer during Operation Desert Storm. He walks us through fighter c...

Want ad-free, early access? https://www.10percenttrue.com/pricing-plans/listMaestro Renken EP74 Part 2In this powerful interview, Maestro offers a raw, insightful deep dive into the unforgiving crucible of the Weapons Instructor Course. He shares hard lessons on failure, leadership, tactical innovation, integrating multi-domain capabilities, and preparing aircrew to fight peer adversaries like China. A masterclass in humility, inst...