Episode #88 with Eric Z

Welcome to the Eighty-Eighth Episode of the Lessons from the Cockpit show! I’m your host, Mark Hasara, a retired Air Force KC-135 pilot, here to share the fascinating stories and insights I've gathered over decades of flying. Today’s episode is a special one that dives into a type of flying I knew little about until recently.

Several months ago, I was contacted by an aviation enthusiast and author living in Berlin, Germany. He began his aviation journey loving airplanes and then became a Crew Chief on F-111 fighter bombers but later developed a passion for a completely different type of flying. My guest today is Eric Z., an American citizen and avid hang glider and sailplane pilot. Eric joins us to share some of his most valuable lessons learned from flying on air – experiences that are both thrilling and educational.

This episode is financially supported by my book, Tanker Pilot: Lessons from the Cockpit, which is available on Amazon in four formats: hardcover, softcover, Kindle, and Audible. The book provides readers with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the planning and execution of air refueling operations during four major air campaigns and countless contingency operations. Each of the 22 chapters features a critical lesson learned from my personal experiences.

Exciting news! The softcover edition of Tanker Pilot has recently been reprinted with color photo inserts—a vibrant improvement over the black-and-white images you'll find on Amazon. If you’d like a signed copy, reach out to me directly at mark@markhasara.com. The cost is $27, which covers the purchase and shipping, with all proceeds going to the Airlift/Tanker Association Scholarship and Heritage Fund.

Now, let’s talk F-111 Aardvarks. I’ve flown in and out of RAF Mildenhall near RAF Lakenheath, the former F-111F Aardvark swing-wing fighter bomber base in England. Since Eric was a “Vark” Crew Chief, here is a RAF Lakenheath F-111F from the 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron armed for a Desert Storm mission over Iraq in the first Gulf War.

Back when I was stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, I flew the KC-135R model – the best version of the tanker to fly, hands down. This aircraft was from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron at Kadena, and flying that bird remains one of my career highlights.

One of my favorite airplanes has always been the F-15 and RAF Lakenheath is home to several F-15E Strike Eagle squadrons. This F-15E Strike Eagle froom the 492nd Fighter Squadron is armed for what was called the Quick Reactive Strike or QRS mission when highly time sensitive targets were found over Kosovo and needed to be destroyed quickly. The F-15E is carrying the AGM-130 rocket-propelled television guided 2000 pound bomb nicknamed “The Whale”.

You can catch this episode and previous ones on my YouTube channel @MarkHasara. I’m so grateful to all of you for tuning in and making this show a part of your aviation journey. This is just the first of two episodes with Eric Z., and the second one will air next week.

Before I wrap up, I have two exciting announcements coming next week! First, I’ll be unveiling some brand-new aviation artwork, and second, we’re launching a Patreon-style site where we can interact directly, share stories, and talk all things aviation. I’m also planning to host live Friday night “Bar Nights” where we can chat in real-time. Stay tuned for more details in the next episode of Lessons from the Cockpit.

Thanks again for listening, and I can’t wait to share more with you next week!

Видео Episode #88 with Eric Z канала Lt Col Mark Hasara