Flying the First U.S. Harrier Combat Mission - Episode 64
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Retired AV-8B Pilots Capt. Frank “Pugs” Smith and Lt. Col. Luke “Warren” Jacobs take us behind the iconic Jump Jet and its 40-year legacy.
We are back with our regularly scheduled podcast! In this episode, they discuss carrier operations, vertical takeoff and landing, the challenges of maintaining the aircraft, and how the fighter performed its missions. The Harrier remains one of aviation’s boldest experiments, paving the way for newer V/STOL platforms like the F-35B. This one is going to be cool!
Resources:
- The Harrier Jump Jet (Key Aero)
- Operation Desert Storm (Air Force Historical Support Division)
- The AV-8B Harrier II (Wikipedia)
- Retiring Wings Over the Rockies' Harrier (YouTube)
Chapters:
The Harrier Jump Jet (Key Aero)
key.aeroOperation Desert Storm (Air Force Historical Support Division)
afhistory.af.milThe AV-8B Harrier II (Wikipedia)
en.wikipedia.org
- 0:00Intro
- 1:36Harrier Overview
- 2:35Aviation Beginnings
- 4:27The Jump Jet's 40-Year Journey
- 5:28Like Flying a Dragon
- 6:25The TAV-8 Trainer
- 7:01Flying the Harrier
- 8:18The A-4 Vs. The AV-8B
- 9:19Carrier Operations
- 10:36The V/STOL
- 14:47Vertical Take Off Challenges
- 17:10Dogfight Maneuvers
- 18:15How Loud Was the Jump Jet?
- 20:04Life Below Deck
- 21:05Operation Desert Storm
- 23:25Afghanistan Combat Missions
- 25:53How Harrier Capabilities Evolved
- 26:54Flying in Mixed Packages
- 28:09The AV-8B's Legacy
- 30:00Frank and Luke's Advice
- 32:35Outro