Top Gun Fighter Pilot Instructor Jack Stewart Part Two

About this video

Jack Stewart, a former Top Gun instructor and F-18 fighter pilot, recounts his combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, describing his first experience being shot at, carrier operations, and humanitarian missions. He details his progression through various roles including flight instructor in Kingsville, an admiral’s aide, and adversary pilot training at Top Gun. Stewart shares tactical insights about dogfighting, G-force effects, and the challenges of carrier aviation, along with stories about call signs, cockpit procedures, and comparisons between F-18s and F-35s.

Key takeaways

• Stewart describes his first combat experience being shot at over Iraq, recounting how his initial fear quickly turned to anger within seconds
• Stewart explains that Top Gun trains instructors in highly specific, standardized methods (including details like how to erase a board and fade music) to maintain consistent expert-level instruction across the fleet
• Stewart details the mental and physical demands of dogfighting, explaining that pilots must think two turns ahead while managing up to 7.5+ G-forces that make their head eight times heavier
• Stewart notes that the F-35’s main advantage over the F-18 is stealth technology rather than maneuverability, with F-35 pilots employing different tactics focused on long-range engagements

Episode details: published January 1, 2024 · 30.7K views · 1:58:39 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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