Behind the Wings ®
The Podcast – S6, Episode 51
Retired F-15 and F-16 fighter pilot Nicole Malachowski tells us about flying 18 inches off the wings of high-speed jets as a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird.
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Welcome to Season 6 of the Behind the Wings podcast! In this episode, Nicole takes us through her groundbreaking journey as the first woman to become a Thunderbird pilot. She discusses her combat missions, flying in airshows, her WASP connection, and how a tick-borne illness changed her life forever. There is a lot to learn!
Chapters:
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:23 F-15 vs. F-16
- 02:22 Early Interest in Aviation
- 03:26 USAFA
- 04:42 The Ban on Women In Combat Jets
- 06:38 Flying the F-15 and F-16
- 09:06 Combat Missions
- 13:50 Thunderbirds Admission
- 17:58 Thunderbirds Training
- 21:33 Combat vs. Thunderbirds
- 24:02 Audience Interaction
- 27:34 Tick-Borne Illness
- 32:57 The Wounded Warrior Program
- 34:12 WASP Connection
- 36:55 The Future of Veteran Medicine
- 39:21 Nicole’s Legacy
- 40:42 Nicole’s Advice
- 41:45 Outro
Resources:
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