10 Percent True - Tales from the Cockpit

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10PCT EP86 P2 Benji Prefontaine
In Episode 2, Benji Prefontaine moves from early operations into real combat experience—flying the Dassault Mirage F1 in Africa before transitioning to carrier aviation in the Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard.He describes the shock of adapting from Air Force flying to life on the carrier—where precision, discipline, and consistency are everything. Landing on the boat becomes a defining challenge, exposing the difference between being a good pilot and being an operational one.The episode also explores the limitations of the Super Étendard—an aging, analog jet forced into modern combat—and how that shapes tactics, workload, and risk. Benji highlights the realities of coalition warfare, early Afghanistan deployments, and the steep learning curve of operating in a far more complex and demanding environment.This is where the story shifts from “becoming a pilot” to learning how to survive and operate effectively in combat.0:00 Teaser – Pyjamas, Wine, Corkscrews and Cigarettes 1:45 Welcome Back Benji (Steve’s Lost It!) + Episode Outline 3:20 First Operational Squadron – Tough Start to Mixed Force Ops 9:20 Post-9/11 Politics and Operational Reality 12:38 Red Flag – Flying with Mirage 2000D 15:36 Did Red Flag Validate the EW Suite? 18:41 How Red Flag Prepared Him for Combat 22:26 Inferiority Complex in Coalition Ops? 28:02 Social Life on Squadron 31:24 Old School vs New School – What Works? 35:38 Deployments to Chad 40:42 Threat Environment and Risk 44:48 Ferry Flight to Red Flag – Single-Engine Stress 47:43 Bird Strikes and Wildlife Hazards 52:09 Survival Kit – What’s On Board? 55:10 CSAR – Expectations vs Reality 57:46 What Is a Pilot Worth? 59:05 Combat Psychology 1:04:18 Managing Pilots Doing “Cool Stuff” (Photos/Video) 1:09:54 Romania Deployment – Encounters with MiGs 1:18:09 QRA – Intercepts and Real-World Stories 1:24:45 French Air Force “Urban Legends” 1:27:27 Encounters with USAF Incursions? 1:30:08 End of First Tour – Seeking Exchange Opportunities 1:32:50 Carrier Tour Expectations – Charles de Gaulle 1:35:15 No Night Landings? 1:36:30 Targeting Pod (PDLCT) 1:37:52 FCLP – Carrier Landing Practice 1:42:12 The Hardest Part of Carrier Ops 1:45:15 Nuclear Strike Mission Explained 1:51:53 Super Étendard Capabilities (Including Exocet) 2:01:17 From Detection to Attack 2:05:00 Situation Display, Autopilot, Datalink 2:07:55 Tuning Exocet Targeting and Performance 2:09:12 How Do You Attack a Carrier Group? 2:13:00 Part 3 Preview – Combat and Command

The rescue of the crew of DUDE 44, an F-15E Strike Eagle shot down over Iran, is one of the most complex and dangerous combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations in modern warfare. Retired USAF Colonel and Special Operations pilot Buck Walker breaks down how it happened – from the shootdown to the high-risk mission that brought the crew home. This is how CSAR really works.

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10PCT EP86 P1 – Benji Prefontaine

Chapters

0:00 Intro Teaser – M1.3 Corner Speed, Avoiding the Merge, Low Level
3:00 Welcome, Benji
4:15 Subscriber Question (T-Stoff) – Super Étendard Carrier Ops
10:35 The Hardest Flying of His Career?
13:44 Route to the Air Force
16:15 Initial Flying & Training Curriculum
19:04 Early Impressions & Developing Mission Focus
23:48 Choosing a Platform & Mission
27:10 Explaining Career Choices
29:15 The Mirage 2000N Mission
31:32 Revisiting the Training Accident & Its Repercussions
36:14 Ready for That Conversation?
38:44 The Reward for That Risk
40:22 Alpha Jet
46:36 Air-to-Air Phase – How Formative?
49:18 Armée de l’Air Culture
56:00 Parents’ Opinions
57:37 Mirage F1CT – Introduction, Impressions & Capabilities
1:06:05 Electronic Warfare Suite
1:07:40 MATRA 530 – Fox 1 Capability
1:13:53 Were Export F1 Variants Better?
1:17:00 Diving Deeper into EW Capabilities
1:20:42 M1.3 Corner Speed – Avoiding the Merge at Low Level
1:23:34 “Cheating” in the F1?
1:26:10 DACT Opportunities
1:27:57 Taking on the Mirage 2000
1:30:48 Recce & Air-to-Ground Role
1:36:45 ELINT System Autonomy & Mission Planning
1:40:26 Datalink
1:41:50 Flying Qualities (and Vices) of the F1
1:46:04 Bird Strikes
1:48:20 Experience on the F1CT & Close Calls
1:50:58 Air-to-Air Refuelling – Tankers, Techniques & Night Ops
2:02:15 Geeking Out & Previewing the Next Episode

Cinco Hamilton | 10 Percent True | EP85Former USAF fighter pilot, F-35 test leader, and AI program director Tucker “Cinco” Hamilton joins the show to explain what artificial intelligence actually means for combat aviation. Drawing on his career flying the F-15C, standing up the MC-12 ISR platform, leading F-35 developmental test, and directing the Department of the Air Force–MIT AI Accelerator, Hamilton breaks down the difference between autonomy and AI, how machine learning is being tested in drones like the XQ-58 Valkyrie, and the ethical limits that should never be crossed. The conversation explores whether AI could ever control lethal weapons, how militaries test AI safely through millions of simulations, what AI could do inside aircraft like the F-35, and whether pilots risk becoming deskilled as automation increases. It’s a rare inside look at the future of autonomous combat systems from someone who helped build them0:00 Intro teaser – Drawing a Line 2:23 Welcome Cinco and Episode Outline 5:05 Quick Timeline Introduction 12:50 From Eagle to MC-12? 16:46 Outlining AI in Military Aviation and Defence 22:25 Thought Exercise Presentation 30:14 How Do You Ensure the AI Drone Doesn’t Hit the Bus? Should There Be Concern? 36:37 The Practicalities of Putting AI in the Driving Seat 40:22 How Nuanced Does AI Have to Be to Be “Good Enough”? 45:00 From Theory to Implementation 50:42 Can It Be That Simple? 53:22 Adversarial Developments and Excluding AI from Nuclear Decision-Making 1:01:00 AI Applications in the F-35 and Whether Loyal Wingman Is Possible Without AI 1:06:45 Deskilling of Operators 1:14:22 Audience Question (Nucks) 1:17:00 Audience Question (Matthew) 1:20:55 Audience Question (Biggles-Tintin) 1:23:20 Unlocking the Last 20% – Why Write It? 1:26:50 Balancing Risk in Test Flying and the Role of Faith 1:33:50 How to Get the Book 1:35:10 Thanks to Cinco (Plus the Callsign Story Bonus!)

10 Percent True Channel Update March 2026