Waitte's Brief

How flying an A-10 Warthog from Connecticut to West Germany has aspects you might be able to guess, and some you might not. Many times when we deployed overseas, we would take off from Bradley International … Read More

Sometimes problems with a jet come and go…and those are the most dangerous. On a mission over Norway, we finished the dogfight training, then flew back to base at about a hundred feet over the fjords. … Read More

Online insurance is a great deal…until you need it! People ask me, “Jay, why should I use someone like you, instead of staying home in my puffy pants and using something like Esurance or Progressive?” And … Read More

During the Cold War, the Warsaw Pact would test NATO’s air defense system. NATO’s air defense was set up in four different layers. An air defense identification zone (ADIZ). A buffer zone (BZ). A political border. … Read More

One winter, I was flying as a wingman over the North Sea. Suddenly, my leader’s F-4 jet engine caught on fire. He had enough time to make a Mayday call – or a “Save Our Souls” … Read More

Fighter pilots have a reputation for being cowboys. They even have their own rodeo. The Israelis Air Force reviewed some of their gun camera film from the ’73 war. It was horrific. Their pilots had not … Read More

Continental Flight 1549 has just departed LaGuardia Airport and is climbing over The Bronx. Continental Flight 1549 (calmly): “Mayday mayday mayday. This is Cactus fifteen thirty-nine. Hit birds. We’ve lost thrust on both engines. We’re turning … Read More

How shining shoes for hours on end and rugged academics turned an 18-year-old high school graduate into a capable and confident Air Force Second Lieutenant. There is a lot of very difficult training at the Air … Read More

Retired US Air Force fighter pilot Edward “Jay” Waitte recalls a 1938 classic war movie with its fearless camaraderie, code of chivalry, and fierce rivalry. A lot of people have asked why I wanted to go … Read More