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.
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!
Resources:
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
What is Behind the Wings?
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum has a podcast! Based on our hit YouTube and PBS series of the same name, the Behind the Wings podcast will cover everything from aviation history to the future of space exploration with thought leaders and experts in the industry. This one's going to be cool!