#147 Maj. Gen. John "Trapper" Winters on 40 Years of Fighter Aviation
#147 Maj. Gen. John "Trapper" Winters on 40 Years of Fighter Aviation  
Podcast: The Afterburn Podcast
Published On: Fri Apr 10 2026
Description: Maj. Gen. John "Trapper" Winters joins the Afterburn Podcast for a two-hour conversation covering one of the most unconventional paths to two stars in Air Force history — starting as an F-4 Electronic Warfare Officer and navigator, then beating 6% odds to earn a slot in pilot training, flying F-16s in the Aggressor program, commanding a fighter squadron, and ultimately rising to Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the Pentagon.  In this episode, we cover it all. Trapper talks about growing up in a military family, knowing since age three that he wanted to fly fast jets, and what it actually took to make that happen — including working his way through B-52 EWO school, flying with Vietnam veterans who defined squadron culture through "fear, ridicule and sarcasm," and earning a pilot training slot when almost nobody believed it was coming. Have a story? Want to Connect? Advertise? https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.