Episodes 217
Avg. Duration 1h 25m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.9 (211)
Since May 2022
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
96%
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sothereiwas.us

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About This Podcast

So There I Was” is a weekly aviation podcast and YouTube show featuring true pilot stories from fighter pilots, airline captains, helicopter pilots, and other military and civilian aviators. “So – There I was.” It’s how ALL great aviation tales begin! Join hosts Fig and Repete as they bring in some great aviation raconteurs to relate the glamorous, hilarious, poignant, tragic, and incredible tales of aviation. Fig and Repete met more than 30 years ago as Marine Attack pilots in Marine Attack Squadron VMA‑223 flying the AV‑8B Harrier II. Both have since gone on to careers in the majors. Realizing that they are around the most accomplished professionals in aviation with amazing stories to tell, they decided these stories are too good to be kept quiet. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll laugh until you cry, but you’ll never be bored!

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Recent Episodes

S1E214 Trainwreck Episode 214

Jun 05, 2026 32m

A near mid-ground collision by Strecken and

S1E213 Don't Bother Logging It Episode 213

May 28, 2026 1h 24m

Col Bill Wehrung - Horny sits with us to talk Naval Academy, Marine Aviation - including 235 combat missions in Vietnam, getting hit twice and an amazing career spanning 3 decades... starting before…

S1E212 Belly Up on Lead: The Growler Midair Episode 212

May 21, 2026 34m

Fig & RePete go over several aviation topics - including the F/A-18 Growler Mid Air collision in Mountain Home Idaho, last week.

S1E211 I Can't Run That Far Episode 211

May 14, 2026 2h 7m

Brain joins us to talk Flight School, Harriers, Drones and F-35s! Funny, touching... Don't miss this Great American!

S1E210 I Flew Through the Afterburner Plume 'cuz I Heard It Episode 210

May 07, 2026 1h 46m

Bonk, Top Gun, Marine MAWTS-1 and Test Pilot Stories kick off with him bobbing in the Pacific after less than 500 flight hours in total flight time! Actually, that’s just the warmup. This week on So…

S1E209 Get Out of Burner, Bro! Episode 209

Apr 30, 2026 1h 34m

This week kicks off with Kemo back in the saddle, and it goes sideways immediately! Actually, this one starts fast. No warmup. No easing in. Just straight into stories that make you stop and go,…

New Life for YL-37 Episode 208

Apr 23, 2026 1h 33m Transcript

Doober comes back to tell of his acquisition of former US Marine Corps H-34 helicopter, YL-37. The helicopter restoration story starts with a mission that sounds simple. It is not. Actually, it…

S1E207 The Boy on the Fence Became the Boss Episode 207

Apr 16, 2026 1h 24m

This is part two with Al Cisneros, and this time, it opens in a hurry. No notice. Grab the jet. Haul critical intel. Get it to Saigon—fast. Actually, what starts as a straightforward courier mission…

S1E206 You're Marginally in Control & in Charge of Nothing Episode 206

Apr 09, 2026 1h 3m

This episode drops you straight into one of those situations pilots train for—but hope never happens. A routine mission turns serious fast when the fuel state stops being a number and starts becoming…

S1E205 That's Not Our Runway! Episode 205

Apr 02, 2026 58m Transcript

Fig & RePete kick back for a raw hangar-talk session unpacking aviation’s razor edge: LaGuardia runway crash layers failing Swiss-cheese style, sim freezes hiding ghost jets, and C-130 crews…

S1E204 Untethered Episode 204

Mar 26, 2026 1h 21m

The C-130 flight engineer is a disappearing breed. However, the stories remain. In this episode of So There I Was, DC pulls back the curtain on high-stakes aircrew life. We explore the Air National…

I Can’t Even Spell Jumpseat Episode 203

Mar 19, 2026 1h 38m

Naval aviation stories rarely go as planned. This episode of So There I Was features Matt “Taco” Bell sharing his wildest moments… This episode of So There I Was delivers multiple “wait, what?”…

S1E202 Nasty's Worst Day in the Navy Episode 202

Mar 12, 2026 59m

Nasty’s worst day Navy starts when a young Tomcat hopeful hears “you’re a qual” on the radio, then “you’re a disqual” at the ladder. Consequently, that gut punch on the Lex knocks his timeline off,…

He Heard Me Go By Episode 201

Mar 05, 2026 56m

He Heard Me Go By pilot story comes from Navy pilot Stretch Curran, who flew the massive A-3 / EA-3 Skywarrior “Whale,” the largest jet routinely launched from aircraft carriers. In Episode 201 of So…

Royce Williams Medal of Honor: 1v7 MiG Dogfight Episode 200

Feb 26, 2026 Transcript

Royce Williams Medal of Honor recipient joins the show to recount a legendary tale. Imagine bringing a knife to a gunfight. In this case, the knife is a subsonic F9F Panther. Furthermore, the guns…

S1E199 Slightly Disappointed They Didn't Shoot At Us Episode 199

Feb 19, 2026 1h 48m

This aviation podcast episode explores real pilot stories, flight safety lessons, and ATC coordination. We dive into the extreme demands of flying high-performance military aircraft like the SR-71…

Never Relax When Things Are Going Well Episode 198

Feb 12, 2026 2h 25m

Discover gripping F-106 pilot stories, test pilot emergencies, and aviation safety lessons from a career pushing airplanes—and luck—to the brink. Buckle up for Da Benj’s wild ride from F-106…

John Steinbeck’s Ecstacy Leak Episode 197

Feb 05, 2026 19m

In 1967, legendary author John Steinbeck climbed into a Huey helicopter over Vietnam—and what he wrote afterward was so raw, so strange, and so brutally honest that it still messes with pilots and…

S1E196 The Beginning of My Crime Spree Episode 196

Jan 29, 2026 2h 25m

Welcome to a sobering and powerful episode of So There I Was. This week, we explore incredible Hanoi Hilton survival stories with retired Navy Captain Mike “Masher” McGrath. Beyond the technical…

S1E195 Drop & Give Me 1 Episode 195

Jan 22, 2026 1h 44m Transcript

So there I was… five miles from the runway at Stansted, flaps moving from 35 to 50 on an MD-11, when the airplane abruptly rolled to nearly 60 degrees of bank on short final. That’s not a metaphor.…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does So There I Was have?

So There I Was has published 217 episodes since May 2022, covering topics in Aviation, Comedy.

Is So There I Was still active?

So There I Was is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 1h 25m.

How do I contact So There I Was for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for So There I Was, including email and social media links.

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