Episode #194 - Flying Fighters, Combat Missions & Helicopters | C.W. Lemoine

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Welcome to The Helicopter Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS!

In this episode, Halsey Schider sits down with fighter pilot, author, and content creator C.W. Lemoine to talk about an aviation career that rarely followed the obvious path.

Growing up in Louisiana, C.W. dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot, only to be told early on that his eyesight would likely prevent him from ever reaching that goal. Rather than letting that answer define his future, he continued looking for another way in. A chance connection with an Air Force Reserve fighter squadron eventually opened a door, beginning a military aviation career that would take him through the Air Force and Navy and into flying aircraft including the F-16 and F/A-18.

C.W. shares some of the unexpected turns along that journey, from Hurricane Katrina and military restructuring to deployments and combat flying. He and Halsey also get into the realities of high-performance aircraft, G-forces, training, and C.W.'s eventual experience crossing over into the helicopter world.

The conversation also explores how C.W. has taken his aviation experience beyond the cockpit through his books and online content, using authenticity and approachable storytelling to connect aviation with a much broader audience.

C.W.'s latest novel, AIR ONE: Origin, is available for pre-order now and releases October 20. Pre-order your copy here.

Through it all is a lesson C.W. has carried throughout his career: don't eliminate yourself from an opportunity before someone with the authority to make that decision actually tells you no. It's a philosophy he has spoken about before in his popular “Make Them Tell You No”video, and one that comes through clearly in his own unconventional path into military aviation. His story is a reminder that an aviation career doesn't always unfold according to plan—and that setbacks don't necessarily mean the end of the road.

Thank you to this episode's sponsors, Robinson, Sirius XM Aviation and Airbus.