From Warthogs to Reapers - Episode 66
From Behind the Wings by Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum™
December 22, 2025 · 38 min · Season 7
About this episode
Retired Fighter Pilot Lt. Col. Tammy Barlette discusses her experiences flying the A-10 and operating UAVs, highlighting the evolving role of pilots in modern warfare.
Retired Fighter Pilot Lt. Col. Tammy Barlette shares how flying the A-10 prepared her for operating UAVs like the MQ-1. In this episode, she discusses the Warthog's capabilities, combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, controlling the Predator and Reaper drones, returning to jets after a spinal injury, and how she now shares lessons from the flight deck as a mental performance trainer. As air superiority continues to shift from cockpits to control rooms, we get an inside look at why the pilot's role is more complex than ever before. This one is going to be cool! Resources: Athena’s Voice (Tammy's Speaking Website) Crosscheck Mental Performance (Tammy's Training Website) A-10 Fact Sheet (U.S. Air Force) MQ-1 Fact Sheet (U.S. Air Force) MQ-9 Fact Sheet (U.S. Air Force) Chapters: (00:00) - Intro (01:21) - Balancing Perfectionism (02:26) - Aviation Beginnings (03:44) - Tammy's Pilot Journey (05:15) - Flying the T-37 (06:53) - Selecting the Warthog (08:22) - From ROTC to the Cockpit (09:26) - Flying the Thunderbolt II (10:13) - Favorite Stories (12:17) - A-10 Capabilities (13:28) - Close Air Support Training (14:18) - Transitioning to UAVs (15:59) - Flying the Predator (17:58) - MQ-1…
People in this episode
Host: Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum™
Guest: Lt. Col. Tammy Barlette
Topics covered
- fighter pilots
- UAV operations
- military aviation
- combat missions
- mental performance training
Keywords
- A-10
- UAV
- MQ-1
- MQ-9
- combat missions
- mental performance
- fighter pilot
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
Mentioned in this episode
Products: A-10, MQ-1, MQ-9
Places: Iraq, Afghanistan
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