Maj. Gen. John "Trapper" Winters on 40 Years of Fighter Aviation episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 10, 2026 · 2H 2M

Maj. Gen. John "Trapper" Winters on 40 Years of Fighter Aviation

from The Afterburn Podcast · host John "Rain" Waters

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. Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) Prep with AFOQT Wingman https://afoqtwingman.com/Code: AFTERBURN for 10% off🛫 Become a Fighter/Bomber/Cargo/Tanker/RPA Pilot 🎯 : http://bogidope.com/?bd=tappodcast 🛫🔺 Aviation & Defense Newsletter - https://bit.ly/AfterburnNewsletter 🔺Become a Patron, Support the Show, & Gain Exclusive Benefits: https://www.patreon.com/c/theafterburnpodcast🥷 Scrub Your Info from Data Brokers & Protect Yourself | https://aura.com/afterburn 14-day free trial  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Maj. Gen. John "Trapper" Winters on 40 Years of Fighter Aviation

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This episode was published on April 10, 2026.

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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%...

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