First seen in the skies over the battlefields of World War I, honed to a razors edge in World War II and tempered in every major combat environment since, the Fighter Pilot is an individual that knows perfection in individual performance is required for the team to win. The personification of the Knights of old, the great Fighter Pilots are self-confident without arrogance, proud without vanity, and courageous without ignorance. Traits rarely honored in today’s society of celebrity based on vanity not accomplishment.
The Team
The Team
While the individual Fighter Pilot may be hailed, all of the great ones know it is not about the individual glory, it is about the glory of the team. Whether that team is a two ship element, a four ship flight, a large aerial strike force, the military allies both on the ground and in the air of a combat environment, or the Nation they have sworn to defend with their lives: The Fighter Pilot pushes for perfection in individual performance so that the Team wins. But pride is most commonly, and most passionately displayed at the Squadron level.
The Squadron
The Squadron
The most basic level of the fighter pilot “Team” is the Squadron. Whether it is the Bold Tigers, Screamin Eagles, or Triple Nickel, Pride and Loyalty are focused on the Fighter Pilot’s Squadron. But when the competitions such as “Gunsmoke” end, it is a thin veil of friendly rivalry that separates the fighter pilot Squadron from the broader community of Fighter Pilots that have that common bond forged in the trials of becoming and surviving as a member of the Fighter Pilot Tribe.
The Fighter Pilot Tribe
The Fighter Pilot Tribe
More than the Squadron, there is the Tribe of the Fighter Pilot. The Fighter Pilot Tribe has its own dialect, culture, and its most critical leader: the “Patch.” There is only one true “patch” in the US Air Force’s Fighter Pilot community and that is the patch awarded upon graduation from the Nellis Air Force Base’s Fighter Weapons Instructor Course. Most effectively personified in Robin Olds, those wearing THE “Patch” are always considered the leaders of the Fighter Pilot Tribe.
Perfection
Perfection
Part of being in the Fighter Pilot Tribe is the unending pursuit of perfection. The Fighter Pilot seeks to never perform his trade short of Perfection. So the training sortie that is flown in peace time to prepare for when the Fighter Pilot must fly in combat, is demanding and challenges the Fighter Pilot to exercise their craft and trade in that complex environment known as aerial combat. The Fighter Pilot understands that individual performance is only “perfect” if it contributes to the Team’s success. This leads to one of the most fundamental Fighter Pilot Maxims: I Perform So We Win
The Debrief
The Debrief
After every sortie, comes the longer and usually more exhausting phase of striving for perfection: the debrief. Minutes in the air can take hours to reconstruct and understand. Every moment is defined, every action analyzed, and every moment is broken down to find an imperfection in execution, and then further reviewed to find the root cause of the imperfection and how the Fighter Pilot could have performed better as an individual. All of this debrief work is done to increase the odds of the Team winning. Ego is checked at the door and the debrief can be long, and it can be brutal, but it is always professionally focused solely on making everyone better.
Fire Corn Popcorn
Fire Corn Popcorn
And to help everyone get through those debriefs, the Fighter Pilot most commonly turns to THE snack that was born and bred in the hallowed spaces of the Fighter Pilot Bar: a very unique Jalapeno popcorn known as: Fire Corn Popcorn. The Perfect Fighter Pilot Snack, Fire Corn’s origin is a little vague but most of the old head fighter pilots remember first seeing it at the squadron bars of the fighter squadrons of Holloman Air force Base in Alamogordo New Mexico in the early 1990’s. By the mid ‘90’s, it was a staple in every Squadron Bar. And because it is such a perfect Fighter Pilot snack, it remains a staple in almost every US Air Force Fighter Squadron bar today. What better way to enjoy the traditional fighter pilot camaraderie than to be in the squadron bar, sipping a cold beer and snacking on the Fighter Pilot’s original snack: Fire Corn Popcorn.
From Squadron to Market
From Squadron to Market
Fire Corn Popcorn is now available to all of those that want to add a unique and spicy snack to their own “sortie debrief” it was brought to market by a Combat Veteran Fighter Pilot: retired US Air Force Lt Col Greg “B.A.” Anders. “B.A.” perfected his take on Fire Corn during his time flying the F-15E Strike Eagle at Mt Home Air Force Base in Idaho. A member of the 391st Fighter Squadron “Bold Tigers,” he is “Tiger 68” and is proud to bring Fire Corn, and the story of the Fighter Pilot, to all of those that know how to perform at their personal best to ensure that their team wins.
Snack Like a Fighter Pilot
Snack Like a Fighter Pilot
The key to great team performance is Camaraderie, so after you work hard or play hard, build your team’s camaraderie the same way the Fighter Squadrons do, grab your favorite frosty beverage, a bag of B.A.’s Fire Corn, and Snack Like a Fighter Pilot!
Camaraderie at the end of the day
Being a fighter pilot takes extreme focus and discipline. Hours are spent studying execution and strategy. On every flight, a pilot pushes himself and his aircraft to the very limits.
One of the great traditions of fighter pilots is gathering after training flights to unwind and debrief over brews and jalapeño popcorn called Fire Corn. It’s a spicy mix of fiery popcorn and real jalapeño slices that are slow-fired to a satisfying crisp.
As a Lt-Colonel retired from the Air Force, it’s a tradition I’ve enjoyed for years. And now it’s a tradition I want to share with you.
We hand-craft Fire Corn in small batches that stay true to the fighter pilot original recipe: jalepeños, popcorn and a dash of salt. Just three ingredients mixed to a spicy perfection. Have it for the game, BBQs, or wherever good times await.
You don’t have to be a fighter pilot to eat like one. So open a bag and enjoy the ride. And if this is your first Fire Corn sortie, I recommend having a cold one right along with it.
Friends of Fire Corn
Heritage Flight Museum
Founded in 1996 by Apollo 8 astronaut Maj. General William Anders, the Heritage Flight Museum is dedicated to the preservation and flying of historic military aircraft. Located at Skagit Regional Airport in Burlington, Washington, visitors get an up-close look at the collection of memorabilia and artifacts, as well as a selection of flying World War II, Korean and Vietnam-era aircraft.
Lost Aviator of Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7th, 1941 eight American civilian aviators were airborne in the skies above Oahu. Over time, they became known as the Lost Aviators of Pearl Harbor, and this is their story, with detailed bios, photographs, and information on the planes that flew on that day of infamy.
Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation
The Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation (AFHFF) is provides heritage flights to the public. These performances feature modern fighter/attack aircraft flying alongside World War II, Korea and Vietnam-era aircraft, and our formations serve as a living memorial to those who have served in the U.S. Air Force.
