American MiG Pilot: Inside the Top Secret USAF "Red Eagles" MiG Squadron Part 2 (445)

American MiG Pilot: Inside the Top Secret USAF "Red Eagles" MiG Squadron Part 2 (445)

Author: Ian Sanders February 28, 2026 Duration: 48:20
Lt Col Rob “Z-Man” Zettel is the author of American MiG Pilot - Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles. He tells the Red Eagles story for the first time through the experiences of a pilot who flew Soviet MiGs to their maximum performance in simulated combat engagements, often several times a day, against some of the very best fighter pilots hand-picked from the ranks of the USAF, US Navy and US Marine Corps. With controls labelled in Russian and the only spare parts being the ones they could salvage, the pilots who climbed into the MiGs - the Red Eagles - accepted all of the risks associated with operating these aircraft. Rob’s vivid accounts of training engagements put the reader right in the cockpit as he describes what it was like to be there day in and day out at one of the most access-restricted airfields in the entire USAF, flying MiGs. In part two of our story, we join him for his first interview for the Red Eagles. Buy the book here and support the podcast⁠ Episode extras here ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode445 Listen to Part 1 here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode444/ Similar episodes: The first Western pilot to fly the MIG-29 Soviet fighter plane https://coldwarconversations.com/episode106/ Low Flying the USAF F-111 Nuclear Bomber & Operation EL Dorado Canyon https://coldwarconversations.com/episode358/ ⁠ Go to ⁠https://surfshark.com/coldwardeal⁠ or use code COLDWARDEAL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN! Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation, You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and receive a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank-you, and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONTINUE  THE COLD WAR CONVERSATION BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter/X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a human texture to history that official records often miss, the kind found in a personal recollection or a private fear. Cold War Conversations Podcast is built from those very materials, weaving a tapestry of the 20th century's defining standoff not with dry dates, but with the voices that held its weight. Host Ian Sanders acts as a careful curator, drawing out raw, firsthand accounts from an astonishing array of individuals-from soldiers who stared across the Berlin Wall to civilians who navigated the daily anxieties of the nuclear age, and even the spies whose shadows shaped events. This award-winning series, noted by The New York Times, moves beyond textbook summaries to deliver something far more compelling: intimate, often emotional testimony from the frontlines of a frozen conflict that was anything but cold for those living it. Each episode in this podcast feels like a direct conversation, pulling you into the personal dilemmas, narrow escapes, and quiet moments of defiance that defined the era. You'll hear the tension in a voice recalling a border crossing, the resolve in stories of protest, and the complex humanity behind the headlines. For anyone drawn to the profound impact of this period on global culture and society, this documentary-style podcast offers a gripping, deeply personal portal into the past, reminding us that history is ultimately a collection of individual stories waiting to be heard.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Cold War Conversations
Podcast Episodes
Face to Face with the Srebrenica War Criminals (464) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:42
Richard Lyntton’s life has taken him from Cold War Moscow to the deserts of the Gulf War and the shattered streets of Sarajevo. In this powerful episode, he recalls studying in the Soviet Union during the hopeful Gorbach…
Inside a Cold War USAF Fighter Squadron (463) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:57
Step behind the wire of one of NATO’s most elite tactical fighter squadrons—the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron—during the tense final years of the Cold War and into Operation Desert Storm. Former US Air Force officer Mic…
The Cambridge Five -  new files reveal untold stories (462) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:31
Antonia Senior’s new book, "Stalin’s Apostles", challenges what you may have believed about the Cambridge Five, a group of British citizens who spied for the Soviet Union. Antonia argues that their actions during the Col…
Malta & West Germany - Memories of an RAF Childhood Abroad (461) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:40
Mark Thompson shares his captivating journey as the child of Royal Air Force personnel during the Cold War. From the moment his parents met in Singapore to their adventures across various military bases, Mark's stories a…
Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches (460) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:51
The Cold War was a huge battle for hearts and minds — a true “people’s war.” But where did the “people’s game” fit into it? In their new book, Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches, Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall exp…
Conscripted to a West German Nuclear Missile Unit (457) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:24
Kris is a former conscript in the West German Bundeswehr during the Cold War. He shares his experiences from the moment he received his conscription notice at 17, ultimately joining the Luftwaffe, where he served with th…
30 Miles from the North Korean Border - A US Military Childhood (455) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:00
Flynn describes life as a US military child just 30 miles from the North Korean Border during the 1970s. The political landscape of the time was tumultuous, marked by significant events such as the assassination of Presi…