The Afterburn Podcast

My name is John Waters. I am a former F-16 pilot and general aviation enthusiast. Follow along as I share a bit of my past and current experiences.

I am fortunate to have flown over 2,500 hours and 180 combat missions in various military aircraft. So far: the F-16C/D, MC-12W, T-38C, T-6II, C-172, C-152, DA-20...and more to come. I am currently a 777 pilot flying all across the globe.

Check out www.theafterburnpodcast.com/ where I chat with people from various backgrounds to learn about their journey through life.

For advertising, partnerships, or other business opportunities, please contact: TAP@seenandherd.co

*Views expressed in this video are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Air Force or Department of Defense.*

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The Afterburn Podcast

“You don’t just turn this stuff off…”

I sat down with investigative journalist Jeff Wise to tear apart the technical reality of how this aircraft vanished. We’re now approaching 2026, and while the world watches the new Ocean Infinity search, we are looking at the data that doesn't add up
We dive into the "impossible" manual shutdowns of the ADS-B and the physical vulnerability of the E/E Bay—the hatch in the floor that gives access to the plane's "brains".

Jeff breaks down the evidence for a northern path toward Kazakhstan, while I provide a pilot's perspective on how to fly through radar shadows undetected.
If this wasn't a "pilot suicide" event, who had the technical knowledge to pull a circuit breaker and disappear from the world's radar?

2 days ago | [YT] | 2

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The Afterburn Podcast

🚨 New Channel ‪@AfterburnLowdown‬
We just kicked off a new channel, Afterburn Lowdown, where I’ll be covering breaking aviation, defense, and military current events.

First up: the B-2 stealth bomber and F-35s flying over Alaska during the summit with Trump & Putin. This one’s worth a watch.

👉 Check it out here and subscribe to Lowdown if you want to stay on top of global airpower moves.

4 months ago | [YT] | 9

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The Afterburn Podcast

Vietnam Wild Weasels - Hunting Soviet Surface-to-Air Missile systems. Have you started the SEAD series yet?

9 months ago | [YT] | 36

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The Afterburn Podcast

Ecstatic to hear my good friend Andrew McKenna in consideration for the next Secretary of the Air Force. He’s the right guy for the job. Andrew is the guy who takes care of the team and makes the mission happen.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from his many successes but ultimately his passion and dedication to our Air Force is unmatched. Andrew is the right guy to take our Air Force to the next level. 🇺🇸