'Benj' the Boeing Bird of Prey Test Pilot

Fighter Pilot Podcast

E. Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello, Retired U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot

History, Personal Journals, Technology, Society & Culture, Government, Leisure, Aviation

4.9 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 8 April 2025

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Boeing Bird of Prey was a mid-1990's stealth technology demonstrator used to test low-observable stealth techniques and develop new methods of aircraft design. The recent F-47 sixth generation fighter, which will be a Boeing product, is thought to trace its lineage to the BBoP.

This episode features retired U.S Air Force and Boeing Corporation test pilot Doug "Benj" Benjamin, originally recorded in 2021. Benj was the first and last BBoP test pilot, having amassed more hours in the demonstrator than any other test pilot.

Benj also shares amazing stories from his experience flying the F-106, attending the French Test Pilot School, and conducting F-16 flight test. The conversation wanders into the F-22, F-35 and even Boeing 737 and 757 civilian airliners.

After the feature interview, Jon "BigDogg" Rhone stops by to briefly explain SAIC, a Fortune 500 technology integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	We would like to thank our title sponsor National University.
0:03.7	National University is committed to supporting veterans, active duty personnel,
0:07.8	and military families through flexible online courses and master's and doctoral programs
0:12.6	in high-demand fields, providing excellent career advancement opportunities.
0:17.4	NU is a yellow ribbon school that proudly accepts the post-911 GI Bill and goes the extra mile
0:23.1	by offering unlimited free tutoring, virtual career advising, and transition support.
0:28.7	To learn what National University has to offer, visit veteran.n.n.u.orgia.orgia. It was a
0:36.0	low-observable technology demonstrator.
0:38.6	McDonald-Douglas and Boeing merged, then became the Boeing bird of prey.
0:43.2	And it's kind of cool that I have put pencil marks on the G meter, because as part of the
0:47.8	envelope expansion, it was my job to go to the highest G that it was supposed to go to.
0:51.8	And I got to those speeds.
0:53.2	Same thing for top speeds.
0:55.0	And I ended up being privileged to fly the last flight.
0:58.5	Sam Lott is working at 4-5-1.
1:03.6	Black one, back one.
1:05.0	Another Siblage.
1:06.8	Same one position.
1:07.6	Roger head.
1:09.5	Wait, somebody got to hit on $500. Get out of here. Got, got it to turn. Oh, find it. What do you, plus the P8 and the Boeing 737 and 757 have in common?
1:28.2	Well, for one, they have all been flown by or chased by in the case of the Raptor.
1:33.6	Today's guest, retired U.S. Air Force test pilot Doug Benjamin,
	...

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