FPP207 - Flying with the Algorithm: AI, Trust, and the F-35
Fighter Pilot Podcast
Tucker "Cinco" Hamilton, Retired U.S. Air Force Fighter Test Pilot
4.9 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 23 January 2026
⏱️ 83 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What happens when artificial intelligence starts sharing cockpit responsibilities?
On this episode, US Air Force Lt Col Raven “Rost” LeClair—F-35 Lightning II test pilot, squadron commander, and autonomy specialist—breaks down how AI is actually being integrated into 5th-generation fighters. We discuss what “human-machine teaming” looks like from the pilot’s seat, how trust in automation is built (and broken), and why the next leap in airpower depends more on judgment, training, and culture than raw hardware.
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Transcript
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| 0:55.6 | Available in improved U.S. states must be 21 or over. |
| 0:58.4 | Please enjoy responsibly. |
| 1:09.3 | Hello and welcome to the Fighter Pilot Podcasts, the internet radio show that explores a fascinating |
| 1:14.3 | world of air combat past, present, and future. |
| 1:17.8 | The aircraft, the weapons systems, the emerging technologies, and most importantly, the people. |
| 1:23.3 | I'm your host, Tucker Hamilton, call sign Cinco. |
| 1:26.6 | My guest today is Lieutenant Colonel Raven LeClair, call sign Ross, a full-time member of the United States Air Force Reserve. |
| 1:34.1 | Ross has an incredible background, spending flight tests, AI, and general aviation, having flight |
| 1:39.4 | tests of the F-35 for more than a decade and the F-16 for even longer. |
| 1:43.6 | He's a current squadron commander, |
| 1:45.5 | a visionary, bringing AI into fifth-generation cockpits, and someone who has not only helped |
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