During his three-plus decades in the military, Aaron Nance says some service members are still surprised he flies jets. Nance, a chief warrant officer 5 in the Washington Army National Guard, considers that the biggest misconception he encounters fairly regularly.
"'Yeah, I sure do. It's what we do,'" Nance told "The Fighter Pilot Podcast," recalling his usual response. "'Wow, I had no idea. I thought you guys just flew helicopters.'"
As the Army prepares to commemorate its 250th birthday on Saturday, June 14, 2025, "The Fighter Pilot Podcast" -- hosted by former Navy fighter pilot Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello -- is rebroadcasting five episodes this month that focus on Army aviation. So far, an overview with Nance and a look at the U.S. Army flight school with Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nicholas Allen have been reposted.
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Dating to the Union Army Balloon Corps during the Civil War, aviation has played a role in the United States' oldest military branch. Today, the Army operates both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, including the UH-60 Black Hawk -- which Nance described as "the backbone of United States Army aviation." While Nance has flown rotary-winged aircraft such as the AH-64 Apache combat helicopter, his role at the time the podcast was recorded was as a standardization officer for the C-26 Metroliner.
"It's a little bit bigger version of a turbo prop," Nance said of the C-26. "It's a tough aircraft, to say the least. It's a little bit of old school mixed in with a little bit of new. It's got a big, old yoke like a school bus. I love it. It can take a beating, it does things really well and it does them efficiently."
During his 64-minute discussion with Aiello, Nance -- who also has flown the UC-35 transport plane -- touches on the importance of aviation in the Army then and now, the specific roles of rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, how 9/11 altered the course of his career and book recommendations about Army aviation, among other topics.
The Army wouldn't be what it is without an aviation component, according to Nance.
"Wherever the U.S. military is at, Army fixed wing is there," he said. “Anywhere there’s a major presence for the United States Army, there’s going to be some type of fixed-wing presence there, just to support them internally to get them around to where they need to be or to provide them the products they need.”
To listen to Aiello's conversation with Nance, click on the video below. For more on Army aviation, "The Fighter Pilot Podcast" intends to rebroadcast audio-only episodes on the topic every Monday of this month. Those will be available on the podcast's website, as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Overcast.
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