The Afterburn Podcast

John "Rain" Waters

Booking Overview

This is a military aviation interview podcast focused on firsthand stories from fighter pilots, aircrew, ground personnel, missions, and military aircraft. Agencies could credibly pitch combat veterans, military aviators, defense analysts, aerospace professionals, and authors with relevant operational expertise, but booking is likely high difficulty because of access, security, and active-duty or mission-related sensitivities.

Metrics

Episodes: 275

Frequency: Weekly

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Estimated listeners: 10k-100k

Gender skew: Male

Location: USA

YouTube: 47.5k subscribers

Instagram: 11.0k followers

Contact Information

rain@theafterburnpodcast.com

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Host

John "Rain" Waters - Host of a podcast focused on the stories of military personnel, aircraft, and missions involved in defending national freedoms.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

high
Typical Credentials:  
Firsthand experience as a military pilot, aircrew member, ground support specialist, veteran, or defense and aerospace professional with relevant operational expertise.
Required Achievements:  
Participation in military aviation operations or combat missions, Specialized expertise in military aircraft, air combat, or defense operations, Operational leadership or firsthand experience supporting military missions

Recent Guest Discussions

Rob "ZMan" Zettel - Inside The Usaf's Red Eagles; Flying Soviet Mig-21/mig-23 During Cold War Program Constant Peg

Recent Topics

Military Aviation, Fighter Jets, Military Operations, Defense, Veterans

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on
The Afterburn Podcast
:

Operation Midnight Hammer | Part II - The Plan to Strike Iran's Nuclear Facilities

June 28, 2026

Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible.  Part two covers the mission planning and the thoughts of the pilots and other squadron members when they thought of the up...

Operation Midnight Hammer | Part 1: Before Iran, There Was Yemen

June 21, 2026

This episode was designed for video. Watch this episode for text and graphical explanations: https://youtu.be/EDnLrP_45fk Operation Midnight Hammer through the eyes of the F-16 Wild Weasel pilots who flew it. This is the firsthand account of the 55th Fighter Squadron and the 20th Fighter Wing. These are the pilots who fly Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, known as SEAD, the crews who went in first to suppress Iranian air defenses, and the ground support teams who made the mission possible.  ...

[Official Trailer] Inside Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER | The F-16 Wild Weasels Who Flew Into Iran

June 19, 2026

YT: https://youtu.be/rvVVQ3n081I This is the untold story of the F-16 pilots who flew deeper into Iran than any fourth-generation aircraft during Operation Midnight Hammer, the historic B-2 strike targeting Iran's nuclear sites with the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. These were the only non-stealth jets escorting the B-2 strike package, flying over 250 nautical miles into one of the most sophisticated integrated air defense networks on Earth, well beyond the range of any personnel recovery asse...

rain@theafterburnpodcast.com

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

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