FPP206 - Delivering the Future: Aviation Acquisition

The future of airpower is not decided in the cockpit—it’s decided by the acquisition process. In this episode, U.S. Air Force Colonel Tim “Ivy” Spaulding joins new FPP host Tucker “Cinco” Hamilton to break down modern aviation acquisition from a fighter pilot’s perspective. They explore why innovation so often struggles to reach the flight line, how risk and incentives become misaligned, and what it really takes to deliver capability at speed. This candid conversation dives into trust, culture, and people—why acquisition works when operators, engineers, and decision-makers are aligned, and why it fails when they’re not. Support this podcast at —

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FPP206 - Delivering the Future: Aviation Acquisition is an episode from Fighter Pilot Podcast by E. Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello, Retired U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot.

This episode is 73:10 long.

This episode was published on Jan 9, 2026.

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