Urban Valor: the podcast
Welcome to Urban Valor, where we hear the stories of our veteran heroes in their own words. Within these vet interviews, you'll hear everything from combat stories, life stories pre/post military, military transition, and everything in between. Our interviews aren't just war stories or combat veteran interviews, but interviews from any military veteran willing to share. Our mission is to educate the masses with what military veterans go through while serving their country and how life has been since their military transition back to civilian life. Join our cause, online community, and show your support for Urban Valor at https://urbanvalor.com
Urban Valor: the podcast
F/A-18 Marine Pilot Takes Down a Russian MiG-29 in Dogfight
What really happens when a U.S. Marine fighter pilot faces off with a Russian MiG-29 at 8Gs? In this week’s episode of Urban Valor, we sit down with Major Ed Rush, a decorated Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot with nearly 2,000 hours of tactical flight time and over 50 combat missions under his belt.
Raised by a legendary basketball coach and an NBA referee, Ed’s journey took him from a high-pressure family legacy to the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan. In this episode, he shares how a lie at a bar landed him in the Marines, what it feels like to be shot at during takeoff, and the second-by-second breakdown of an epic simulated dogfight against a Russian MiG-29.
Ed didn’t just fly F/A-18s—he became the #1 dogfighting instructor in the Marine Corps, helped shape the F-35 training program, and later launched a successful entrepreneurial career by applying fighter pilot tactics to leadership and life.
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Video Chapters:
00:00 Surviving 8G Combat Against a MiG-29
00:18 Meet Ed Rush: Marine Corps Major & F/A-18 Pilot
01:00 Growing Up in a Family of Legends
09:29 A Lie That Changed His Life
16:32 First Steps into the Marine Corps
30:20 Flying the Legendary F/A-18 Hornet
44:40 Breaking Down the MiG-29 Dogfight
59:14 The Most Dangerous Moments in Combat Flying
1:08:41 Balancing War & Fatherhood
1:15:10 From Warfighter to Online Entrepreneur
1:24:13 Ed Rush’s Advice on Finding Purpose After Service
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