Lead Instructor

Vincent “Jell-O” Aiello is a retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot and former instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). He flew the F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet—along with time in the F-16 and A-4—over a career that spanned from 1992 to 2017, accumulating about 3,800 flight hours, 700+ carrier landings, and combat missions during Operations Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom.

He is the founder and host of the Fighter Pilot Podcast, where he continues to open the world of modern military aviation to a broad audience. 

Vincent’s memoir, Through the Yellow Visor (2025), traces his path from an airshow-struck eight-year-old to TOPGUN instructor, including deployments at sea and the setbacks and recoveries that came with a life spent around high-performance jets.

Following active duty, he also flies professionally for a major U.S. airline.