Scott “Kidd” Poteet is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and highly experienced pilot who served more than two decades in the military. Over the course of his Air Force career, he flew F-16s in multiple combat deployments and held roles in leadership and training, earning a reputation for his strong work ethic and focus on mission excellence. Poteet’s dedication to both teamwork and mentorship helped guide the next generation of pilots, showcasing his commitment to service and the advancement of aerospace. Since retiring from active duty, Poteet has remained deeply involved in pioneering space initiatives and operational leadership. He served as the Mission Director for Inspiration4—SpaceX’s first all-civilian orbital mission—and continues his journey into human spaceflight as a pilot for the Polaris Dawn mission, part of the groundbreaking Polaris Program. Through these endeavors, he exemplifies a passion for pushing the boundaries of exploration and technology, reflecting both his military heritage and forward-thinking vision for space travel. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join Shawn Ryan Show Links SUBSCRIBE: http://www.youtube.com/@ShawnRyanShow Sign up: https://shawnryanshow.com/pages/newsletter Support the Show: https://www.patreon.com/VigilanceElite Download Free Content: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lF-8_5jwRc5eAhzDkqqCOp-6yvd05vAw?usp=sharing Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=59f9d106e56a4509 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnryanshow Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on X: https://twitter.com/ShawnRyanShow SRS Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4pqo9Uoh0WuUKxw0BmaK1yrg9Kd7E4lk #vigilanceelite #shawnryanshow Scott "Kidd" Poteet Links: Website - https://www.kiddpoteet.com X - https://x.com/KiddPoteet IG - https://www.instagram.com/kiddpoteet Polaris Program - https://polarisprogram.com Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://ShawnLikesGold.com | 855-936-GOLD https://cozyearth.com/srs https://ziprecruiter.com/srs https://roka.com - USE CODE "SRS" https://tryarmra.com/srs 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 01:07 Scott Poteet's Background and Achievements 03:23 Patreon Community Questions 04:35 Moon Landing Conspiracies and Space Exploration 09:17 Civilian Space Exploration and NASA 18:47 Scott's Call Sign and Military Missions 23:03 Childhood and Early Life 27:42 College and ROTC Experience 36:49 Pilot Training Challenges 50:24 Overcoming Motion Sickness 51:52 Space Adaptation Syndrome 55:07 Skydiving with a Bum Shoulder 57:39 Diving and Heights Underwater 59:28 Choosing the F-16 01:02:01 Flying the F-16 01:22:43 Combat Training in Korea 01:36:09 Longest Flight Experience 01:42:28 Weapons School and Training 01:47:57 First Combat Missions 01:59:09 Reflections on Combat and Faith 02:18:20 Family and Faith Journey 02:29:26 Radiant Glow of Earth from Space 02:30:45 Experiencing Night from Space 02:32:23 Faith and the Universe 02:40:08 The Influence of Temptation 02:49:16 Signs and Spiritual Moments 02:52:22 Journey to Becoming an Astronaut 02:55:06 Building a Commercial Adversary Organization 02:59:53 Inspiration4: The First All-Civilian Mission to Space 03:07:32 Polaris Program: Pushing the Boundaries of Space Exploration 03:30:29 Fighter Pilot vs. Spacecraft: A Comparison 03:31:41 The Launch Experience: From Countdown to Liftoff 03:33:34 In Orbit: Adjusting to Zero Gravity 03:37:17 Space Adaptation and Health Challenges 03:39:27 Experimental Surgery and Medical Tests 03:53:41 Spacewalk: The Ultimate Test 04:08:20 Returning to Earth: The Reentry Process 04:16:20 Reflections and Future of Space Travel