The Steeds

 So...There I was*

 A senior at Texas Tech University.  Alresdy completed my BBA degree requirements, but had another semester of AFROTC scholarship money.  Talked to the fighter pilot captain who was one of the instructors.  He advised me to start on a Masters degree.  I mentioned that I only had 9 months til pilot training.  He reminded me of the scholarship money that I still had as well as the Spring semester and with 8 hours in the summer,15 in the fall and 12 in the spring, I could complete the masters.  I reminded him that I only had 3 months in the spring semester before I went on Active Duty.

He replied, "I never said it would be easy! But you'll be used to studying while your classmates will have been out chasing women and drinking beer.  You'll have a head start."  So, I took his advice, completed the coursework.  Took the exams on the Saturday before UPT started, drove from Lubbock to Laughlin (Del Rio) on Sunday and reported in on Monday with the rest of my class.  For some strange reason, the class work was surprisingly easy.

Sometimes Captains know what they're talking about.  Drove back to Lubbok to attend graduation.  The Captain was at the side of the stage when I came off with my diploma.

He asked how it was going.  I said the academics are a piece of cake and I'm holding my own with the flying, and thank you very much for the advice on getting the Masters.

I went on to graduate # 2 in my class. (The #1 guy had golden hands,)

My follow on assignment was Lead-In Fighter Training, where they taught you how to employ a fighter in an aircraft (T-38) you already knew how to fly, then went on to Luke AFB Phoenix where I checked out in the F-4C. 

The FG Fin Flash was a 8TFW Logo during Vietnam.  8TFW then went to Kunsan were Sarge and I were members

 Formation was a piece of cake.  In the  Air to Air curriculum,  I caught on pretty quick and could hold my own.  Air to Ground, took a lot more time and effort.  Pointing your nose at the ground at 450 nautical miles an hour (AKA Knots) takes a bit of gettig used to.  The back of your mind is saying to the muscles "You're getting very close to the ground, pull up" which sounds logical, except if it's too soon, the bomb falls short, which is a miss and your grade for the mission takes a hit.

Took me a while.

But, I graduated.  Went to survival school at Fairchild AFB in eastern Washington.  And then departed for my first operational assignment.  An F-4D to Kunsan AB ROK.  A great assignment, Most of the Pilots, other than the other guy from my class and I, were Vietnam veterans.

Source

 

They KNEW how to not only fly a Phantom, but to Employ one.  I paid attention and pretty soon was somehow qualified to drop bombs, even if they were only 25LB practice bombs.  My 35YO (AKA ancient) WSO was a Big help.  It was a highly educational year and was followed by another operatioal fighter assignment at Moody AFB in GA flying the F-4E.

This was my squadron's tail flash, so pretty likely, I've flown this jet
Source

 

  Got there and reported in to my Squadron, got introduced to the CO and my Flight Commander.  That was a Friday afternoon,  The Flight Commander said that the squadron rendesvoused at the O'Club at 1700 and I was expected to be there.  

So, I showed up.  They were playing a game called "Crud".  It was played on a billiard table with the cue ball and the 8 Ball.  The game started with the cue ball being rolled to hit the 8 ball.  At that point the opposing player grabbed the cue ball and ran to one of the short ends of the table and rolled it to hit the 8 ball to sink it or keep it rolling.  As soon as one or the other happened he stepped away and the rolls changed.  

I didn't do very well that first round and I was playing against a "Girl!".  I was on the losing team so had to  got to buy this extraordinarily lovely young lady a drink.  I still serve her a glass of wine nightly.

Back to the flying, juvat! Flying, Aye! Sarge.

Hanging on the wall in my "office"

 The Wing was assigned to the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) which meant we could be called to deploy 3 squadrons on 24 hours notice anywhere in the world.  Spent a long time at Red Flag in Las Vegas honing our skills, and especially mine.  Towards the end of the assignment, we (yes,the lovely young lady and I had tied the not) were transferred to Holloman AFB NM as an Instructor Pilot at the Lead-In Fighter Training Wing.  The wing taught young pilots right out of Pilot Training how to EMPLOY an aircraft rather than just fly one.  

I know I flew this one Source

 

 

 

For those of you who have been an instructor of any sort, you undoubtedly understand that you will learn more from the lessons  you teach than your students will.  I was a much better fighter pilot when I left than when I had arrived.  

My Squadron Commander called me into his office one day and told me he had a "good deal" for me.  Now, that's a code word (usually) for a crappy duty.  This time I was assigned to be the instructor for our new Wing Operations Officer (a Full Bird Colonel) with about 4000 hours of fighter time.  What the heck was I gonna teach him?  

In any case, we got along well, had our fair share of harrowing experiences.  When It came time for me to go back to operational (as opposed to training) flying, He went to bat for me and got me assigned to an F-15 Squadron.

I'm flying the airplane with the photographer in the back

The Eagle at this time didn't have two seats.  Your first sortie in the aircraft was solo.  My IP & Flight lead, briefed the mission.  "OK, we're gonna do an afterburner takeoff to 25K', don't go above as there's airliners there.  We'll head south into our area, do a bit of advanced handling to burn off fuel, then come back and practice landings.  I'll be following you around the pattern, so you're basically on your own, I won't be able to demo any.  You OK with that?"

There's only one answer to that, "Yes, Sir!"  even if you are a bit concerned.  But heck, I've got almost 2K hours in fighters, what's left to learn?

Suffice it to say, the answer is "An awful lot!"

We step to the jets, fire them up, taxi to the arming area, get cleared by the ground crew, cleared by the tower to taxi on the the runway. Get cleared for takeoff.  Lead lights his afterburners and starts down the runway, about 1000' later he comes off the ground, sucks up the gear, levels off and about halfway down the runway pulls it into a vertical climb.  We hadn't discussed that.

But, I'm an experienced fighter pilot, anything he can do, I can do better  almost as good.

Light the burner, my head snaps back into the head rest.  I glance at the airspeed indicator, I'm still on the ground and am at flying speed.  Pull back on the stick, the jet is airborne,  The instructor keys the back radio and says "Gear Up and Pull, we don't want to boom the base do we?"  I look at the airspeed indicator, I'm rapidly approaching Landing Gear door limits.  Gear up, flaps up, I'm now doing about 450.  I pull up as I would have in the Phantom.  He keys the mike and says "PULL! "  So, I do!  Very shortly thereafter, I am in vertical flight and still accelerating.  And I haven't passed the end of the runway.  I see him pull his nose down, so I roll the aircraft and do the same.  He had pulled his jet out of afterburners so so do I.  I rejoin with him. He keys the rear mike.

"Fun, isn't it?"

 

Damn, I loved that jet! 

3 years later, I went to school, then a staff tour in Hawaii, then a prison sentence (or seemed like one) at the Pentagon.  Fed up with the Washington Melange, but threatened with a nother tour there, called it quits.

Been living in Texas for 25 years now.  There is a  military low level route that's about a mile or so away from our house.  They frequently drive by.  'Tis music to my ears. 

 

 

*OK, based on the beginning, this post may or may not be 100% accurate.  I'll try, but the memory is starting to fail.  They will be good stories however!