-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
TOPGUN DAYS - new book about my experiences as an F-14 RIO and Topgun instructor
- Thread starter Bio
- Start date
Any tips for aspiring writers?
I'd really like to read the P-3 guys' stories someday.
I'd really like to read the P-3 guys' stories someday.
Ugh, kill yourself.
"We were flying another fam flight in the pattern and it was our 20th abort of the flight. Numerous other aircraft in the pattern have already had to go around and rejoin the pattern because of our "training." After take off and a lap around the pattern, it was time for me to turn base leg 1/2 a mile from the airport. Sure that C-17 can fly a tighter pattern than we can, but why not give them the time to enjoy the view? It was at this time that we decided to key the mic and talk about our plans to tower for five minutes..."
I'm still trying to figure out if "practicable" is an actual wurd.
My new NATOPS has "practical" in it. Guess someone thought about it.
Put in my pre-order tonight.
FormerRecruitingGuru
Making Recruiting Great Again
Already done...
The picture is good but still a bit off. One character should be sporting a knife, ready to backstab the other when the time is right.
I see you've adapted to the SWO way of life nicely.....
Short story:
“Tower, Topgun 50, Atlas for the break.” I made the standard radio call to tell Miramar Tower we were at the initial.
“Topgun 50, Miramar Tower. (Pause.) Can you help us with an unusual situation?”
Behind my visor I raised my eyebrows. It was a reflex: non-standard comms on Tower frequency were rare, and that was a non-standard request.
A few minutes ago my pilot and I had been fighting F/A-18s in a 2vUNK over the Pacific. When we checked our fuel early in the third engagement we were at the pre-planned Bingo fuel. It had been a good hop for us; we used our gas early, trained a few class fighters hard, and decided to beat the crowd back to the field. We would land with prescribed minimum fuel.
“Tower, Topgun 50, how can we help you?” We were flying over 300 knots or one mile every ten seconds. Our altitude was 1,700’ MSL, and since the terrain around Miramar was about 500’ above sea level we were 1,200’ above the sandy hills covered with scrub, the large undeveloped area east of Miramar.
“Topgun 50, we received a report of a light aircraft down along Highway 15 near Poway. Can you fly up the highway and see if you see anything? We need you to stay below 1,200 MSL.”
I couldn’t believe it. They were asking us to fly along the highway and descend! Something else about a plane crash...not much we could do about that. 1,200 MSL meant 700’ above the ground here; of course I had flown lower, but this altitude would afford us a nice view of things below. Over the ICS the pilot confirmed what I was thinking: “Uhh...yeah!” We were getting low on fuel but this was too good to pass up.
“Tower, Topgun 50, WILCO. (Will comply.) Understand we are to remain below 1,200 MSL.” Based on an incident earlier in my career, I knew all communications with the Tower were recorded. It’s not worth going into the incident, but I wanted to get this request on tape.
“That’s affirm.”
By now we were just short of Highway 15, the twelve-lane concrete slab along the eastern edge of NAS Miramar. The pilot snap-rolled the F-5F and carved a tight right turn in the afternoon sky and surprising any commuters who were paying attention: jets always flew straight crossing the highway. We rolled out over the 15 and descended to comply with Tower’s request. This altitude would keep us clear of routes specified for light planes and helicopters.
We cruised north along Highway 15, which was full of drivers heading home. We wondered exactly what we were supposed to do on this mission; we just thought it was cool that Miramar Tower actually asked us to fly low along the highway at rush hour. We looked to the left and right as hard as we could. The terrain along the highway rose into hills of 800’ and 1,300’, so we had a mild sense of flying through terrain. It was nothing like the low-level flights we had both performed over dramatic and remote desert training routes, but it was a nice way to finish an ACM go, and cruising over all of those cars just made it more enjoyable. We stayed at 250 knots to comply with the airspeed limit below 10,000’.
About two minutes after we started our diversion Tower said, “Topgun 50, disregard. It was a false report based on a sighting of a model aircraft.” Or something like that. If we had been in a comic strip question marks would have appeared above our cockpit, but we were philosophical: it was fun while it lasted.
“Roger, Tower. Topgun 50 making a 180, requesting VFR entry to the break.” My pilot veered to the east of the Highway and performed a tight 180° left turn, using the F-5’s maneuvering flaps to increase responsiveness. Since we were making a non-standard entry into the pattern, I appreciated the blank check the Tower gave us on their next transmission.
“Topgun 50, when comfortable make a left turn to Atlas. You are cleared for right hand entry at the initial. Climb to pattern altitude of 1,700.” Ahh, the altitude; the Miramar tower controllers didn't want us having too much fun.
“Tower, Topgun 50, Atlas for the break.” I made the standard radio call to tell Miramar Tower we were at the initial.
“Topgun 50, Miramar Tower. (Pause.) Can you help us with an unusual situation?”
Behind my visor I raised my eyebrows. It was a reflex: non-standard comms on Tower frequency were rare, and that was a non-standard request.
A few minutes ago my pilot and I had been fighting F/A-18s in a 2vUNK over the Pacific. When we checked our fuel early in the third engagement we were at the pre-planned Bingo fuel. It had been a good hop for us; we used our gas early, trained a few class fighters hard, and decided to beat the crowd back to the field. We would land with prescribed minimum fuel.
“Tower, Topgun 50, how can we help you?” We were flying over 300 knots or one mile every ten seconds. Our altitude was 1,700’ MSL, and since the terrain around Miramar was about 500’ above sea level we were 1,200’ above the sandy hills covered with scrub, the large undeveloped area east of Miramar.
“Topgun 50, we received a report of a light aircraft down along Highway 15 near Poway. Can you fly up the highway and see if you see anything? We need you to stay below 1,200 MSL.”
I couldn’t believe it. They were asking us to fly along the highway and descend! Something else about a plane crash...not much we could do about that. 1,200 MSL meant 700’ above the ground here; of course I had flown lower, but this altitude would afford us a nice view of things below. Over the ICS the pilot confirmed what I was thinking: “Uhh...yeah!” We were getting low on fuel but this was too good to pass up.
“Tower, Topgun 50, WILCO. (Will comply.) Understand we are to remain below 1,200 MSL.” Based on an incident earlier in my career, I knew all communications with the Tower were recorded. It’s not worth going into the incident, but I wanted to get this request on tape.
“That’s affirm.”
By now we were just short of Highway 15, the twelve-lane concrete slab along the eastern edge of NAS Miramar. The pilot snap-rolled the F-5F and carved a tight right turn in the afternoon sky and surprising any commuters who were paying attention: jets always flew straight crossing the highway. We rolled out over the 15 and descended to comply with Tower’s request. This altitude would keep us clear of routes specified for light planes and helicopters.
We cruised north along Highway 15, which was full of drivers heading home. We wondered exactly what we were supposed to do on this mission; we just thought it was cool that Miramar Tower actually asked us to fly low along the highway at rush hour. We looked to the left and right as hard as we could. The terrain along the highway rose into hills of 800’ and 1,300’, so we had a mild sense of flying through terrain. It was nothing like the low-level flights we had both performed over dramatic and remote desert training routes, but it was a nice way to finish an ACM go, and cruising over all of those cars just made it more enjoyable. We stayed at 250 knots to comply with the airspeed limit below 10,000’.
About two minutes after we started our diversion Tower said, “Topgun 50, disregard. It was a false report based on a sighting of a model aircraft.” Or something like that. If we had been in a comic strip question marks would have appeared above our cockpit, but we were philosophical: it was fun while it lasted.
“Roger, Tower. Topgun 50 making a 180, requesting VFR entry to the break.” My pilot veered to the east of the Highway and performed a tight 180° left turn, using the F-5’s maneuvering flaps to increase responsiveness. Since we were making a non-standard entry into the pattern, I appreciated the blank check the Tower gave us on their next transmission.
“Topgun 50, when comfortable make a left turn to Atlas. You are cleared for right hand entry at the initial. Climb to pattern altitude of 1,700.” Ahh, the altitude; the Miramar tower controllers didn't want us having too much fun.
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
No Prob, Sir!
VICTOR missed the party.
I figured I would 'fess up, because someone else will evntually notice. Today I was very happy to receive an "advance reading" copy of the book. The publishers sends these to long-lead media and smaller retail outlets such as the Smithsonian Air & Space gift shop vendor, to help them decide whether to carry the book. As the author, it was a real thrill to hold a mock-up of the book. One of the first things I checked was something Banty pointed out to me. In the Glossary I include the phonetic alphabet, but I left out Victor!!! I tried to get the correction to the publisher and thought I made it, but I gues I missed the deadline. So the book looks great, the photos look great, the new cover looks great. But poor Victor was left out. Hopefully they will make a few changes for a second edition.
BIO - Look forward to picking up the book, enjoyed the story about your recce pass up I-15.
Break Break
P-3 Dudes, What does a 5 hour preflight entail!?! Do you literally walk around the airplane for five hours looking for discrepancies? Does that time include the brief, reading of ADB, aircraft preflight? 5 hours seems like a good way to piss through a chunk of your crew day pretty fast by doing nothing?. Help an ignorant tac-air guy understand
