We noticed that Iran chose the recent occasion of the 27th observance of the start of the Iran-Iraq war to parade their latest thumb-nose Israel (and the rest of the world). While subject missile, and some other observations, are in the process of being written, we too recalled the occasion of the start of said…
(Part 8: Convergence here) Steeljaw 604, airborne, Eastern Caribbean “Here comes another one†passed the ACO on the ICS. Flashing the position of the video paint on his and the others scope via the Intercom Mark function. “Right where the others have all been coming from – they must be using that cape as their final…
Part 6 and Part 7 YV-411, airborne SE of Martinique. There is a saying in aviation that if everything seems to be going perfectly, then look out, for something really bad is about happen. These were the thoughts of the Beechcraft’s pilot as the plane was inbound to its illicit rendezvous. Cockpit lights turned so low…
(Part V here) Steeljaw 602 – airborne 270 nm East of Curacao “Still tracking XO†The report came from the RO (Radar Operator) who sat to the XO’s right in the back of the E-2C. Normally there would be a full complement of three NFO’s in the CIC compartment and all three would be busily engaged…
(Part IV) YV-411, airborne over Venezuela. The sky was growing a deeper shade of blackish-blue as the South American evening crawled slowly along. The shock of having the business end of a 9mm pointed at his head had begun to subside as he went about the business of flying the Beechcraft. Consulting the hand-held GPS that accompanied…
It started with a letter (the old fashioned kind — pen and paper) that began "You don’t know me but we have a mutual friend…" It grew into a whirlwind relationship with precious time grabbed between squadron dets, workups and deployments and culminated on a humid Virginia Beach evening in August, twenty-five years ago by…
Story sub-arc starts here ‘New day, new site, new mission.’ ‘Well, kind of’ thought the CICO as he prepared for landing. ‘Wonder what luck we’ll have with this change in venue…’ Settling to the runway, the Hawkeye made the midfield intersection and turned for the transient ramp. At the far end it, it was led…
Ed note: We’re going to try something a little different here and change the POV for a couple of posts. Note that the events portrayed here are a conglomeration of many encounters over several years and do not represent any one interdiction flight. Think of this part as being ‘informed fiction’ and try not to…
Panama. Two months into this endeavor and the novelty has worn off. Standing in the hangar at Howard AFB, the LCDR surveys the flight line – what little of it he could see through the sheets of rain, and does some mental calculations. ‘Do I make a mad dash for the plane and wait inside for…
Part I here. “Yeah, should be a good night for hunting – wonder what we’ll bag tonight…†he thought as he walked out to the waiting Hawkeye with the Skipper. “Omaha 51, check right one o’clock, 4 miles, heading 280, angels 3…†“51, negative contact†Damn he thought, Is this guy blind or what?
