20mm: Last, I have to say I enjoyed tremendously the team’s report on your experience flying in the T-38 at Laughlin. As a writer, a flight enthusiast and plane geek, I would kill to do what you did! My first question is, was there anything about the flight, or pre-flight, that surprised you? Was it all you hoped it would be?
Rick: That is a very good question, merely because of the tremendous opportunity for Paul on the XSI Art Team and myself. It really is something that most of us only truly fantasize about. I won’t go into too much detail, as you can read it on the web site if you wish. It was a phenomenal experience! Just arriving at the base and meeting all the incredible people was a fantastic experience in itself. It was everything I hoped it would be and a whole lot more that I hoped it would not be… I will explain.
I must have allowed my imagination to dominate my thought process throughout the planning and the actual day of the flight, simply because I had not been the least bit nervous at all leading up to the trip. Anyway fast-forward to the pre-flight, which was very interesting to say the least. Moving forward we endured the very quick flight physical to make sure that things like my heart and blood pressure (a bit on the elevated side, basically because of the tequila fiesta the night before) were okay and that I can clear my ears (to avoid damaging my eardrums). From there we were off to egress training for the T-38C. We basically did an egress walk through of all the emergency procedures required for immediate departure of the aircraft, or in the worst case, ejection. There was a fair bit of information that you needed to commit to memory at this stage. The funny thing is I forgot most everything because I was so nervously excited about flying at this point, but as soon as I stepped into the real cockpit several hours later, however, it became very sobering; and my recollection of egress forced itself back into my brain. Other than that, no big deal, let’s go flying! Then there was the flight suit fitting… (read on).
After suffering through the flight suit ordeal we went for a very “who needs food at this point” lunch, then a briefing led by Lt. Col. Om Prakash, Commander of the 87th Flying Training Squadron (the “Red Bulls”) at Laughlin AFB. That’s when I realized this was some serious shit. I really thought I was prepared until he described in great detail what we were about to do. You see this wasn’t an orientation ride. It was a real 60 minute training sortie and we were along for the ride of our lives. The excitement in the hollow of my stomach was overwhelming; and I was starting to get a bit scatterbrained just listening to our pilots plan the mission. But other than that I felt prepared and ready to go. Wrong! The first 10 to 20 minutes was unbelievable. Somebody pinch me! There are no words to describe the incredible rush of taking off full afterburner with your wingman next to you; and then shooting straight up and vertical, while slicing through the clouds to 20,000 feet in a matter of seconds before you become inverted and looking back down at the now tiny base. I have to be dreaming! But I am not…! It is absolutely ridiculous! Honestly, somebody slap me!
At any rate, things were going relatively smoothly. I was soaking in the ambience and living large! Then we did our first high speed G-turn; and…then… I… started… feeling… tremendous… pressure… while… squeezing… my… legs… and trying to keep my head from snapping off my neck! And that was just the warm-up turn! Once we straightened back out I felt like desert road kill. I was hurting and feeling sensations I never knew existed. I won’t go into detail other than it was absolutely wild when I took the stick and was actually flying. Well, other than that it kicked the crap out of me and it literally took me several days to recover. The rest you can read on the Fighter Ops forums if you wish. All I can say is that I have gained even more respect for combat fighter pilots.
20mm: And what about that split in the back of your flight suit? Oops, I did it again, I retract that question!
Rick: Yep, the old flight suit snafu. That was one that I hoped to never revisit again. The knot of discomfort and the only snag of the entire Laughlin trip. However, given that you brought it up, I will painfully relive that familiarity yet once again in detail for your enjoyment.
You know fighter pilots are supposed to be macho, not nacho as in cheese; and I don’t have a size 30 waist, like the rest of those famished pilots. So there I was 30 minutes into my fitting with the base sewing machines in full swing. I think the most important mission at Laughlin that day was to find a flight suit that would fit me. There must have been twenty people assigned to it. Everything else that day had worked like a charm. I was meant to do this pilot stuff my entire life. Well, then the reality quickly set in during the fitting, when the first dozen flight suits fit like my 7 year olds clothes. What…!? You don’t have a “size 36 and on a bad day 38” flight suit? Then I get the familiar looks from the guys fitting me. Ooooh, not again. Okay, now what? I kept looking at our public affairs liaison Mary who had been looking back at me and laughing for a good hour or so by now. As I once again would take the long walk down the hall to the bathroom to change yet another suit-after-suit-after-suit for the perfect fit. I could honestly hear the Wheel-of Fortune theme playing in my “I’ve had better days” mind. It was kind of embarrassing actually, and I was now thinking the world would be a much safer place if I didn’t fly. But that was about to change when finally I was able to zip one of those bad boys up without wearing a corset and walking like a purple penguin. Maybe they sewed two suits together? I don’t know, and I didn’t care. Whatever they did, it worked; and there was no denying me this golden opportunity. Well, that was until they handed me “this is the only pair of pilot boots we have left.” Shaquille O’Neal size 21 EEE boots that they gave me. I could have packed my entire luggage for the trip in those. Now I was walking like a duck. It took me half an hour to climb up the ladder to the jet and an hour to get down. Screw the egress! I came to the realization that I would probably die falling down the aircraft ladder in those shoes. What a legacy! Now I was sure I was being set up but every time I looked around at people their hands would go up with a “not me!”
Anyway, I will save you the horrifying visualizations. All I can tell you is that I thought my flying days were over. I think “Shatterer” and “Stang” were on the floor laughing so hard they may actually have been crying at this stage with the rest of them… until I gave everyone a mean look when I was able to push out the chest and suck in the gut. It was time to man up and look good! I never looked back. I’d say good karma finally built up — It was such a “sizzling hot” day they even cut a little hole in the back of my suit for ventilation. How thoughtful of them!
20mm: I’ve read that story multiple times and I still laugh my tail off every time. Funny, funny stuff! Before we close the interview I have one final question for you.
Rick: Just one? 
20mm: Yep, just one more. When do we get to see Fighter Ops in motion? I mean, even though you are showing some great images, there still has not been a video produced showing in-game flight.
Rick: Okay, fair enough. Take a look at this. We are happy for SimHQ to present our very first Fighter Ops video clip. The zipped wmv file is 54MB and around 1 minute, 15 seconds in length. This is a pre-alpha video. The sound, animations, self shadowing, ground cover and several other features are being tested / tweaked and have not yet been implemented in this build.
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