NOTE: reposted for zerocinco

It's 1965. You have 200 hours in a T-33 and a couple of dual rides in an F-100F. Today is your first solo gunnery mission at Gila Bend. You are a First Lieutenant. You make $500 a month. You fly jets.

We start out with the Fighter Pilot's Prayer: "Oh God. Please don't let me #### up."

"Oh jeez. Look out, man. Don't you see me taxiing?"



"Okay. This is better. Go over the checklist." Right about now, you might hear "I'm out of gun ammo." That's Zebra and YAP always uses Zebra for a tanker name...among others. If you type Shift-R right now, the little blue dot is on him. Or, you can wait until you hear him use his name and do it. Fighters had a button they could push that would point to a transmitter. Do it. It will help you find him.



Making turns is easier if you tap the brakes on and off. It turns a lot tighter.

"Oh, man. I almost took the runway with my canopy open."



"Back in the air. When does the air conditioning kick in? It's still hot as hell in here."



Deuces can do jungle and he can do desert, too.



"Missed him. There he is. This is a terrible join up."



"Okay. Fuel is about 2200 pounds. I am supposed to take on a thousand now and a thousand after." So push the UP ARROW and make sure the needle is going up. Then get into position and stay there.



"The TLAR Method. That Looks About Right." At first, you will over correct. The key is the airspeed. If the speed is close, you relax enough to just fly with your fingertips. If you make a movement, take half away right then. Soon you will get the hang of it.



"Okay. I got the gas. Time to get off." (Guess what I forgot.)



"Okay. First target are those trucks inside that SAM-site looking thing." Select M117, set up my 30 to 45 degree dive and pickle when the pipper is just under the target.



"SHACK! (that's what they say when you hit the bullseye. Otherwise they say how much you missed by and in what direction.) Nailed it! HA! This is easy." Did you notice your altitude? A kid with a rock could have brought you down. This isn't pizza delivery, it's war practice. Drop those bombs higher up. And don't pull so hard that it stalls. All that speed is hard to get back. Finally, always go back up onto the "perch". Don't continually drop at lower and lower altitudes.



"Let's shoot the rockets at that thing in that circle....Man! This thing is a pig! Whoa! I forgot to turn off the refueler. No wonder." You almost got killed on the range...not a rare incident.



"Okay. I bet I am really good at this strafing stuff because I play video games." Try to remember that you are WAY overweight or you will be part of the target...also not a rare occurrence. In fact, NEVER watch your rounds hit or you will hit just past them. Shoot a burst and pull off. The lower you get, the more bullets are in the air aimed at you.



"Okay. I am Winchester. Heading home. I can bomb trucks, bomb SAM's, fire rockets, strafe targets. Look out Ho Chi Minh!" Mask off. Roll your sleeves up. Time to look like a fighter pilot.

On initial: "Gila Bend Tower, Asp 11, Initial." 325 knots, 1500 feet, break midfield.



"Asp 11 is in the break." Boards out, 60 degrees of bank, 4 g's, bleed the speed to lower the gear. Not too slow. This thing is still loaded with gas.



Asp 11. Gear check. Full stop." Check gear, flap half and watch your airspeed as you watch the runway. (How? Select one of the airplanes on the ramp and lock your view on him. I use the Space Bar for that since I use it so much.) Toughest thing in a jet is doing this right...airspeed, altitude and attitude all changing in a fluid operation....



...that I overshot terribly. Over correct here and you go into the boonies.



"Finally. Off the runway. Canopy open. Hot as hell outside here. Hey! There's Zebra."



"Okay. Chief is parking me....here. Brakes. Shut down checklist..."



Man. I need a beer.

Awesome AAR, just awesome. I still can't wait for that darned Postman I've been working since 8 last night, It's 6ish now and I've still got at least 8 more hours till he shows up.
GRRRRR

Nice AAR and very nice screenshots.

I tried this mission several times now and i was never able to destroy any primary targets. That's at leat what the mission debreifing tells me in the end. What are the promary targets on the range? In hints?

Regards
Gregor

There are no primary targets. It's an ad hoc mission. Pick something to fire rockets at, something to bomb and be certain to find the strafe targets. It's actually a LOT harder that way.

The wrong numbers are painted on the runway at Gila Bend. They should be 09/27.