I just finished reading Cadillac Flight by Marshall Harrison (picked it up for 10p at a second hand book stall). It's a novel about F-105 pilots, set in 1966, and seems to be pretty accurate technically and in atmospherically too.

I know that the author was a FAC flying OV-10s, and plan on getting his memoir, A Lonely Kind of War, when I can, but does anyone know if he also flew Thuds?

O5, I don't know if you know him or came across him, but do you have any missions planned that draw on his experiences? They seem tailor made for YAP.

Keep up the good work.

I don't know him. If you run him down, I am sure he has stories to tell.

On the other hand, I have been talking to another Thud pilot who flew 100-missions north during the worst part of Rolling Thunder but was reincarnated as an F-4E pilot during Linebacker.

We will do Finch 03 and Lark 01 both in the next set of missions with his help. People know one name of fighter pilots from that era...Cunningham. This guy shot down two MiG-21's with his cannon. We'd like you to know the name Retterbush.

Here are a couple of shots from Lark 01 and Finch 03.











We have a couple of nice little surprises, too.

a cool story!! can't waite to fly it!!


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one question is the USAF's "Strike Package" = to the USN's "Alpha Strike"?

The same in some ways. That was each service's name for an all-out raid. I think the Navy created the term when they were fragged onto a target on the JCS Alpha List. Being a smaller air force, they had to coordinate all their assets so it was a big deal.

The Air Force strike package was the phrase for the gaggle created. It had the well-known elements that evolved over time as they learned how to defeat all NVN defenses.

Neither force would send an Alpha Strike or a full-on Strike Package to go blow up a bulldozer on the Trail. But if significant defenses needed to be penetrated, assets would be put together to assure success.

The Marines were the dedicated "artillery" for their light infantry in the field and resisted committing too many assets to such goings-on while they had troops in the field.

For the YAP missions, Finch 03 is a full-on strike package in the eyes of the player. Dragon's Jaw Finale is a sky full of planes. For Finch, we want to give the player the sense of a crowded sky but not put too many things up that will never be seen.

Lark 01 is simpler as was the real mission. If you can put off hosing the one MiG in the mission with a Sparrow, you get into a good hairball. If you close with him for a visual ID, you are guns only by then and it's a good time.