Excerpt from Chapter 1:
Clear to Engage
On September 22, 1990, Brahma Flight, a flight of four F-16s from the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS), launched from Hahn Air Base, Germany on a simulated bombing mission aimed at a “target” south of Stuttgart. KC Schow was flight lead for the four-ship, with Ed “Julio” Houle, Dave “McGoo” Sandlin, and JD Williams flying as his wingmen. Julio, the 10th TFS squadron commander, was giving KC his initial flight instructor check ride. I was strapped into the back seat of Julio’s jet, riding along for the mission.
We held short at the end of Hahn’s runway, engines rumbling, waiting for takeoff clearance. Once we got the go-ahead, KC & Julio lit the burners, and we rocketed off the runway into the hazy German sky followed 20 seconds later by McGoo and JD. It didn’t take long for things to get interesting.
“Brahma Flight, Two ship on the nose, 20 miles, high aspect, high speed.” “Brahma Flight Offset right, Offset right.”
“Brahma Flight, Three-mile trailer, 15,000, high aspect, high speed.” “Roger. Brahma One and two offset right.”
“Brahma Three has the target. They are on Brahma One. Brahma Three and Four are heating up.”
“Brahma Two is tally two bandits.”
“Brahma Flight Come back hard left. Brahma Three and four are tally two. Brahma Three is engaging offensive!”
“Roger, Brahma three. Cleared to engage.”
“Brahma One has the southern bandit.” “Brahma Two has the northern bandit.”
“Brahma Flight, Spikes at twelve, offset right.” “Brahma One and two are clean.”
“Brahma Three is targeted. Offsetting right.” “Brahma Two, Cleared to engage northern bandit.”
“Brahma Two, Fox Two kill on the northern bandit.” “Brahma Flight, Blow through, reference south.” “Brahma Three, Roger south…Brahma Three Blind”
“Brahma One Visual. Brahma Three your visual is right one o’clock, 3 miles.” “Brahma Three, Visual.”
And just like that, Brahma Flight was deep in the heat of simulated combat, mixing it up with notional “bandits” enroute to the target. We were screaming across the German countryside at 500 feet above the ground (AGL) traveling at 420 knots (about 480 miles per hour). Buildings and trees rushed past the cockpit as we approached the attack “initial point” (IP). Once we crossed the simulated "border," the target area came into view. At the IP KC increased speed to 540 knots (about 620 miles per hour) for the run to the “action point” for the attack.
“Tally ho. Brahma Flight, It’s HUGE! Target is huge!”
At the action point we executed a 30-degree “pop up” from low altitude and rolled in on the target from 6,500 feet above the ground (AGL) at 450 knots, pulling 6.1 Gs as Julio lined up the attack. He called off his release and “pickled” the simulated bombs. Shack!
Brahma flight completed a “tactical egress” at low altitude and crossed back across the simulated border into “friendly territory.” The rest of the ride home felt more like a victory lap. As we cruised toward Hahn at low altitude, we flew over the Rhine River, banking for a perfect view of the Lorelei…that fabled rock along the river with more myth than stone. KC, a former USAF Thunderbird, couldn’t help himself. While Julio and I flew straight and level, KC pulled up on our left wingtip, no more than three feet away. I looked over…he waved like it was just another day at the office. Holy shit! Then, as if I wasn’t already awed, he peeled off in a slow, graceful barrel roll, and came up again…this time on our right wing. Another casual wave. I could almost see the grin under his mask.
And all I could think of, staring across at a former Thunderbird from the back seat of a supersonic fighter jet, was…
How did a kid from Port Vue end up flying low altitude over Germany in an F-16?
By the way, KC passed his initial instructor check ride.
