Comments on: Tomcats and Entendards

By: Bazooka

Bazooka — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:58:52 +0000

Hey, stumbled upon your site today. Great pictures!

By: steeljawscribe

steeljawscribe — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:01:44 +0000

1982 in the Med – we (IKE/CVW-7) were going to host a couple of RF-8’s from Clemenceau. I was in VF-143’s RR when the first trapped. We were mid-way through the brief when the RR door slammed open and the ’sader pilot announced he could “kick any one’s azz” and would be ready, willing and able this launch.

Couple of quick calls and my boring AIC hop just got turned into an DACM flight.

As for the hop, it was — interesting. quick setups for lots of engagements until the RF-8 ran out of gas. The ‘Dawgs were loaded 2-2-2+tanks for the AIC mission so there was the obligatory whining afterwards, but all in all, it was a fun hop and debrief post-ex.
- SJS

By: Papa

Papa — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:40:53 +0000

I never got to work with the French in air-to-air combat exercises but I have heard that they’re very aggressive. ALMOST to the level of the Israelis.

And I ‘cut my teeth’ on some aircraft with decently long legs but still learned that the ONLY time you have TOO MUCH fuel is when you’re on fire.