Am I really doing this?!?

 With the bandit in sight, I roll off the perch slam the throttles to Maximum Afterburner, pull the jet into the tightest turn it can give and feel the pressure of six or seven times my body weight crushing me down into my seat.  Every single ounce of concentration is focused completely on the bandit out in front of me and bringing him in weapons range.  Twenty seconds later my work is rewarded as I drag him into the missle reticle and fire, then I keep pulling and put my gun pipper right on his wings and wait, closer, closer, hammer-down!

  This wasn't just a scene from a daydream but something I've been doing everyday for the last couple weeks!

  I've been learning the basics of dogfighting and it's been incredible.  Probably the most challenging thing I've ever done and it's never the same; two things that mean I probably won't ever get tired of my job.  I really love it and I've been picking it up pretty quick.  We work very hard here, it's a tough program-two guys (out of a class of 10) washed out this week (not even half of the program) after already making it through over a year of training and becoming pilots.  But we also have a lot of fun, it's a good group of dudes (no dudettes right now). 

  I'll be in Knoxville over Thanksgiving and I hope to see some of you.