Solo in the W.G.A.S.F.

Well, a couple days ago I soloed the F-15C Eagle, the world’s greatest air superiority fighter.  That was quite a feeling to be sitting on the runway in a 50,000lb jet with more horsepower than twice the Nascar starting lineup and only one seat.  In the Eagle you sit way out in front of the engines and the canopy comes down to about your elbows, so you really feel like you’re just sitting on top of a rocket.  Then to look to the side and see missiles hanging off the wings made realize that I had truly entered the fighter pilot world.  In this flight as most that we fly in the tactical world I was part of a  two-ship.  So I blasted off and rejoined on my flight lead and flew out to do so practice dogfighting (they aren’t real missiles)

   It was only my fourth flight in the jet, but I found myself flying fingertip and then shooting simulated missiles and even gunning down the other jet (of course he was making it easy) it was surprising how much I have learned; yet it also showed me how much more I have to learn.  It was an awesome time and only the beginning of a new chapter in my story.