By lex, on November 1st, 2011
A far more gentlemanly commencement time of 0800. The first event was already recovering when I went in, led by an F-16 with an FA-18 wingman, and then a steady stream of warriors returning from the range in twos, threes and fours. Having already finished the easy part, with the debrief yet to come. I found the sight strangely moving. Not in a, “we’ve just successfully completed our Milestone C decision brief and are now ready to move into low rate initial production and testing,” but, you know: You take what you can get.
Threat Aircraft until lunchtime, which there are a very great many of them, of various capabilities. And that’s all I have to say about that. Followed by lunch, and then FA-18 Radars, targeted towards an air intercept controller level of understanding. Which they’ve got their point of view, and the fighters have their own. Complementary, like. But different.
High aspect basic fighter maneuvers in the afternoon, well-researched and delivered. That was always one of the toughest lectures to give, I always thought. Because it’s one thing to talk the talk, but if you’re the 1v1 subject matter expert at the (prestigious) Navy Fighter Weapons School, you’d better by God be able to walk the walk.
Which was never, in my personal opinion, much of a problem, for those so charged.
Still, it’s as much an art as it is a science, and the mantle of expertise can be heavy to bear.
Much to say, and little to tell.
Ed. – Day One is in the index.
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