Reading Joan's "Bitchin Betty" thread just triggered a memory, I thought I'd like to pass on before it plum evades me again.
Back in '82, I'd just retrained from weapons loading on the A-10 to CATM, Small Arms Instructor, and my first duty station was Lowery AFB. Lowery's MWR ran an Aero Club out at Buckley ANG base, about 8 miles away, and I took the plunge to learn to fly.
My very first flight was in a Cessna 152 and after take off the instructor flew us out to the training area and ran me through some very basic manouvers. On return to the base, he'd let me fly us into the pattern and even line up for the approach.
The tower notified us that there was a flight of 4 A-10's, also at pattern altitude, to our west and also flying towards the tower. No worries, I quickly picked them out against the mountains. Just beautiful as they were cruising along together.
Just as the flight of 4 reached the north end of the runway, still at pattern altitude, they banked sharply and took up a course straight to the South, and straight at US!<img src=newicons/anim_shock.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=newicons/anim_shock.gif border=0 align=middle> For just an instant I stared in shock and terror at the minacing warthogs racing straight for our windscreen, and was in awe of how big those guns looked even from the 300+ yards that still separated us.
The instructor quickly grabbed the wheel and say's, "I have the A/C" and slams the nose down and to the left in a tight decending bank that put us to within 500' AGL and pointed away from the Warthogs.
Within a few seconds the tower was on the horn askinf if we were alright and appoligizing for the A-10's. They hadn't thought to tell the tower that they were using the airfield as a turnaround point for a cross country flight. We were fine and my instructor took the opportunity to stress the fact that even in some of the most controlled air space, things can go south in a hurry. You always have to be aware of your surroundings and have a plan together for anything that can get thrown at you.
To this day, I can still see in vivid detail, those 4 GAU-8's rushing towards me. I just thank the Warthog Gods, that they are on our side.
"Slow is Fast - Fast is Slow"
_________________
Slow is Fast, Fast is Slow
Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
