CQ!

After nearly eight months, an update is long due. I apologize to all family and friends for the delay. Te recap the last several months, I selected the "Strike" pipeline, which means that Ill ultimately end up flying either an F/A-18 (C , E or F), or an E/A-18G. Practically it means that Ive spent the last few months learning the very basics of being a fighter pilot. Training in the strike pipeline started out with learning how to fly in formation at night (acutally not as bad as it sounds). Then it progressed with the WEPS phase where I learned how to drop dummy practice bombs. Initially in order to learn the basics of bombing, we try to hit the target without any sort of aid. Basically we have a fixed sight on the aircraft heads-up-display, and try to line the sight up with the target at precisely 450 knots and 3000 feet above the ground. Its harder than it sounds, and I wasnt very good at it. I am eternally grateful to who ever developed laser- and GPS-guided bombs because Id hate to have been a WW-II pilot and have some poor soldier on the ground depending on my dive bombing skills.

After weps I learned started gearing up to land on the carrier for the first time. After two solid weeks of touch-and-gos at home field practicing carrier style landings, on June 8th I did the real thing. I took off solo from Cecil Airport outside of Jacksonville,FL and trailed an instructor out the the "boat". After two touch and gos through the landing area (or "LA" in aviator parlance) I trapped on board the CVN 77, USS George HW Bush the Navy's newest aircraft carrier.

The first trap itself felt a little like a car crash. It was much more violent than I expected. Me and my little 12000-lb airplane were hauled to a stop from 140 mph in about two seconds. The first cat shot was even more intense. In order to launch from a carrier, you taxi onto a steam catapult. A small fitting called a shuttle hooks onto your nose landing gear. An enlisted man on the flight deck tells you to run your engine to full power, then the catapult flings your airplane off the bow of the ship, accelerating you from 0 to 150mph in about a second and a half.

Its the ride of your life.

I have two phases of flight school left, air combat manuvering (ACM) or dogfighting, and some low-level bombing flights. Hopefully Ill be done in a month or so and off to fly the Hornet.