Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat (35 page)

at Incirik Air Base, 82

at Spangdahlem Air Base, 48, 49, 50, 51–52

training of, 23

Elephant, seeing the

colonel at Incirik and, 96

combat veterans bonding and, 302

Hampton as, 69–70, 97, 230

Juice and, 294

toast to, 87

ELI (Iraq War call sign), 231–58, 259–77, 280, 282

emergencies

briefings about, 58

check-flights and, 129

close-air-support, 1, 2–3, 261, 279–80

in-flight, 99–107

rejoin points and, 176

types of, 101

See also
flameout landings; sandstorm: landing during

Emergency Power Unit (EPU), 102, 103, 107

empty gas tank problem (Iraq War), 181–84

England, air-to-ground training in, 59

Ericson, Bob, 17

Europe, U.S. Air Forces (USAFE) in, 127

Ewald, Jim, 280

extremist groups, 153.
See also
specific group

EXXON 21 (Desert Storm call sign), 81

F/A-18 jets, 135, 232

F-4 jets

CeeJay compared with, 141

Cold War and, 48

in Desert Storm, 66, 70, 72, 73, 74–76, 77

23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron and, 47, 51–52

in Vietnam War, 20, 28, 29

in Yom Kippur War, 54

F-14 jets, 135

F-15 jets

Air Combat Training and, 135, 136

Cold War and, 48

Desert Storm and, 67, 68, 71, 75, 76–77, 78–79, 81, 83

Iraq War and, 172, 214, 216

9/11 attack and, 159

F-15 pilots

F-16 pilot training and, 157

at Incirik officer’s club, 86

F-16 jets

at Beni Suef, 112–20

capabilities of, 43–44

centrifuge training and, 40

cockpit design in, 269, 293, 298–99

in Desert Storm, 66–80

“dual” training in, 120–23

in Egypt, 99–107, 109

emergency in, 44

empty gas tank problem and, 185–91

EWOs and, 48, 49

first fielding of, 43

functional test flights on, 99–107

FWIC and, 137

gas shortages in, 185

Hampton’s initial assignment to, 39

importance of bomb-dropping and, 137

in Iraq War, 1–13, 168–76, 181, 191–211, 216–30, 231–58, 259–77, 278–300

9/11 and, 158–59

non-tactical training for, 103

sandstorm landing of, 196–211

as single-seat combat jet, 48–49

twenty23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron and, 47

as “Viper,” 43

weapons on, 44

See also
F-16CJ jets “CeeJay”

F-16 pilots

at Incirik officer’s club, 86

See also
F-16CJ jets “CeeJay”; Wild Weasels

F-16 Replacement Training Unit, Hampton in, 43–45, 48

F-16CJ jets “CeeJay”

description of, 141

HARM system and, 155–56

in Iraq War, 176, 214, 217, 232, 281, 302

as success, 157, 307

training of pilots for, 157

F-18 jets, 216–17

F-22 program, 304

F-35 program, 304

F-86 jets, in Korean War, 286

F-100 Super Sabre jets, 22–23, 24, 25, 26

F-104 Starfighter jets, 79

F-105 jets “Thuds”/”Thunderchief,” 20, 24, 25, 26–28

F-111 jets/pilots, 48, 86

F-117 jets, 179

FABLE (Iraq War call sign), 282, 283, 284–86, 287, 288–89

FACING (Iraq War call sign), 279–80

Fairchild Air Force Base (Washington State), Advanced Survival Training at, 40–42

FANSONG radar, 53, 295, 300

FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), Hezbollah as on Most Wanted List of, 153

fedayeen,
289, 290

FENCE, 66, 217, 292

52nd Tactical Fighter Wing, 45, 47–48, 49, 52

55th Fighter Squadron, 127

fighter pilots

attached to Combined Wing Staff, 83–84

bonding among, 302

characteristics of, 23

deployment in Iraq War of, 306

development of anti-SAM weapons and, 23

exotic exchange tours for, 108

importance of, 304

at Incirik officer’s club, 90

inter-flight chitchat among, 169–70

Mission Qualification of, 56, 59, 63

“naming” of, 61–63

occupational hazards of, 230

physical demands on, 307

required check-rides for, 129

respect among, 88

retirement of, 305–6

security clearance of, 133

self-confidence of, 47

terror of, 224

training of, 43–65

upgrading of, 56–57

as UPT instructors, 34–35

as weapons, 44

as wingmen, 56

See also
Wild Weasels

fighter squadrons

camaraderie among, 120

DOs of, 130

flight commanders of, 127–28, 130

no-fly zones and, 142

personality of, 126

SEFEs in, 130

“standards” among, 169

in World War I, 126

in World War II, 126

Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC), 132, 133–40

Fighter Weapons School

combat experiences as different than teachings at, 139–40

difficulty of, 139

duration of, 133

FWIC for, 132, 133–40

goal of, 133

as life-altering experience, 140

Patch Night for, 139

pathway to, 132–33

See also
Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC)

final-approach fix, 201–2

Fire Control System, first automated, 15

First Assignment Instructor Pilots (FAIPs), 35, 38

First Gulf War.
See
Desert Storm

First In, Last Out (Weasel motto), 75

1st Marine Expeditionary Force, 183, 232

flameout landings, 103, 105–6, 129

Flaming Dart air campaign (Vietnam War), 18

Flap Wheel radar, 233

Fliegerfaust SAM, 16

Flight Commanders

qualifications for, 127, 130

responsibilities of, 127–28

flight lead, 56, 57, 58, 127, 220

flight lines, 33, 111

Flight Path Marker, 106

Florida, four v. fours training in, 136–37

Flying Window, 128

Fobair, Anita, 19

Fobair, Betty, 19

Fobair, Ross, 19–21, 22, 23, 25

Fort Bragg (North Carolina), 162–63

45th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 19

Forward Operating Bases, 142

four-ship formation, 136–37, 172, 178, 232, 305

480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 47

4404th Combat Wing (Provisional), Khobar Towers attack and, 149–53

France/French

Desert Storm and, 65

design of KARI in, 146

in Middle East, 144

Nellis threat array and, 138

ROLAND system of, 55

Franco-Prussian War, 15

friendly fire, 279

Fucking New Guy (FNG)

definition of, 127

Hampton as, 49–51

Gamblers (Iraq War fighter squadron), 169–70, 279, 280, 284, 302

General Dynamics, 110, 119

generation gaps, among pilots, 47–48

Germany

Hampton’s assignment in, 108, 131

selection of Weapons Officers from, 133

See also
Spangdahlem Air Base (Germany)

Ghawar oil fields (Saudi Arabia), 67

GHOST (call sign), 62

Giffin, Bruce, 21

glide slope, sandstorm landing and, 201, 203, 205–6

God’s eye view, 267

grade book, 127–28

“graduated escalation,” 26

Great Hijacking, 120

Green Bean Tour, 60–63

Gregg (engineer), 156

Griffin, Bruce, 19, 21

grounding, Hampton’s, 212–13

Gulf of Tonkin attack, 18

Gulf War, First.
See
Desert Storm

Gulf War, Second.
See
Iraq War

gun incident, at Incirik Officer’s Club, 92–97

Habbaniyah Air Field (Iraq), 291

Hahn Air Base (Germany), 45

Hamad (Egyptian pilot), 121

Hampton, Dan

ambitions of, 31, 34

awards and honors for, 13, 39

birthday in Iraq of, 263, 277

combat experience of, 13, 14, 288, 289–300

and combat missions as solitary missions, 307

decision to become a pilot of, 31

early flying instruction of, 30

education of, 31

father of, 30–31, 160–61

grounding of, 212–13

heroes of, 86

as invincible, 167

last Iraq War combat mission of, 289–300

memories of, 308

mother of, 160

personal background of, 30–31

pilot training (UPT) of, 31–38

post-UPT training programs for, 39–43

professional responsibilities of, 167

reputation of, 14

retirement of, 305, 307

self-confidence of, 47, 98, 167, 203

self-image of, 307, 308

Two Dogs name of, 62–63

HARM missiles

criticisms of, 156

in Desert Storm, 69, 71, 72, 74

in Iraq War, 172, 174, 175, 178, 181, 237, 243, 245, 247, 249, 252, 253, 257, 301, 302

See also
HARM Targeting System

HARM Targeting System (HTS), 155–57, 172.
See also
HARM missiles

Hartsfield International Airport (Atlanta, Georgia), 158–59, 163

HAVE QUICK radios, 68

HEIST.
See
ROMAN (Iraq War call sign): sandstorm landing and

helicopters

in Desert Storm, 301

Hoplite, 271, 272

in Iraq War, 232, 241, 257, 270, 271, 272, 273, 301, 302

9/11 and, 162

Hezbollah, 152–53

high-altitude precision bombing, 16

Hill Air Force Base (Utah), 115

Ho Chi Minh, 26

Holloman Air Force Base (New Mexico), 39–40

“Holloman widows,” 40

home, Hampton’s views about, 305

“HUA” (“Head Up [his] Ass”) award ceremony, 131

HUD (Heads up display)

Iraq War and, 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 171, 172, 182, 185–88, 198, 200, 202, 203, 206, 220, 225, 227, 235, 237–40, 250–54, 261, 265, 266, 268, 269, 270, 272, 274, 276, 287, 290, 294, 297

sandstorm landing and, 198, 200, 202, 203, 206

Hunter Killer missions

characteristics of, 306–7

Hampton’s views about, 306–7

in Iraq War, 245, 281, 289

as solitary missions, 307

in Vietnam War, 25

Hussein, Saddam

Arches of Victory and, 279

capture of, 303

collapse of regime of, 285, 289

“day of sacrifice” declaration by, 210

death of, 303

Desert Storm and, 65, 67, 177

Dora Farms attack and, 178–80

Egyptian concerns about, 109

flight of, 282

Iraqi morale and, 215

Kurdish rebellion and, 177

Republican Guard orders from, 229

ROLAND missiles and, 281

Saudi views about, 149

start of Iraq War and, 177

statue of, 285

U.S. attempts to kill, 178–80, 270, 273

U.S. public views about, 158, 164

U.S. support for, 177–78

HYPER (Iraq War call sign), 242

Incirlik Air Base (Turkey)

briefings/planning at, 82–85

Hampton’s confrontation with a major and colonel at, 92–97

housing at, 97, 98

Officer’s Club at, 85–97

Patriot missile launch from, 81–82, 86, 87

return from Mosul/Desert Storm attack and, 80–97

“Stack” at, 80–82

as USAF base for NFZ enforcement, 143

Indonesian Air Force, 108

infrared (IR) missiles, 4, 5, 6, 55, 77, 156, 224, 266

Initial Point (IP), 72

Instructor Pilot (IP)

DOs as, 130

Flight Commanders as, 127

as SEFE, 130

as Weapons Officers, 130, 133

instructors

“dual” training and, 120–23

for FWIC, 137, 139–40

importance to Air Force of, 132–33

for LIFT, 39

at Spangdahlem, 48, 49, 50, 51–52

for UPT, 34–36, 37–38

See also
Instructor Pilot;
specific person

instrument approaches, sandstorm landing and, 195–208

Instrument Landing System (ILS), sandstorm landing and, 195–96, 203, 204, 205, 206

Instrument Qual checks, 129

Instrument Refresher course, 129

Integrated Air Defense System (IADs), 29, 146–47

Intelligence Shop, 128

inter-flight chitchat, 169–70

invincibility, Hampton’s views about, 167

Iran, 125, 195, 281

Iran-Iraq War, 147, 177, 289

Iraq

American victory in Desert Storm and, 142

“day of sacrifice” in, 210

defensive measures of, 145–46

entrenched military doctrine and, 124

Hampton’s first combat mission and, 66–80

Hampton’s views about, 123

Kuwaiti relations with, 144

military morale in, 147

no-fly zones and, 142

Russian/Soviet relations with, 109, 146

Saudi relations with, 144

on State Sponsors of Terrorism list, 177

technical shortcomings in, 146–47

U.S. air supremacy in, 147, 257–58

U.S. support for, 177–78

See also
Desert Storm; Hussein, Saddam; Iran-Iraq War; Iraq War; Republican Guards, Iraqi

Iraq War

beginnings of, 167, 183–84

combat veterans in, 174

“day of sacrifice” during, 210

“decapitation” of Iraqi leadership and, 178–80

Desert Storm compared with, 301

Dora Farms strike and, 178–80

fall of Baghdad and, 300

Hampton’s last combat mission in, 289–300

Hampton’s missions in, 1–13, 259–77, 278–300

Hampton’s reconnaissance flight during, 216–30

Hampton’s views about, 167

impact of 9/11 on Americans and, 164, 167, 183–84

Iraqi battle plans for, 229–30

JEREMIAH (commander of all coalition air forces) orders during, 217–18, 229, 257

mission planning for, 2

offensive hard-kill mentality in, 301

official beginning of, 176

opening days of, 168–84