Just a short story from Scott AFB
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Hello, All!
I wanted to share an experience that I had when I visited Scott AFB last month. I went over there late in the afternoon. The Thunderbirds had gotten done with their show. I started looking over a B-1B they had and asked the pilot whether a MIG-29 had look-down shoot-down radar. The A-10 pilot was quizzed by me on how to align AGM-65’s. Apparently the align in the air with every mission. I asked the F-16 fighter jock about how to defeat missile shots. After fifteen minutes two short older men came over and started talking to me about the F-15 I was admiring. I told them I was a fan of Falcon 4.0 ver. 4.33 and had learned some tactical info. As I was done looking at the aircraft, I started back to my car. I noticed an ATV loaded with soldiers riding along nearby. Then a Lieutenant Colonel standing next to his white pickup truck said Hello, and asked if I wanted a ride back to my car. I said, “Sure! What a nice offer to a lowly taxpayer!” I started getting fearful when the Lt. Col. came to a large intersection and was deciding whether to take me to my parking lot or the nearest interrogation room. He let me off at my car, but my latest visit to Scott AFB certainly had its moments!!
Tom Mallinson
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This reminds me of an episode one of my sqn mates related last year from some air show visit:
Apparently the Belgian(?) Tigers were there, and the pilots doing some PR work, handing out posters, stickers and answering questions and so on. The folks ahead in the queue asked questions like “how fast does your plane go?” and “Is it really so easy to pick up babes if you’re a fighter pilot?” and when it was my squad mate’s turn, he inquired about the correct procedure when setting your external lights to either “flashing” or “steady” during taxi.
The two “Tiger” jocks looked at each other, apparently slightly confused by the technicality of the question, as they obviously had different procedures depending on the chief they worked with and personal taste, until finally one of them turns to my mate asking “BMS Pilot?!”
Thanks for sharing your story!
All the best,
Uwe
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Reminds me too my last visit to Paris Air Show last week
There was an F-16 from Spangdahlem Air Base and I spooked with an Avionics crew member.
I showed him the Falcon BMS 4.33 trailer with my Smartphone and he was pretty amazed by the sim -
I once attended seminar given by a Top Gun instructor that began with something to the effect of - “but you guys are really only here to find out how to beat the Flanker in Falcon 4.0”.
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Scott AFB is great, they actually have some really interesting aircraft in that small aircraft display park outside the main gate.
I once visited the Virginia ANG, back when they still had Vipers. It was a Saturday morning but they didn’t have any flights scheduled, having flown night training the days before.
The F-16s were all covered up and I asked if it was at all possible to clear one for a nice photo. “But of course”, said the Lt. Col. who was showing me around. He quickly got some guys and then ordered them to clear ALL F-16s on the flight line and have one re-parked so it lined up nicely with the hanger which had “VIRGINIA ANG” written all over it. I surely didn’t ask for that but it was awesome!So I spend a lovely morning there, and the Lt. Col. showing me around was very hospitable and also asked me if I enjoyed flight sims, which I did, if I had flown Falcon 3.0, which I had and we ended up talking about tactics and moves, his own experiences in Red Flag and all that.
It wasn’t until I was back in my car and on my way south, feeling extremely pleased with the great F-16 shots I was able to get, until it hit me who I had been talking to all morning. And feeling incredibly stupid not realizing this much sooner so I could have gotten his autograph.
Duh!
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Just looked over your setup! Impressive! Its got all the bells and whistles!
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Its an amazing sim! Are they planning on adding new aircraft to their repertoire?