[Matt Wiser]

General Olds' "Check Ride", and some DACT with the F-20s:



Over Northern Texas, near Childress, 1100 Hours Central War Time:


Corvette Flight approached the old Scud Box, intent on finding the F-20s. Due to traffic headed to and from Amarillo-the two full F-4 Wings in Tenth AF were based there-the actual area in the box that was open for any kind of DACT was limited. Still, Guru wanted to know where the F-20s were, and instead of calling the AWACS, which, he knew, the F-20s would be listening in, called up a couple of F-4 flights headed to or from Amarillo to see if they had noticed the Tigersharks. The two flights in question hadn't, but one of the flight leaders, an ex-IIAF Major in the 306th TFS, thought he might know someone who had, and called up another flight that was inbound. Sure enough, word got to Corvette Flight that the F-20s were in the central part of the Box, and had been aggressively playing not just with each other, but had challenged some of the ex-IIAF guys to fights-and the F-20s had won, much to the regret of the 306th. One of the Iranians told Guru to “Uphold the honor of the F-4,” and Guru had said he'd try.


Now, Corvette Flight was headed south, towards the center of the old box, and only one radar was on: Kara's. “Two, Lead,” Guru said over the radio. “You find 'em for us. Call out when you have bogeys.”

“Copy, Lead,” Kara replied. In 520's back seat, Goalie turned on the APQ-120 radar and began searching for targets. Though the radar could generally detect a bomber-sized target up to 40 miles away, going after fighters meant about half that. Still.....

“Nothing yet,” Goalie called. One feature of the F-4 was that, originally, there had been two rated pilots in the aircraft, and the backseater had full radio controls. She was now the eyes of the flight.

Sweaty got on the radio. “Lead, Three,” she called. “Any ideas?”

“Flight, Lead.” Guru responded. “They can see us before we see them, no thanks to these engines. Try and stay up-sun if you can.”

In 512's back seat, General Olds recalled an old WW II adage: “Beware the Hun in the Sun.” “Just like in Europe, Major.”

“Yes, sir. Still applies today,” Guru noted. Then he had an idea. Maybe the AWACS would tell, and remind the F-20 guys that peacetime DACT rules applied. “Warlock, Corvette Lead.”

“Corvette Lead, Warlock,” the AWACS controller replied. “Go.”

“Warlock, any Tigersharks around?” The way he put the question, it would be clear to the controller that Guru was looking for a pickup DACT session.
“Affirmative, Corvette. On your nose, thirty-five miles, Medium.”

“Roger that, Warlock. If they call, remind them peacetime rules apply.”

“Copy, Corvette,” replied the controller.

In the E-3B, the controller turned to the Senior Controller, an ex-F-4 driver who had a serious back injury from a prewar ejection and that had meant he could never fly an ejection seat aircraft again. “These F-4s are looking for Yeager's people.”

“Five bucks says they get the drop on them,” the Major replied.

“You're on.”


“Sweaty, Guru. You and Hoser go high. I'll take Kara and go low. People, if they try and lock you up, do a Doppler Break, then turn into 'em.”

“Roger, Lead,” Sweaty called. “Hoser, on me.” The two F-4s climbed, while the lead element went low. With both searching for targets, either with the radar, TIESO, or visually with the Mark-one eyeball.


To the south, the F-20s had been doing ACT with each other.

In Prada's bird, the two-seat D, IDF Major Dave Golen was very impressed with the aircraft. “You know, Goria Epstein would love this plane.”

In the front seat, Prada asked, “Who's he?”

“Just our top ace from the Six-Day War, War of Attrition, and the Yom Kippur War, with seventeen kills. All in Mirages or Neshers. But some of your guys have passed his total,” Golen said. He checked the radar display and wondered what “Hawkeye” as Espstein was known, would think of the F-20. Maybe after the war, Northrop could send a demonstration flight to Israel.....

“This is a pure dogfighter, I'll admit,” Prada said. “Not much capacity for air-to-ground ordnance, though we've done that a lot. We've got short legs, but we've done well so far.”

Golen nodded in the back seat. “And your impressions of Clancy and Pruitt?” He, too, like some of Major Wiser's people, wondered just how old they were. Then again, the CO pointed out that some people held their age pretty well.

“They're good at what they do. Their antics over Altus as PRAIRIE FIRE pushed south, making ace in a day, prove that. Both know how to use their aircraft, but they do like to take risks.” She paused for a moment, then went on, watching the objects of their conversation do some ACT with General Yeager watching from above. “Honestly, though, with the losses the 474th has taken, they've climbed the ladder a little too fast for my taste.”

“Worried?”

“Can't say I'm thrilled, but not surprised they took with Yeager when he asked for both of them to come to this detail.”

Golen had a chuckle. “Leaving you behind?”

“No,” she replied. “Well, just a little. The brass has a very good reason for the no-combat order, though. The Yak, though, was unavoidable. The General should be in another two-seater, but he has the rank, and Clancy and Pruitt have the experience.”

Then the AWACS controller came on the radio. “Showroom Flight, Warlock. A flight of Foxtrot-Fours is transiting the area.”

In his F-20C, Clancy laughed. “So the Phantom Phanatics want to play?”

“Careful,” Yeager warned. “Say your fuel state.” Yeager checked his own fuel, and saw he only had four or five minutes' fuel left.

“Got five minutes,” Clancy replied.

“Same here,” Pruitt added.

“Four,” Prada chimed in.

“Warlock, Showroom Lead. Say composition?” Yeager asked.

“Showroom, Corvette Flight is inbound with four. Two radar, four heat, and full gun,” the Controller replied.

“Warlock, can you vector us onto them?”

“Negative. Peacetime rules apply.” This was from the senior controller himself.


In 512, Guru was listening in on the AWACS frequency. So, if that's your game.....”Showroom Lead, Corvette Lead. Five seconds' lock with whatever weapon you're calling is a kill. Keep everything above five grand AGL and everything's copectic.”

“Prada?” Yeager called. “You want to do the honors?”

“My pleasure, Lead,” she replied. Then she called the F-4s. “Screw you, flyboy, and flygirl, if Starbuck's with you.”

“You're not my type,” Kara shot back, and Goalie laughed. Then she got serious.

“Twelve miles.”

“Your choice,” Guru added. “Fight's on!”

“Let's go get 'em,” Clancy said.


“Sweaty,” Guru called. “You and Hoser stay high, Kara? On me.” He went down low, pulling up just before 5,000 and leveling off at 5050 feet.

“Roger that,” Sweaty replied. “They're trying to lock me up!” Then she remembered the Doppler Break, going hard left, and Hoser went with her.

“Four hits on scope,” Goalie called from 520. “Two at Twelve, two at One.”

“Twelve will be Yeager and his wingman,” General Olds said.

“General,” Guru said, “Can you get the radar on, and once it's on, go boresight?”

“My pleasure, Major.” Olds worked the controls, and by God, it did come back. “Radar on, and you're boresighted.”

“Thanks, General,” replied Guru. He turned on the auto-acquisition, hoping to lock the nearest F-20 up....


“Two, you and three break left,” Yeager told Clancy. “Prada, with me.” He broke right, with Prada right with him. “Prada, go active on radar, and pick them out.”

“Roger that,” Prada replied. She called up the radar on her MFD and began scanning. “Two at Twelve, two at Eleven. One pair high, one low.”

“Got one,” Clancy called. He called up his radar missiles and tried to lock up one of the F-4s. Then he saw both of them do a hard break, and recognized the tactic at once. “They're doing a Doppler Break!”

“Steady, Two,” Pruitt called. “I got one.....” He locked up the trailing F-4 in that element. “And...FOX ONE on the trailer.”

In their bird, Hoser and KT unclipped their oxygen masks. “Damn it!” he called. “Four's been splashed. And under the rules, he had to leave the area for two minutes before coming back in. “We're on our way out.


“Shit!” Sweaty called over the radio. “I need some help here.”

“On our way,” Guru called. Both he and General Olds had their eyes out of the cockpit, swiveling around. “Starbuck, got tally?”

“No joy,” she replied.

“General, could you go boresight, if you would?” Guru asked. The request was a polite order.

“Gladly,” Olds replied. “You're set.”

“Thank you, sir,” Guru said as he scanned the sky. “Tally two at One, low.”

In 520, Kara grinned. “That'll be Clancy and Pruitt,” she said.

“Watch it,” Goalie replied. She was keeping her own head on a swivel, trying to check six.

“Sweaty, where are you?” Guru asked as he rolled in on the two F-20s.

Sweaty was above, making some S-turns and jinking, trying to run Yeager out of fuel, as he was closing in. “Got some trouble here, but I can handle it.” She then pulled back on the stick and pulled up into a Vector Roll to the right, hoping to turn the tables on her attacker.

“Copy that,” Guru said as he rolled in on the two. “I got the one on the right.” That meant Pruitt.

“I got the other one,” Kara said. You are mine, she said to herself as the two F-20s broke.


Clancy swore. These F-4 guys were good. And all of them, pilots and GIBs, were aces. “Break!” he called to Pruitt. And both F-20s broke, Clancy left, and Pruitt right.

“I got him,” Guru called as he went to RADAR and tried to lock Pruitt up. And the tone signaled in his headset. “Fox One on Pruitt.”

Pruitt cursed aloud. “Shit!” He, too, had to leave the area. He checked his fuel. Maybe time for one pass on the way back.....

“Got him!”

“Lead, Break!” Sweaty called. “Prada's on you!”

Unknown to either him or General Olds, Prada had snuck in while Guru was taking his shot on Pruitt. She had taken advantage of the F-4's bad rear visibility, but had made a big mistake. She had target fixation and was trying to line up a gun shot.

“Roger that!” Guru called, and he, too, applied power and pulled up into a left vector roll, forcing Prada to overshoot.


“Where'd he go?” Prada wondered aloud. She was trying to pick up the F-4, and she knew by the tailcode it was Guru she had been after.

“Can't see him,” Dave Golen said. He, too, had been scanning. “He's in the sun!”

Hearing that, General Yeager started to scan himself. He saw Sweaty make her one mistake-she had leveled out and reversed her turn-probably so that she could clear her CO's tail. “And Fox two on Sweaty,” Yeager called in his West Virginia twang.

“Damn it!” Sweaty called as she and Preacher yanked off their oxygen masks. They, too, had to pull out for two minutes before coming back in.

Just then, Guru came out of the sun and right behind Prada.

“He's behind you, Prada,” Yeager called, his voice calm over the radio.

“Where?” Prada asked as she swiveled her head to take a look.


“Nice try, girl,” Guru said as he lined her up in his pipper, the Sidewinder's growl very loud in his headset. “Fox two on Prada.”


“I think we're dead,” Dave Golen said calmly.

“Fuck!” Prada shouted over the IC. “We're out,” she called as she, too, vacated the area.


Below, Kara in 520 was chasing Clancy, who was all over the sky, trying to shake his pursuer. He had made one mistake, namely, letting her get too close, but had managed to deny her the killing shot. “He's good,” Kara said over the IC.

“Maybe too good.” Goalie said. She had her eyes out of the cockpit, looking for Yeager. “Guru, six clear?”

“Your six is clear, Two,” Guru replied. “Take him.”


“Need some help here,” Clancy called.

“On you,” Yeager replied. He dove in, glancing at his fuel state. One minute's fuel before breaking off....


“Got him...” Kara said as the F-20 leveled out and headed east. Had to be low on fuel...... “Going heat....and....FOX TWO! Sorry, Clancy.”

“Shit!” Clancy called over the open radio. Then a voice called in his headset. “Bingo Fuel. Bingo Fuel.”

“Shut up, bitch. I know I'm low.” He headed east, towards Sheppard.


“We got him!” Kara yelled.

“You did, Two,” Olds called. “Break right! Yeager's coming down.”

They barely had time to look before an F-20 came out of the sun. “Fox two on Kara,” Yeager's drawl sounded on the radio.


“He got us,” Goalie said.

“Better him than one of those punks,” Kara sighed as she headed out of the area.


“Prada is bingo,” they heard, then both Clancy and Pruitt made similar calls.


Guru turned to try and line up Yeager, but a “Bingo” call from Yeager ended that idea. He pulled up and orbited as Hoser, then Sweaty, and two minutes later, Kara, came in. “Lead,” Kara called. “That didn't go the way we thought.”

“No kidding,” Sweaty added. “Those guys were good.”

“Too good,” Hoser chimed in. “Where'd those two learn to fly and fight like that?”

“General, I'd like to know myself,” Guru said. “Looks like we learned a couple of things. And eat some humble pie.”

“Both sides will,” Olds said. “Honors were even here.”

“They were,” Guru said. “Let's go home.”


The AWACS controller turned to his Senior Controller, palm extended.

The Major took out his wallet, paid what he owed, and wondered, what had gone down with those guys?


Corvette Flight returned to Sheppard, and when they got back, found they had to wait in the pattern, for there were several strikes coming back and heading out. Once the pattern was clear, they came in and landed. As they taxied in, the crews noticed the F-20 guys were waiting. “No disrespect, General,” Guru said, “Those guys look like they're trying to rub it in.”

“Not a surprise, Major,” Olds said. “You people expected to clean up, and instead....”

“Better this way, sir, than in combat. I'd be writing a few letters if this had been real.”

“No arguing that, Major.”


The flight taxied to their squadron dispersal, and found their revetments. Guru taxied 512 into its revetment, and after going through the shut down routine, popped his canopy, and Olds did the same. Sergeant Crowley came up with the crew ladder as they went through a post-flight check. “Sergeant,” Guru said. “Didn't go the way we thought.”

“Major?” Crowley asked. “What the...”

“Three of theirs, and three of ours,” Guru said as he climbed down the crew ladder, with the General following suit. Both accepted bottles of water from the ground crew.

“First fight I've been in-real or training, where everyone involved was an ace,” Olds nodded. He took a drink of water. “General Yeager, and those three young pups.” Then he remembered. “And Major Golen.”

Crowley nodded. “Sir, that would've been something to see.”

“It was,” Guru said. “Get her turned around, Sergeant,” he told his Crew Chief. “Next one's for real.”

“Yes, sir!”

As the ground crew started the turnaound, Major Wiser and General Olds went to the entrance of the revetment, and found the rest of the flight waiting. “Well?”

“Where'd they learn to fly and fight like that?” Kara asked. And that was a question on everyone's mind. “They fly like there's no tomorrow.”

Sweaty nodded. “So do we,” she reminded them. “We fly Double-Ugly like we stole them, and those punks....”

'”That we do,” Hoser added.

Then a Dodge Crew-Cab pickup pulled up, with Chief Ross and Buddy aboard. “General? Major? General Yeager's people want to debrief.”

“General?” Guru asked, and saw Olds nod. “Okay, let's get over there.” All eight piled into the truck, and Ross drove them back to the Squadron Office. When they got to the Briefing Room used after the affair with the recon flight, they found the F-20 people waiting.

“Well, Major,” Yeager said. “Looks like things didn't go your way,”

“No, sir,” Guru admitted. “You had the AWACS tell you we were coming.”

Yeager nodded. “After that recon flight, I thought it was a good idea to be warned about party crashers-friendly or otherwise.

Kara had a scowl on her face. “General, you got me at the end, And you had to be short on fuel.”

“Thirty seconds from Bingo,” Yeager admitted. “You people did teach us one thing about fuel management. Yeager had been the last to make a “Bingo” call and break off.

“You knew about our radar missiles,” Clancy pointed out.

“We did,” Sweaty replied. “You got Hoser right from the get-go, but you forgot about the Doppler Break.”

“Anti-F-15 tactic,” KT chimed in. “Too bad we did it too late. You had us.”

“They did,” Hoser said.

“Well, that's that,” Clancy said. “Now that's two you have on me.”

Heads turned to Clancy. “Two?” Pruitt asked.

“The pool match,” he reminded them. “I'll get you one of these days.”

“Maybe,” Kara replied.

General Olds turned to Prada. “You should have taken a Sidewinder shot,” he told her. “You would've had us.”

“Yes, sir,” said Prada. “But with Dave Golen in the back seat, and you know how the Israelis value gun kills....”

Guru recognized it at once. “You had target fixation, and tried to line up a gun kill. Those are good, but you had missiles and didn't use them.”

“It's what they're there for,” Yeager added.

“Guilty,” Prada said. Now, she was thinking very seriously about taking that IP assignment in California. Even though this had been a pickup DACT round, she knew full well had it been real, she would be either hanging in a chute at least, if not dead. “I got greedy and tried showing off.”

“Don't,” Clancy told her. “Just take the shot and kill 'em dead. Remember, we didn't hunt those ZSU-30s with CBUs, rockets, and guns because we wanted to. We did it because we had no other choice, being short on Maverick and Shrike.”

Yeager nodded. “He's got a point.”

“Throw in some complacency on both sides,” General Olds reminded everyone. “Both sides came in very overconfident.”

“General, I'd say so,” Guru said. “This is the first time I know of where everyone in a DACT is an ace, either pilot or GIB.”

Kara nodded. “You've got Phantom Jockeys here who fly Double-Ugly like they stole it. And you fought us to a draw.”

“And you taught us a lesson in fuel management,” Yeager said. “We were short on fuel when you came calling.”

Clancy nodded. '”If we had belly tanks, it would've been four-to-one your favor. Drag from the tanks would've held us back. I probably have Frank Carson to thank for that. I wanted CBUs on the centerline, but he suggested we take the tank.”

Yeager agreed. “We run low pretty fast. I'll talk to the guys at Northrop and see if they can get some more fuel tankage added after the war. But you go to war with what you have, not what you want to have.”

There was no argument there. “Point taken,” General Olds said. “Anything else?” He saw everyone stay quiet. “Major Golen, how about you?”

“It was a hell of a ride,” Golen said. “Can't promise anything, but we might want to have you bring a couple of these to Israel after the war. Don't know what use we may have for them, but the IDF doesn't have a dedicated aggressor squadron. Might be a good idea..,' he mused.

“Interesting take,” Olds said. “Major? He turned to Guru. “Anything to add?”

“Just that this was a shock to everyone involved. We all learned some lessons today,” Guru replied. Was it like this for Nagumo after Midway, or the guys in the Philippines who hadn't taken much of the Zero, only to find out on Day One that yes, the Japanese could build a very capable fighter-the hard way.

Yeager nodded agreement. “That we did.”

“All right: Major, I believe your people have missions scheduled in the afternoon?? Olds asked.

“Yes, sir, we do. My people? Let's get something to eat, check your desks, because in an hour or so, we're back at it for real.”