Chapter 4

 

Exchange

 

 

 

 

a city of two tails

 

Kangaroos grazing on the airfield near ATC - (106159 bytes)

Big rats!

 

 

MD F/A18a Hornet - (37843 bytes)

Ridiculous to the sublime.  Iron age to space age.  New country, new Air Force, brand new toys.  Everything works.  Fast, cool, quiet, neat.  Throttles like piccolos.  Turns like a bandit.  Knife fight in a telephone box.  Does everything.  Air superiority, point defense, close air support, interdiction, maritime strike, escort.  Jack of all trades, master too.  Trouble is - only got one of them!

 

 

F/A 18b on final approach - (62839 bytes)

 

OCU.  Old dog new tricks.  Sustained g, 7.8 all day.  Chucking bombs, strafe too.  Haven't done that since Chapter 1.  Exotic places. Airfields in the tropics.  Way to go.

 

 

 

Helmet reflection in a Hornet - (93657 bytes)View between the fins of an F/A 18 - (34632 bytes)

Sitting up looking out at the world.  Flying in a plastic bubble.  Elbows on the cockpit sill - wonderful.  Snappy power.  Fly-by-wire.  A talking aircraft, bitching Betty.  Nagging like a sullen lover.  Bingo, altitude, HF com, engine fire - what?

 

 

 

F/A 18b - (66269 bytes) 

Lex's stream condensation.  Gets big, covers half the aircraft.  Little clouds doing 300 knots.  No navigator.  Half pint computer instead.  Moving map - actually know where we are.

 

 

 

Live 500 lb slick bomb impact - (22991 bytes)2000 lb live slick bomb - (31442 bytes)

 

Real bombs; haven't done this before.  Toss and formate as it arcs to the target.    Big bang!  Actually hit something!

 

 

 

F/A 18 on touchdown - (60856 bytes)

 

Finish the course.  Off to the Grumpy Monkeys - still only one jet there.  Rest in the post, with the cheques............

 

 

 

Hornet close formation - (122599 bytes)

 

Didn't wait long.  More fun now.  Combat, 1v1, 2v2, 4v4 & more, gunnery, bombing, night formation - good stuff.

 

 

 

Ayers Rock through a Hornet Head Up Dispaly - (54156 bytes)

 

 

See the sights.  Ayers Rock through the HUD.............

 

 

 

F/A 18a Hornet - (30582 bytes)

This aircraft puts a gleam in your eye.

 

F/A 18a Hornet - (32096 bytes)F/A 18a Hornet - (38252 bytes)

 

 

Photogenic too......

 

 

 

Detachments.  Kiwi hunting, yank bating.....

RNZAF A4 - (76767 bytes)

Hornet line - (34266 bytes)A4 line - (45982 bytes)

 

 

 

 

 

Low level over Mt Cook in New Zealand - (98855 bytes)

 

 

Ten thousand on the altimeter, 150 feet over the snow.

.........Mt Cook.

 

 

Northern Territories sunset - (41212 bytes)

 

Sunset in the Northern Territories.  Feel like a vampire.  Only fly by night!  F15s, 16s, and EA6s from the rising sun.  Eagles tough at BVR but not so hot close up.  Trade shots with the Falcons.  Scanner hits the end stops - hate those EA6s.

 

 

 

F15 Eagle line - (66364 bytes)F16c - (46211 bytes)

 

The opposition...

 

 

EA6 - (61555 bytes)

 

 

Drill AIM 9 Sidewinder - (52329 bytes)Operational F/A 18 pilot - (73331 bytes)

 

Still time for some fun............

 

 

 

 

 

Hornet canopy - (43007 bytes)

and a chance to count the score........

 

F2 Tornado - (68757 bytes)

The most potent air defence system the world has ever seen....

 

F2 Tornado head on & Hornet side view - (49221 bytes)Photo of a TV playback of Hornet gunsight - (62869 bytes)

 

meets the Hornet..........

.....................nuff said.

 

 

 

they think it's all over,

 

 

Summer day at RAF Scotland - (76939 bytes)

it is now............

 

 

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