Wink, TX

UPT (Undergraduate Pilot Training) used to be 52 weeks long.  I entered UPT on 24 April 1970.  It’s amazing – some of the minutia I remember from pilot training.  Minutia that has served me well… like, where Wink, Texas is.

Shortly after entering the T-38 phase we were given an welcome brief by our flight commander.  One of the things he said was, “If you fail to take the throttles out of ‘burner (afterburner) on takeoff, you will find yourself over Wink, Texas going very fast as you flame out!  Why do I remember this?  Hell, who knows?

But he was right.  Wink, TX is 328 miles from Randolph, on a heading of ~320 degrees.  With the fuel consumption rate of the ’38, in burner, that is just about right!  For what it’s worth, he did go on to tell us to allow the jet to decelerate before jumping out – to reduce the chances of injury from wind blast.  Our flight commander loved us…

And that’s how I know where Wink, Texas is… and, now you know!  LOL….

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One Response to Wink, TX

  1. Fred Drake says:

    I believe that your memory is perhaps better now than it was in pilot training. (chuckle)

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