I was down in the Auger Inn one evening talking with Hal Meisterling. Hal was a high-time T-38 IP, and a great guy. And he enjoyed sharing stories!
This particular evening, he was telling us about his early experiences in the T-38A. Apparently very early in his experience with the ’38 he rolled out on Final one day and promptly exclaimed, “Holy cow, what are those?”
“What are what,” his Instructor Pilot (IP) asked.
“Those lights on either side of the runway,’ Hal replied.
“Oh, those are VASIs (Visual Approach Slope Indicators),” his IP tolf him.
“What are they for,” asked Hal.
“They help you land,” the IP said.
“OH,” was the only reply Hal could come up with.
A few years later, after a Vietnam tour, Hal found himself once again checking out in the T-38. And once again, when he rolled out on the final for the first time, he asked, “Holy cow, what are these lights?”
“What Lights?” again asked his IP.
“These ‘red, green and yellow lights up here on the glare shield”” Hal replied.
“Oh, those are for the AOA,” his IP informed him.
“What are they for?” Hal asked.
And once again, you got it, Hal asked, “What are they for?”
“They help you land,” the IP told him.
To which Hal said, “Oh.”
Hal, being a true ‘Aviator,’ couldn’t help but be amused with it all. He knew what all the lights were for; he just wanted to make his point: fly the jet!
And we all stood there that night, and laughed!