Category Archives: The Book

Flying With Iranians…

Posted on 23/10/2018 by Bobo

In the late ’70’s, we received 29 Iranians at Vance AFB, OK for pilot training.  In preparation for these guys we had a 3-4 hour briefing on their (Muslim) customs from the State Department. (In retrospect, one of the best … Continue reading →

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The Country Ham

Posted on 11/10/2018 by Bobo

DQ was the “A” Flight Commander at ’38 PIT when I was the Chief of Check Section.  I liked DQ.  He was (somewhat) an ‘intense’ individual, hardly ever smiling.  In addition he could be quite “sharp”upon occasion.  But hey, he … Continue reading →

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I Got to ‘Put My Hands Under Mike Webster’s Butt!’

Posted on 17/01/2017 by Bobo

In the early 2000’s I was honored to speak at an Air Force Flight Surgeon’s Course at Brooks AFB, TX.  The topic of my presentation was, “How do pilots hide their drinking from Flight Surgeons.”  (Spoiler Alert:  We lie to … Continue reading →

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WW Fog…

Posted on 01/11/2016 by Bobo

We had a UPT student at Vance, Class 76-09, named “W.W. Fog” – good kid.  One day in the flight room he answered the phone in a smart, military fashion as he had been taught.  After a short pause he … Continue reading →

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Would You Happen to Have a Magazine?

Posted on 08/01/2015 by Bobo

I was the Flight Commander of “B” Flight, the ‘Beavers,’ in the 560th FTS in the Fall of 1982.  My Assistant Flight Commander, Capt. Dave F., and his wife decided to host a “house-warming” party one Friday night.  Their house … Continue reading →

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Echelon, You Hockey Puck!

Posted on 05/01/2015 by Bobo

This is an “Echelon” formation:   It is used primarily at low level, to maneuver around the traffic pattern and so forth.  It is characterized with all the aircraft in the formation being on the same side as opposed to … Continue reading →

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I Didn’t Fly 3 Times that Day…

Posted on 21/12/2014 by Bobo

I was talking in the hallway to a few Captains one morning when the squadron commander (the 560th FTS/CC) came up to us.  At that time I was the “Special Assistant to the DO (Director of Operations), Number 2.  Lt. … Continue reading →

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“Kansas City Center, Guess Who?”

Posted on 21/12/2014 by Bobo

It was about this time of the year when we took a 4-ship out to the area to ‘play’ a bit.  The students had all gone home for the holidays so there were just IPs (instructor pilots) in the jets.  … Continue reading →

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The Basic Aircrew Read File

Posted on 21/08/2014 by Bobo

In 1977 we (Vance AFB, OK) picked up an ACE (Accelerated Copilot Enrichment) mission, using T-37s at 4 or 5 ‘northern tier’ SAC (Strategic Air Command) bases.  This was a program where ATC (Air Training Command, now AETC) provided SAC … Continue reading →

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“Bounce and Tilt”

Posted on 09/08/2014 by Bobo

A friend of mine, call sign ‘Rat,’ once flew with a Tweet guy (T-37 IP) on a staff assistance visit somewhere or another.  They were in formation with another T-38.  At one point while in ‘fingertip’ formation (on the wing) … Continue reading →

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