While stationed at Moody AFB, Ga in the F-4E, we had a primary air to ground conventional (commonly referred to as mud movers) mission and a secondary of Nuke delivery. The Nuke mission required only 4 or 6 (Can’t remember which at this point. One was too many) Nuke delivery FAM (familiarization) events. Since these FAM events were so few and we had dozens of other hard training requirements, we tended to not pay much attention to getting them done. This and the fact that there were only two within reach ranges where Nuke events could be accomplished; the Eglin range complex in the Florida panhandle and Lake George in north central Florida. The ones at Eglin were always busy and hard to get range time. Lake George, on the other hand, was much easier to get and was pretty much available on demand.
So, here we are at the end of the fiscal year. The crunch is on to finish yearly and biannual training requirements. It’s the last week to get these events finished and I’m on the schedule to lead a four ship to Lake George and clean up our remaining FAM Nuke events. We brief, suit up, step to the jets, crank up, taxi out, take off, and head the couple of hundred miles south to Lake George.
Lake George is a fairly big body of water with the St Johns river flowing in from the north and out the south end.
Near the south end is a U.S. Navy Bombing range located in the water. The target is a group of concentric circles comprised of telephone poles planted in the bottom of the lake that stick up out of the water. The circles are of a standard width and spacing as an on land bombing circle. Of course there are multiple warning signs on the poles and a distance way to keep recreational boaters at a safe distance. You can see where this is going, right?
So, we roll in from the north with our four ship. The standard entry is to come across the north end where the St Johns flows in to the lake and fly south to the target array. Typically, there are numerous pleasure boats anchored at the north end with sunbathers in various states of sun exposure displayed. They seem to enjoy our 500 foot, 500 knot flyover on the way to bomb circle. Never got any noise complaints.
Anyhow, the first pass is a clearing pass to ensure there are no boats on the run in line or in the target array. Today is a beautiful clear day but, the surface winds are howling out of the west, a direct 90 degree cross wind for our deliveries. I’ve got my three wingmen in a loose fingertip route formation for the clearing pass with the intention of pitching up past the target array into a trail formation so everyone can do the standard Nuke lay down or toss delivery.
Because of the spattering of FAM squares the eight of us have to accomplish, we need to make a minimum of four passes after the clearing pass.
About a half mile from the bombing circles, dead center on the run in line is a single guy in his Jon boat, fishing. As we pass over head, he is waving at us and enjoying the flyby. We pull up, enter the downwind leg and look to see if he’s moved. Nope! Still in the same spot.
I instruct #3 & #4 to loosen up and stack high. I’ve also instructed #2 on my wing to space wide and stack high so we bracket this guy. I’m headed straight at him at something less than 500 feet and still at 500 knots, pass directly overhead, and pull up to downwind expecting to see him moving this time. While in the right turn climbing to downwind, I glance over my shoulder, AND HE’S STIIL SITTING IN THE SAME PLACE! Hmmmmm, stronger message to follow.
We don’t have a lot of gas to mess with due to the number of passes and the distance to fly back home. This guys is starting to irritate me. I instruct the flight to maintain the same formation and for #2 to remain stacked high on me. I once again line up directly at him, am much lower and just as fast. The wind speed is causing white caps to form and I can see details of this guy and his boat. I’ve turned the flare dispenser on and about a quarter mile from him, start punching flares out as fast as I can. Because of the strong right cross wind, none of the flares will hit him, but drift east and hit the water, hopefully convincing him to MOVE. Just before passing over him, I selected full AB and pitch up while continuing to rapidly punch out flares. This time, I can see him aggressively yanking on his starting rope.
As we roll out on downwind, his Jon boat is punching through the white caps headed west away from the run in line and target array. We transitioned in to the pre briefed trail formation, knocked out our Nuke fam events, and headed home. Mission accomplished.
Sometimes a stronger message to follow is required.
