The USAF has a unique program that provides military members, that excel at work, with incentive flights in unit aircraft, particularly aircraft crew chiefs. At Minot AFB, ND, crew chiefs are especially deserving by virtue of the harsh, sub zero winter conditions they work in on the flight line. My young, first assignment, hard charging F-106 crew chief is one of those most deserving of an incentive ride. In time, he is selected for an incentive ride in one of our squadron Lockheed T-33 Shooting Stars, commonly referred to as the “Lockheed Racer”. Since I am dual qualified in both the F-106 and the T-33, arrangements are made for us to fly together.
The day arrives. My crew chief and I are scheduled to fly a two ship of T-33s, with us leading. The other jet will be flown by one of our experienced Tbird pilots, also with an incentive rider. Both of the incentive riders show at the squadron early for life support training by our Life Support Shop chief. This includes helmet, flight suit, survival vest, and parachute fitting/use. With that finished, we go to the squadron briefing room and meet the two F-106 pilots we will fly against.
The F-106 flight lead conducts the mission overview. We will provide the Six pilots with a two ship intercept target using our underwing chaff and ECM pods to simulate an enemy bomber threat. Lead briefs the current and forecast weather, the weather alternate landing airfield and fuel requirements, NOTAMs, and the individual airspace blocks to be used by each two ship in the Williston MOA. Finished, lead asks for questions or comments. None. We split up for individual flight briefings.
We four Tbird guys gather up in a corner of the briefing room and begin our “how we’re going to do this today” talk. I review the specifics of how we are going to accomplish mission. We talk use of chaff, ECM, and maneuvering to “spoof” the interceptors. With required items complete, I offer some options and ask our incentive flyers what they would like to see. Both being crew chiefs, they’ve watched our squadron jets come and go daily. Both key in on formation flying. So, we brief a fingertip formation takeoff and departure to Williston. We brief single ship RTBs.
Now, with briefing items complete, it’s time for what we are doing today, 23 June 1981, in Tbird tail “590”, callsign “Scuba 94”. I am thrilled to fly Jim, my F-106 Crew Chief, on his first flight in a military jet. He too, is a bit excited. We find a corner of the squadron and go through various emergency procedures, most important, if he hears me command “EJECT, EJECT, EJECT”. With the “things that could go wrong” covered, we talk about the fun stuff He is overwhelmed with excitement while trying to listen intently. I continue my briefing, to include how we will transfer aircraft control with and without the intercom. Yes, Jim, you ARE going to fly the jet today. He’s beaming with excitement as I finish and ask for questions. He’s got nothing, too excited to think. It’s time to step to the jet.
We mosey down to the life support shop, gather up our flying gear, and start the walk out to tail #590. It’s a typical summer day in North Dakota, a tad warm, humid, and partly cloudy. At least the state bird, the mosquito, isn’t very prevalent on the flight line today. The Tbird parachute we’ll wear today is similar to the type used in WWII. When in the jet, the parachute rests in the ejection seat pan and doubles as a somewhat hard seat cushion. When transporting the parachute to the flight line, if carried like worn in the jet, the parachute bumps the back of the knees or thighs. I demonstrated to Jim how to sling the “seat” up over a shoulder in order to not look like a rookie.
Arriving at the jet, we start the normal preflight routine. After greeting the crew chief, he hands me the aircraft 781 (flight/maintenance logbook) for review. Then, after confirming the seat safety pins are installed, we get our parachutes positioned in the seat pans. We get our gear stowed and start the preflight walk around. I have Jim walk with me, as he does when we prep his jet for me to fly. With that complete, it’s time to mount up. I guide Jim up the boarding ladder and into his rear seat perch. We get his parachute on, seat belt and shoulder harness connected, gloves on, and puke bag conveniently accessible. The bag is there just in case. To this day, I’ve never had anyone need to use one when flying with me. I ask if He’s ready. He’s wide eyed and ready to go.
I mount up in the front of the Racer and give our crew chief the signal to spin up the dash 60 power cart for electricity. Our instrument panel lights up normally, I run the pre start checklist, and give the chief an engine start signal. The J-33 spins up and lights off. With the after start checklist complete, I ask Jim if he’s ready. Why, of course. I check Scuba 95 in on the radio and call ground control for taxi. We two ship taxi nearly the entire distance of Minot’s 13,000 foot long runway to runway 12. Normally, we would takeoff runway 30, a much shorter taxi from our squadron area. But, the weather system causing the cloudy skies today has prevailing winds favoring runway 12. So, we have time to relax and let Jim’s adrenaline rush settle a bit. We have taxied early for takeoff in order to be in the west end of the airspace and ready when the Sixes arrive. The Sixes climb out at 400 knots, the Tbirds, not so much.
With clearance to takeoff, I ease the throttle forward to start our Racer moving. Then, it’s a combination of rudder and brake pressure to steer into position on the middle of the downwind half of the runway. Scuba 95 follows us into a fingertip position on his half of the runway. We do our “on the runway” checks, and spool up the engines. With a head nod to signal brake release, I push the throttle up to takeoff power, and then reduce it slightly. At 85 knots, I ease the stick aft and both Tbirds lift off in unison. With visual signals to #2, we retract the landing gear and flaps, accelerate, and climb out. Tower hands us off to departure control. We check in with departure and head for the west end of the Williston MOA. Near the eastern boundary, we check in with Minneapolis Center, are cleared into the area, and change over to our air to air frequency. We check in with the GCI Controller who will direct the interceptors. We get to the west end of the airspace and wait. Soon, the Sixes check in with the GCI. FIGHT’S ON! In our prebriefed formation and altitude block, we are in the clear between layers, allowing us Tbirds to maintain visual with each other. We’ve got our Chaff/ECM control boxes on and standing by to resist the intruders. Being dual qualified in both jets gives me unique insight on how to screw with the F-106 guys and make their intercept conversion and radar lock attempts just a bit more challenging. They are taking vectors from GCI and soon call “JUDY”, meaning they are assuming control of the intercept. We, in the intruder flight, are maneuvering and deploying Chaff and ECM, attempting to thwart the Six pilot’s best efforts. Their first attempt against us is a head on simulated nuclear tipped Genie shot. After that, they do a stern conversion to shoot us with a pair of IR guided AIM-4 missiles. In the midst of this Jim is overwhelmed from his back seat perch . He’s amazed at the complexity of the action, radio chatter, weather, and the air defense procedures we are practicing.
We go back and forth at each other multiple times and put up some quality, but challenging targets for the two Sixes to work against. Then, it’s time to RTB. The interceptors join up and move smartly out of the airspace, leaving us with some time to play on the way out. We maintain our Tbird formation until adequately separated from the Sixes. Then, we split for single ship work. Now it’s time for our backseaters to get some stick time and see some aerobatics. Jim is doing well flying the Tbird and wants to see what it’ll do. We transfer control, and I demo an aileron roll. We’ve already done numerous steep turns with extra G applied while evading the Sixes and Jim is still plenty excited but, getting a bit green around the gills. Approaching the east end of the airspace, we switch over to Minneapolis Center for RTB and depart the area. Farther east, the center controller hands us off to Minot Approach.
I ask Jim what he wants to see in the pattern. “A fast pass and zoom” he replies. The approach controller acknowledges my request for the overhead, a low approach, and re-enter initial for a full stop. With the field in sight, we check in with tower, point to the runway, and proceed up initial for the break into the landing pattern. At the break, it’s a snap to the right, throttle idle, speed brakes out, and pull to the downwind. At 195 knots, gear down, flaps down below 175 knots, and speed brake back in. At the perch (downwind abeam the approach end of the runway), I dump the nose and start cranking the Tbird around the final turn in my best “Tiger Pattern” demonstrating to Jim what the Racer is capable of doing. Rolling out on final, approach speed is set to to 120 knots plus fuel (3 knots added for each 100 gallons over 200 gallons remaining). Completing the short final, I’m mindful of not reducing engine rpm below 50% in order to have some of the centrifugal engine spool up available in the event of the need to go around. Because of the J-33’s characteristic slow spool up time from idle rpm, it’s possible to get in a square corner with engine at idle and not on the runway. Since we are doing a low approach, I push the throttle forward to the stop for the low pass, while retracting the gear and flaps. Since we have 13,000 feet of runway to accelerate before our zoom, the Tbird builds up a good head of steam. I smartly pull the nose up and zoom to pattern altitude. The Gs cause Jim tunnel vision followed by momentary black out. He’s been initiated. We fly an outside downwind pattern, re-enter initial, full stop out of this pattern.
Exiting the runway after our full stop, I pop the Tbird canopy to give Jim a rush of much needed fresh air. We taxi to our designated parking spot, shut the engine down, and after confirming over the intercom both of our ejection seat safety pins are installed, I shut down the electrical power, and unstrap. I’ve asked Jim to stay put so I can double check his gear before he climbs out of the trunk. He’s got a huge smile and is dripping wet from the fun he’s just experienced. He wants to sit and soak it up for a bit longer. So, I climb down, fill out the 781, and chat with the Tbird’s crew chief.
This has been a valuable and revealing experience for both of us. We’ve developed a deeper understanding of each other’s job. And, I’ve taken my Six Crew Chief for his first flight in a military jet of the USAF. Later, after I PCSed to my next assignment, Jim got a cross country ride in a Six to repair a broken jet at an out station.
Jim separated from the USAF after Minot to go home and marry the love of his life. In the ensuing years, he earned a Private Pilot License. He then bought a Champ which he flies regularly on wheels in the summer and skis in the winter. Not to many years ago, I had a trip to his part of the country. He invited me to go flying in his Champ. Why of course!
He told me how our Tbird flight inspired him to learn to fly and buy the Champ. It was gratifying and an honor to now sit in his trunk and watch him master this classic yellow tail dragger.
Another opportunity to pay it forward.
