IMC pucker factor, war stories
- Thread starter MikeD
- Start date
Raskolnikov
Well-Known Member
Dude that was some great reading. I couldn't take my eyes off the monitor. Amazing.
[ QUOTE ]
Nice story Mike!!! That might have been me you talked to on AWACS Freq. especially since it was a night flight!!!
Did you get any pics from Baghram? Any of the old Russian junk piles?
[/ QUOTE ]
Got some pics of old junkers here and there on the field. I probably did talk to you at some point. I was a night pilot only in Afghan (as well as Iraq less than a year later), some nights it'd be the US AWACS, other nights it'd be the RAF one. And still other nights, I'd be airborne early enough (or late enough?) to catch them during their changeover. Funny thing was to hear when they'd call me when they were working me and let me know via codeword that they were going of station. I'd just acknowlege with my callsign. Inevitably some jackass would come up on freq and ask "confirn you'll be off station?" To where I'd just key the mike and say "compromised....moron." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif
The RAF AWACS controller always seemed to be jolly..sort of happy all the time. I remember one mission (I'll have to detail later) where RAF AWACS kept asking what altitude I was going to descend to while dropping through a cloud deck (IMC) while still VFR (remember that routine?). The altitude I gave him would put me in a lower valley with mountains around. I was alright with it, but he comes back with, in his brit accent "copy your altitude...confirm your happy with that?" I respond affirmative, that I'm still IMC and spiraling down to that altitude and maybe 500 feet lower. He comes back with "copppy.......well....I'm not happy with that. Suggest XXX altitude." Just the way he said it was funny as hell. I mean, the guy sounded like John Cleese anyway.
No worse than when I'd be working a target or covering an operation or troops and would need to head to the tanker. Inevitably, you guys would send one of the Danish/Dutch/Norweigian F-16 flights, and I could never fully understand those guys when they'd check in because they all sounded like Arnold Schwartznegger. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
When I got in-country, the French Air Force was still flying their Mirages out of Kabul International, and my cohorts flying days would have the same problem. I never did deal with them, though, since they were daytime-only, and they had long ended their flying day by the time I got airborne.
I'll have to write about the time one of the Danish F-16s diverted into Bagram and crashed on landing. Watched the whole thing happening as I was the duty officer that night.
Nice story Mike!!! That might have been me you talked to on AWACS Freq. especially since it was a night flight!!!
Did you get any pics from Baghram? Any of the old Russian junk piles?
[/ QUOTE ]
Got some pics of old junkers here and there on the field. I probably did talk to you at some point. I was a night pilot only in Afghan (as well as Iraq less than a year later), some nights it'd be the US AWACS, other nights it'd be the RAF one. And still other nights, I'd be airborne early enough (or late enough?) to catch them during their changeover. Funny thing was to hear when they'd call me when they were working me and let me know via codeword that they were going of station. I'd just acknowlege with my callsign. Inevitably some jackass would come up on freq and ask "confirn you'll be off station?" To where I'd just key the mike and say "compromised....moron." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif
The RAF AWACS controller always seemed to be jolly..sort of happy all the time. I remember one mission (I'll have to detail later) where RAF AWACS kept asking what altitude I was going to descend to while dropping through a cloud deck (IMC) while still VFR (remember that routine?). The altitude I gave him would put me in a lower valley with mountains around. I was alright with it, but he comes back with, in his brit accent "copy your altitude...confirm your happy with that?" I respond affirmative, that I'm still IMC and spiraling down to that altitude and maybe 500 feet lower. He comes back with "copppy.......well....I'm not happy with that. Suggest XXX altitude." Just the way he said it was funny as hell. I mean, the guy sounded like John Cleese anyway.
No worse than when I'd be working a target or covering an operation or troops and would need to head to the tanker. Inevitably, you guys would send one of the Danish/Dutch/Norweigian F-16 flights, and I could never fully understand those guys when they'd check in because they all sounded like Arnold Schwartznegger. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
When I got in-country, the French Air Force was still flying their Mirages out of Kabul International, and my cohorts flying days would have the same problem. I never did deal with them, though, since they were daytime-only, and they had long ended their flying day by the time I got airborne.
I'll have to write about the time one of the Danish F-16s diverted into Bagram and crashed on landing. Watched the whole thing happening as I was the duty officer that night.
bullmastiff
New Member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Nice story Mike!!! That might have been me you talked to on AWACS Freq. especially since it was a night flight!!!
Did you get any pics from Baghram? Any of the old Russian junk piles?
[/ QUOTE ]
Got some pics of old junkers here and there on the field. I probably did talk to you at some point. I was a night pilot only in Afghan (as well as Iraq less than a year later), some nights it'd be the US AWACS, other nights it'd be the RAF one. And still other nights, I'd be airborne early enough (or late enough?) to catch them during their changeover. Funny thing was to hear when they'd call me when they were working me and let me know via codeword that they were going of station. I'd just acknowlege with my callsign. Inevitably some jackass would come up on freq and ask "confirn you'll be off station?" To where I'd just key the mike and say "compromised....moron." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif
The RAF AWACS controller always seemed to be jolly..sort of happy all the time. I remember one mission (I'll have to detail later) where RAF AWACS kept asking what altitude I was going to descend to while dropping through a cloud deck (IMC) while still VFR (remember that routine?). The altitude I gave him would put me in a lower valley with mountains around. I was alright with it, but he comes back with, in his brit accent "copy your altitude...confirm your happy with that?" I respond affirmative, that I'm still IMC and spiraling down to that altitude and maybe 500 feet lower. He comes back with "copppy.......well....I'm not happy with that. Suggest XXX altitude." Just the way he said it was funny as hell. I mean, the guy sounded like John Cleese anyway.
No worse than when I'd be working a target or covering an operation or troops and would need to head to the tanker. Inevitably, you guys would send one of the Danish/Dutch/Norweigian F-16 flights, and I could never fully understand those guys when they'd check in because they all sounded like Arnold Schwartznegger. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
When I got in-country, the French Air Force was still flying their Mirages out of Kabul International, and my cohorts flying days would have the same problem. I never did deal with them, though, since they were daytime-only, and they had long ended their flying day by the time I got airborne.
I'll have to write about the time one of the Danish F-16s diverted into Bagram and crashed on landing. Watched the whole thing happening as I was the duty officer that night.
[/ QUOTE ]
LOL yeah the RAF had some rreally good crews over there. I beleive they were only flying once a day(early morning), and sitting standby a lot. They probably were happy as hell, the yhad a really nice set up on their side of the base, full bar, no drink limit, and big screens. We had 1 TV, and a 2 drink maximum at the beer tent(Bud light or Miller light). What a disgrace Actually, now that I think about it the most frustrating part of Afghanistan was talking to the civil flights. Most of them were Gov. contracted cargo heading to the area to drop off goods. They would have to check in, and I think they had no idea who I was, and definetely had no idea I wasnt ground based. Anyway, they would be heading through the AOR, anbd alot of the times there was activity ahead of them, on their route. I would vector them out, most would bitch, some would refuse. Its frustrating as hell trying to tell these idiots, in the "red" no less that there was operations going on in front of them. A lot of the time there would be BUFF's dropping ordinance, and these idiots would be heading towards them. The UN C-130's were the biggest pain for that
[ QUOTE ]
Nice story Mike!!! That might have been me you talked to on AWACS Freq. especially since it was a night flight!!!
Did you get any pics from Baghram? Any of the old Russian junk piles?
[/ QUOTE ]
Got some pics of old junkers here and there on the field. I probably did talk to you at some point. I was a night pilot only in Afghan (as well as Iraq less than a year later), some nights it'd be the US AWACS, other nights it'd be the RAF one. And still other nights, I'd be airborne early enough (or late enough?) to catch them during their changeover. Funny thing was to hear when they'd call me when they were working me and let me know via codeword that they were going of station. I'd just acknowlege with my callsign. Inevitably some jackass would come up on freq and ask "confirn you'll be off station?" To where I'd just key the mike and say "compromised....moron." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif
The RAF AWACS controller always seemed to be jolly..sort of happy all the time. I remember one mission (I'll have to detail later) where RAF AWACS kept asking what altitude I was going to descend to while dropping through a cloud deck (IMC) while still VFR (remember that routine?). The altitude I gave him would put me in a lower valley with mountains around. I was alright with it, but he comes back with, in his brit accent "copy your altitude...confirm your happy with that?" I respond affirmative, that I'm still IMC and spiraling down to that altitude and maybe 500 feet lower. He comes back with "copppy.......well....I'm not happy with that. Suggest XXX altitude." Just the way he said it was funny as hell. I mean, the guy sounded like John Cleese anyway.
No worse than when I'd be working a target or covering an operation or troops and would need to head to the tanker. Inevitably, you guys would send one of the Danish/Dutch/Norweigian F-16 flights, and I could never fully understand those guys when they'd check in because they all sounded like Arnold Schwartznegger. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
When I got in-country, the French Air Force was still flying their Mirages out of Kabul International, and my cohorts flying days would have the same problem. I never did deal with them, though, since they were daytime-only, and they had long ended their flying day by the time I got airborne.
I'll have to write about the time one of the Danish F-16s diverted into Bagram and crashed on landing. Watched the whole thing happening as I was the duty officer that night.
[/ QUOTE ]
LOL yeah the RAF had some rreally good crews over there. I beleive they were only flying once a day(early morning), and sitting standby a lot. They probably were happy as hell, the yhad a really nice set up on their side of the base, full bar, no drink limit, and big screens. We had 1 TV, and a 2 drink maximum at the beer tent(Bud light or Miller light). What a disgrace Actually, now that I think about it the most frustrating part of Afghanistan was talking to the civil flights. Most of them were Gov. contracted cargo heading to the area to drop off goods. They would have to check in, and I think they had no idea who I was, and definetely had no idea I wasnt ground based. Anyway, they would be heading through the AOR, anbd alot of the times there was activity ahead of them, on their route. I would vector them out, most would bitch, some would refuse. Its frustrating as hell trying to tell these idiots, in the "red" no less that there was operations going on in front of them. A lot of the time there would be BUFF's dropping ordinance, and these idiots would be heading towards them. The UN C-130's were the biggest pain for that
[ QUOTE ]
LOL yeah the RAF had some rreally good crews over there. I beleive they were only flying once a day(early morning), and sitting standby a lot. They probably were happy as hell, the yhad a really nice set up on their side of the base, full bar, no drink limit, and big screens. We had 1 TV, and a 2 drink maximum at the beer tent(Bud light or Miller light). What a disgrace Actually, now that I think about it the most frustrating part of Afghanistan was talking to the civil flights. Most of them were Gov. contracted cargo heading to the area to drop off goods. They would have to check in, and I think they had no idea who I was, and definetely had no idea I wasnt ground based. Anyway, they would be heading through the AOR, anbd alot of the times there was activity ahead of them, on their route. I would vector them out, most would bitch, some would refuse. Its frustrating as hell trying to tell these idiots, in the "red" no less that there was operations going on in front of them. A lot of the time there would be BUFF's dropping ordinance, and these idiots would be heading towards them. The UN C-130's were the biggest pain for that
[/ QUOTE ]
We always had a DHL Antonov AN-12 Cub that would come in and out of Bagram.
Remember the civil airway that ran from central Afghanistan, east/west through Khost, and into Pakistan? I was putting in an airstrike in support of a fight on a hillside when a damn airliner headed to Pakistan came through my area about 3000 feet above where we were shooting from. LOL.
LOL yeah the RAF had some rreally good crews over there. I beleive they were only flying once a day(early morning), and sitting standby a lot. They probably were happy as hell, the yhad a really nice set up on their side of the base, full bar, no drink limit, and big screens. We had 1 TV, and a 2 drink maximum at the beer tent(Bud light or Miller light). What a disgrace Actually, now that I think about it the most frustrating part of Afghanistan was talking to the civil flights. Most of them were Gov. contracted cargo heading to the area to drop off goods. They would have to check in, and I think they had no idea who I was, and definetely had no idea I wasnt ground based. Anyway, they would be heading through the AOR, anbd alot of the times there was activity ahead of them, on their route. I would vector them out, most would bitch, some would refuse. Its frustrating as hell trying to tell these idiots, in the "red" no less that there was operations going on in front of them. A lot of the time there would be BUFF's dropping ordinance, and these idiots would be heading towards them. The UN C-130's were the biggest pain for that
[/ QUOTE ]
We always had a DHL Antonov AN-12 Cub that would come in and out of Bagram.
Remember the civil airway that ran from central Afghanistan, east/west through Khost, and into Pakistan? I was putting in an airstrike in support of a fight on a hillside when a damn airliner headed to Pakistan came through my area about 3000 feet above where we were shooting from. LOL.
bullmastiff
New Member
Yeah dude those idiots were horrible..They did no want to alter course for anything. I am pretty sure most had no idea who we were, or that we were "in the know". I think they thought we were just some local yocals trying to be civil ATC(from the ground). Some were real ass holes, so I would constantly mess with them, "xxxxx, Boss34, we dont have you ident, please read me your Lat Long every 10 miles ". If I could do it, I did it.Once though, it was the Secretary of Defense's plane, and we had no idea. This guy wouldnt do anything I told him, so I was chewing him out. Later I got chewed out, obviosuly. Brings back bad memories. I loved being assigned AOR, but when I had to deal with civil deconfliction for 14 hours, it drove me nuts. Oh yeah, add another 5.5 hours for the drive to and from Oman!!
FlyingNole
New Member
Mike, freakin awesome stories. I was getting exhausted and tense just reading them.
You da man
I have pics of the jets at Bagram if anyone wants....all marked up.
[ QUOTE ]
When shooting tanks you want to concentrate your gunfire, commonly known as track-shoot-track. Here, I wanted to spread the bullets....share the love, if you will...
[/ QUOTE ]
Gotta share the love! I wish I could help give it out
You da man
I have pics of the jets at Bagram if anyone wants....all marked up.
[ QUOTE ]
When shooting tanks you want to concentrate your gunfire, commonly known as track-shoot-track. Here, I wanted to spread the bullets....share the love, if you will...
[/ QUOTE ]
Gotta share the love! I wish I could help give it out
Awesome combat stories Mike!!! I couldn't leave my PC. Glad that you're OK!! I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your brave service in defense of our country!!!
Not to get too far off subject but, I've had several flight instructors who were former fighter pilots. I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to learn under these outstanding aviators. The training that US Military pilots receive is the finest in the world.
Not to get too far off subject but, I've had several flight instructors who were former fighter pilots. I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to learn under these outstanding aviators. The training that US Military pilots receive is the finest in the world.
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