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Old September 22nd 04, 02:59 PM
Ed Rasimus
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On Wed, 22 Sep 2004 06:15:08 -0400, Cub Driver
wrote:


I saw this video of some Swiss Airforce Mirages playing about
between mountains and lakes and was wondering about that the
typical speed would be for such manoeuvres?


When I see an A-10 Warthog at 2,500 feet, my eyeballs swivel for his
partner (they always seem to travel in paris) on the assumption that
he is making 250 knots.


Excellent observation. Tactical aircraft (much like the Guardia Civil
in Spain) are never alone. And, as I've repeated so often in this
forum, that very basic fact complicates all discussions of which
aircraft is "superior" in a dog-fight.

(Or perhaps "she". I wonder if I have ever encountered Killer Chick on
her Warthoggy rounds?)


If not KC, then there's probably about a 1-in-5 chance that one of the
pair is female.

Right now I'm pondering my next book project and am seriously into
initial planning for an oral history compilation of the integration
and acceptance of women in the tactical aviation community.

One source started as an F-15E WSO with combat in Kosovo, now has gone
through pilot training and is driving Vipers in my old squadron, the
421st TFS at Hill AFB. She is highly regarded by a lot of the male
chauvinist pigs in the profession. Another former F-15E WSO is married
to a Mud Hen front seater and both are stationed outside my back door
at USAFA. They flew in Desert Storm--he has told me that almost one
third of his missions were flown with a "wing-woman."

I think the story hasn't yet been told and there would be a lot of
interest.



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
"Phantom Flights, Bangkok Nights"
Both from Smithsonian Books
***www.thunderchief.org