F-4E Story

Here is the start of my book on my life as a fighter pilot, engineer,
astronaut instructor, and involuntary lockup in a psych ward. Tell me what
you think.

Danny Deger



My god, I couldn't believe it. Captain John "Lips" Fraley had just turned
his F-4E Phantom II in front of me and gave me his six. Santa Claus had
come early and had given me the best present ever. As Lips had briefed, we
had started off with him having the offensive advantage and in two turns I
had made it a neutral fight. We were passing beak-to-beak and I was
preparing for a successful separation - unload, full burner, maybe a couple
of check turns to add a few of angles without bleeding off my own speed.
Piece of cake. Doing a good separation was about as easy as it gets in this
business. And, just getting away without getting shot was going to ****
Lips off - after all he had the advantage at the start.



As I said we were passing beak-to-beak with him to my left. Before the
merge he turns hard right. Big mistake Lips. Big, big mistake. I am going
to make him pay with his life.



I pull hard left and get behind him. This is great -- almost better than
sex. I am lined up for a heat missile. "Fox 2", I call.



Lips is flailing around. He continues turning desperately to his right. I
follow. Time for another heater, "Fox 2", I call again. By the rules of
engagement I had a valid kill and could call "knock it off", but I am having
way too much fun. I have the advantage. I want a guns kill.



Lips is about out of airspeed and ideas. I move into the saddle. I have a
radar lock, my gun site is active and accurate. Pull some more on the stick
and a little bit of right rudder to move the pipper to the middle of his
cockpit and hold it for a second or two. Now pull the trigger, "Guns, Guns,
Guns. Tracking, Tracking, Tracking. Eagle flight knock-it off."



All the trigger did was turn on the gun camera and film the event. In real
combat, 20 millimeter cannon shells would have come out of the M-61 Vulcan
cannon in the nose of my F-4 at the rate of 100 rounds a second. Each shell
has the explosive destruction of half a hand grenade and bit of incinerary
to make sure what is left catches on fire. The cockpit under my pipper that
contained Captain John "Lips" Fraley and his Weapon Systems Officer would
simply have ceased to exists.



After we landed, I couldn't wait for the debrief. Usually the fight is
close and the lead can win the fight in the debrief. After all he is
running the debrief and can say what he wants. But I knew Lips was toast
with this one. Two valid heaters and a stable guns tracking solution was
too much to turn around by spin in the debriefing room. I stopped by the
beer machine and got two cold Buds. This was going to be a two beer
debrief and I was going to love every minute. I was wrong. I met a furious
and humiliated Lips in the hall. "This debrief is over," he fumed.



"But why. Don't you want to know what you did wrong. You turned in front
of me"



"I didn't turn in front of you I led turned you."



I was starting to realize what had happened. Lips was so ****ed that I was
going to separate from a fight that he started out offensive, his mind
melted down and he couldn't tell the difference between turning in front of
an opponent and lead turn for a kill. His ego was so hurt by my upcoming
separation, he made a mistake - a big mistake. This goes to show you the
first rule of air-to-air combat. You aren't fighting another airplane, you
are fighting another human. Get into their head and make them **** up. It
is much easier to win this way that with a few angles hear and a few feet
closer there.



I didn't get the satisfaction of sipping two beers in a long debrief where
we went through the flight one step at a time. Lips stomped off without
having a clue what his mistake was. His loss.



I went to the squadron bar and sat down to gloat. I was proud of myself. I
didn't tell a soul I had just guns tracked the famous Captain Lips. But one
advantage of a two seat airplane is there are WSOs (pronounced Whiss-ohs) in
addition to the pilots. I knew these two guys would get the word out. I
must say really enjoyed those two cold Buds.