A Twist in Time by Frank J. Derfler Read Free Book Online

off time.  They both did a walk around and Jose checked the maintenance log.  From a distance, Jose's white jet looked almost identical to the Air Force and NASA T-38s that Rae had flown, but there were many differences in the wings, the engines, and especially in the twin cannons, now unloaded and inert, peeking out from under the nose.  For Red Flag, the F-5 had simulated blue missiles on the wings containing tracking transmitters for the Red Flag Measurement and Debriefing System.
     
    Because they were part of the exercise, even the time that a maintenance truck arrived with the correct type of boarding ladder was choreographed.  They were both strapped in and ready to start fifteen minutes early.  Since the aircraft was connected to a ground cart, they had power and could double-check the GPS and TACAN navigational aids.
     
    "Because this is an F-5," Jose said, "it's a tad bigger and the engines are more powerful than the T-38.  But without the radar and fire control systems it's pretty simple.  Don't let it stall, don't let it spin, keep the fuel balanced, and we'll get home in time for cocktails."
     
    "The emergency procedures placarded items looked just like a T-38."  Rae said.   Over the weekend, Jose had given her the emergency procedures cards to review.
     
    "Yeah, but this thing is our own little hybrid.  There are probably some things about its handling without the radar in the nose that we don't know.  So we stay well within the envelope." 
     
    "Got that," Rae replied.     
     
    When the ground crew fired up the "Huffer" cart to feed pressurized air into the engine start manifold, Rae read off the startup checklist. 
     
    After engine start and check, they taxied out to the departure area without exchanging any words.  At the final checkpoint maintenance technicians gave the airplane one more look.  Then Rae read aloud the pre-takeoff checklist.  It went quickly. 
     
    "Nellis, Sneaky two one ready for takeoff," Jose said.  He was watching a flight of two F-16s take off while looking for other aircraft traffic in every direction.
     
    "Sneaky two one, position and hold," the tower said.
     
    Jose took the airplane out to the runway and pointed it down the centerline.  After about sixty seconds he heard, "Sneaky two one, cleared for takeoff and right turn." 
     
    "Two one rolling," was his reply as he pushed the two throttles forward. 
     
    Rae counted off the distance markers on the runway and airspeed at twenty-knot intervals.  They reached rotation speed at just the point on the runway where they computed it; about five seconds after the four thousand foot runway marker passed the cockpit.
     
    Jose held the climb at five thousand feet per minute in order to conserve fuel.  When he reached his altitude he trimmed the airplane with a few stabs of the buttons on the stick and said, "Rae, you have the controls.' 
     
    "I have the controls," Rae parroted professionally. 
     
    All she had to do was hold altitude, stay on course, and be ready for the turn to the east, but Jose thought she did a fine job.  She put the aircraft's curving track right through point alpha and then quickly hit bravo in another right turn.  Her only comment was, "This thing has a lot more thrust than a T-38."
     
    Jose took back the controls, brought back the power, and descended until they were eight hundred feet over the desert floor.  "Multiple aircraft across the horizon from ten o'clock to two o'clock," Rae said.  She twisted in her seat, "Dust trails behind us at five o'clock."  After a few seconds she said, "Five o'clock tracks are closing." 
     
    "This is the hard part."  Jose said.  We just have to sit here and take it.  "Our radar alert warning receiver isn't supposed to be maintained, so I just leave it off.  I can't stand the sound of being spiked." 
     
    "Spiked?" she asked as she kept twisting in her seat. 
     
    "Locked up by some other guy’s fire control system," he