It was overdue, and they finally found a willing female officer.

[RED]

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/07/18/legendary-blue-angels-squadron-announces-first-female-jet-pilot.html

The Super Hornet is much easier to fly than the F-4/F-14. Kara Hultgreen is testimony that the F-4/F-14 was a tough ride around the carrier. But we will see what happens here.

[togor]

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...jet-pilot.html

The Super Hornet is much easier to fly than the F-4/F-14. Kara Hultgreen is testimony that the F-4/F-14 was a tough ride around the carrier. But we will see what happens here.

Reading a biography of John Boyd right now. He of the "fighter mafia" of the 60's and 70's. RED when you were in, was teaching on E-M theory part of F-4 flight crew training?

[RED]

Reading a biography of John Boyd right now. He of the "fighter mafia" of the 60's and 70's. RED when you were in, was teaching on E-M theory part of F-4 flight crew training?

I do not think John Boyd ever flew a single combat mission. If you want to study the real world of air to air combat look up Robin Olds (USAF) and Frank Gault, that gave us the USN Top Gun School.

After the USN Fighter Weapons School grads got to Vietnam the victory ratio went from 1 to 1 against MIGS to 12 to one. A definable record.

Robin Olds was my hero. He thought like a fighter pilot should and fought the dim wits in the intelligence world tooth and nail.

[togor]

Boyd flew trail position in the closing days of Korea.

According to the book I am reading, he wrote "Aerial Attack Study", which became the FWS manual (at least for a time).

Seems like an interesting guy. Just getting to the part in the biography where E M theory exposes the F-111 as a really bad idea.

[RED]

Then there is Amanda Lee. There has never been a female quarterback in the NFL and there will probably never be one.

There has never been a female pitcher in Major League Baseball for a reason.

I do not remember when there was a female heavyweight boxing champ.

Then there are fighter pilots. They are special people. Extremely aggressive, proud of being unique and are willing to launch on one way suicide missions.

VF-31 was ordered to go to help defend the USS Liberty that was being attacked by Israel.
The mission off the USS Saratoga was a one way trip, not enough fuel for the return flight. They were on the catapults ready to launch when Richard Nixon cancelled the mission. There were 8 pilots and 8 RIOs willing to give it all.

Would Amanda have joined them?

HELL YES!

She is a fighter pilot!

[barretcreek]

I am also reading "Boyd". Taking a break while he joins the Marine Corps.

Am I going off the deep end saying Boyd, without a formal engineering background, just working in his own head began to write differential equation sets to define the flight characteristics of specific aircraft?

interesting his work on the nascent F-16/F-18 brawl.

RED, There's a youtube vid on Olds. Refers to one example of his leadership.
A damaged (F4?) was over NV. Olds directed a KC-135 to hook up and tow it out of danger. Mission Accomplished for real.
A few days later some guys who really deserved a four letter acronym decided to court martial the entire crew of the tanker for violating standing orders to not fly over NV.
Olds recommended the entire crew for the Silver Star.

My SBA mentor was a cadet when Olds was Commandant. Yeah, worships the guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWMYICWrFuw