Viper Pilot_ A Memoi..

on the way out.”
I turned down the radio volume to avoid hearing his verbose reply. On Victor, I
zippered the mike, then said, “ELI Three, attacking.” I then sent a data-link so
everyone would have the picture.
The fighter surged ahead as the throttle hit the mil power stop, and I once again
ran my eyes and fingers over the cockpit. I did a double take at the HUD when I
noticed my decoy had been shot away. Deploying another, I checked the chaff and
flares and noted about half remaining of each type. It was enough.
“ELI Five, your targets are revetments in the northern section of the complex.”
I could see it in my head, but this kid hadn’t been over the area yet. “You’ll need
to come north from your TD box about one klick toward the northwest corner.
There are four revets grouped together.”
“ELI Five copies.”
I hoped so. Angling left a little, we were skirting Taji to the north, and I
fervently hoped there really wasn’t an SA-6 there. But there was no other way to
attack in the time and gas we had left. Besides, I’d attacked from the north last
time, and Weasels never came in the same way twice if it could be avoided.
Ten miles out, we crossed the Tigris heading southeast toward Highway 2 and
Baghdad. Pulling power and nosing over, I put the target in the HUD just as the
FUEL warning popped up. I toggled it off and quickly typed in a lower number.
Six miles out and passing 8,000 feet, the first wispy tendrils of low-lying clouds
were thickening, and I knew we were running out of time. I also saw dust hanging
over the center of the SAM site—LAPEL had done his work.
“ELI Five, call tally on the complex.”
“Five . . . I . . . wilco.”
It was time. “Five, you’ve got the tactical lead on the left . . . ELI Three is
floating to cover.”
It would be easier for him to find and drop on the target without having to fly
formation off of me. Besides, I didn’t have anything left to shoot except the
cannon. He zippered the mike and I smoothly pulled up until he passed me, then I
barrel-rolled over to his left side so I’d be looking through him toward the SAM site
and Baghdad. If anything bad came off the ground, it would come from there.
Five miles from the target, the other F-16 nosed down and ramped toward the
ground. Bright streams of anti-aircraft fire arced over downtown Baghdad but
Klepto never flinched. Not until the SAM came off the ground in front of us.
“ELI Five . . . break right with chaff! SAM at twelve o’clock low, close!”
I caught a quick glimpse of the Viper’s belly before he rolled away to the west.