Never Miss a Chance to Go Solo in the White Rocket!

Author: Carl Craig

I was the Stan Eval Officer in Falcon in 1983, and he was the Gradebook Officer. I agreed to help him build the stack of gradebooks for the incoming freshman class. The squawk box crackled and the SOF says, "Anyone in Falcon?" We both respond and are instructed to come to the TOC Desk. The SOF tells us that there is a T-38 that needs to be recovered from McDill AFB. He assigns us a jet.

We rock-paper-scissors to see who gets to be in the front seat. I won. We are rolling down the runway near Refusal Speed and I hear, "OH, Shit!" from the back seat. I was preparing to abort but he says, "Continue the takeoff, continue the takeoff!"

We get up to altitude and are cruising towards McDill and I ask what all the excitement was about on the runway. He says, "Well, I tried to fart, but I think I shit in my flight suit." I chuckle and we continue south.

We land at McDill and after clearing the active, I tell ground we are here to get a broken jet at the TA ramp. They cleared me to taxi and park next to the T-38 at the TA ramp. TA guys hang the ladders, and I climb down and explain we are here to get the other T-38.

About this time, I hear, "Carl!!" I turn to see my buddy standing up in the back seat of our jet, looking over his backside and pointing. He says, "Can you see anything?" I busted out laughing and said, "NO!" TA guys were caught off guard but never asked a thing.