Did You Bring Your Water Bottle?

Author: David Dale

During my T-38 flight training, one of my instructors was a former A-10 fighter pilot who had flown the Warthog with my uncle up in Eielson AFB, Alaska. He was a big, bald-headed captain with the last name of Maddox, so his call sign was Mad Dog Maddox.
Mad Dog was my instructor during the acrobatic phase early in my T-38 training. This was during the hot summer of 1988.
On our first flight together, after I completed about 45 minutes of high-G maneuvers over the western Oklahoma plains, Mad Dog asked if I brought a water bottle. I said no, I had forgotten mine that day.
We had been issued a large, white plastic flask that could be slipped into the leg pocket of our flightsuit down by our calf. Mad Dog said, “Well, you need to stay hydrated, so don’t forget it next time.”
On our second ride together, the same conversation took place.
“Did you bring your water bottle?”
“No, I forgot it again,” I said.
We completed our hour-and-a-half training flight before walking back into the squadron to debrief.
Finally, on our third flight together, I remembered to tuck the full water bottle into my leg pocket, down by my right calf. Mad Dog and I enjoyed an afternoon of loops, Cuban 8s, cloverleafs, and he showed me the 8-point roll that the Thunderbirds use during air shows. That roll consisted of quick jerky movements of the control stick to point the wings at eight points around a 360-degree circle, abruptly stopping at each point, so my head slammed back and forth inside the cockpit.
After our maneuvers were complete, Mad Dog asked, “Did you bring your water bottle?”
“Yes, I did!”
Mad Dog said, “Okay, I have the aircraft. You can grab a drink.”
The T-38 cockpit had two small rear-view mirrors mounted inside so the pilot could check for aircraft approaching from behind. Those same mirrors allowed Mad Dog in the back seat to see what I was doing in the front seat. As I raised the water flask to my lips, Mad Dog abruptly pushed forward on the stick, creating a lot of negative G forces and spraying water all over my face. He let out a tremendous laugh, “I’ve been waiting all week to do that to you!”
He wasn’t concerned about my hydration after all. We had a good laugh and returned to the base for the debrief session.
As I was unzipping my G-suit to stow it in the hallway locker, my training mate Jeff Hoyt was donning his G-suit for his next training ride with Mad Dog. They sauntered down the hallway towards the awaiting blue bus, and I heard Mad Dog ask Jeff, “Did you bring your water bottle?”