I Just Pinked, Didn’t I Sir?
Author: Bobo
In my first class, we had two students, “W1” and “W2.” (Their last names both began with the letter “W,” so I am distinguishing them alphabetically with “W1” and “W2.”) They both hung out at the bottom of the class in flying. My Buddy IP and I would often wonder which one was the more “intellectually challenged.” We discovered the answer one night at Happy Hour. As we were well into our 3rd or 4th beers, W1 and W2 walked in together. W2 was bullshitting, and W1 was listening - and therein we found the answer.
Late in the program, I had a formation flight with the two. Both were on SMS, Special Monitoring Status, at the time. I was flying with W1, and W2 was on our wing, solo. W1 was on a Formation review ride after failing his previous ride for Lead Formation takeoffs.
T-38 Lead Formation takeoffs could be “tricky,” if you didn’t know the procedure. Basically, you took the briefed side of the runway, contingent on winds, traffic, and so forth. Then, once the wingman was in position, Lead looked over and gave the ‘run up’ signal by hand. Two (the wingman) would acknowledge, then run his engines up along with Lead. Once Lead was satisfied that all was well, he would look back to check on Two. If Two’s motors were good, he would nod his head. Lead in turn would tap his head, tilt his head back, then bring his head briskly forward while advancing the throttles from Mil power into Burners (afterburner). Once the Burners lit, Lead would reduce the throttles a bit to give Two a little thrust advantage to maintain position. Not too hard, usually.
So, this particular day, as we were taking the runway, W1 remarked, “Sir, we are going to have a great ride today!” Well, okay then…
Once we were in position, W1 advanced the throttles to Mil without advising Two. Holy Crap! I looked back over my right shoulder and gave W2 the run-up signal myself while exclaiming, “What about Two?!”
“Oh shit,” W1 said, as he retarded the throttles back to Idle. He then looked back, only to see W2’s head buried in the cockpit - W2 was checking his engine instruments himself at that time.
“Sir, he is not looking at me,” W1 observed. What he failed to observe was that W2’s nose gear strut was compressed, the jet was ‘jumping around a bit’ (from being in Mil power), and it was louder than normal!
“Oh, I suspect he’ll figure it out, let’s just run ‘em up ourselves.” And this is the time, and perhaps the only time in his brief flying career, W1 decided to check each and every engine instrument by itself, instead of using a “glance” to see that all the needles were parallel and within limits.
“RPM” - 98.0 to 100.5; EGT - 630 to 645 degrees centigrade; Nozzles - 0 to 20” and so forth….”
“All looks good,” he dutifully reported. Then he released the brakes and lit the burners - without bringing W2 along!
“What about Two?” I asked, as I waved for him to follow.
“Oh shit,” W1 exclaimed once again - and retarded the throttles to Idle, while stomping on the brakes!
Two blew by us as I took control of the jet, shoved our throttles back into Burners, and conducted our own individual takeoff…
“Sir, I think I just 'pinked' (failed) again,” W1 observed… and he was right for the first time that day!
I then heard the RSU Controller comment, “Enjoy the flight, Bob!”