Dan Hampton - Viper Pilot

“dual” training in, 120–23

in Egypt, 99–107, 109

emergency in, 44

empty gas tank problem and, 185–91

EWOs and, 48, 49

first fielding of, 43

functional test flights on, 99–107

FWIC and, 137

gas shortages in, 185

Hampton’s initial assignment to, 39

importance of bomb-dropping and, 137

in Iraq War, 1–13, 168–76, 181, 191–211, 216–30, 231–58, 259–77, 278–300

9/11 and, 158–59

non-tactical training for, 103

sandstorm landing of, 196–211

as single-seat combat jet, 48–49

twenty23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron and, 47

as “Viper,” 43

weapons on, 44

See also F-16CJ jets “CeeJay”

F-16 pilots

at Incirik officer’s club, 86

See also F-16CJ jets “CeeJay”; Wild Weasels

F-16 Replacement Training Unit, Hampton in, 43–45, 48

F-16CJ jets “CeeJay”

description of, 141

HARM system and, 155–56

in Iraq War, 176, 214, 217, 232, 281, 302

as success, 157, 307

training of pilots for, 157

F-18 jets, 216–17

F-22 program, 304

F-35 program, 304

F-86 jets, in Korean War, 286

F-100 Super Sabre jets, 22–23, 24, 25, 26

F-104 Starfighter jets, 79

F-105 jets “Thuds”/”Thunderchief,” 20, 24, 25, 26–28

F-111 jets/pilots, 48, 86

F-117 jets, 179

FABLE (Iraq War call sign), 282, 283, 284–86, 287, 288–89

FACING (Iraq War call sign), 279–80

Fairchild Air Force Base (Washington State), Advanced Survival Training at, 40–42

FANSONG radar, 53, 295, 300

FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), Hezbollah as on Most Wanted List of, 153

fedayeen, 289, 290

FENCE, 66, 217, 292

52nd Tactical Fighter Wing, 45, 47–48, 49, 52

55th Fighter Squadron, 127

fighter pilots

attached to Combined Wing Staff, 83–84

bonding among, 302

characteristics of, 23

deployment in Iraq War of, 306

development of anti-SAM weapons and, 23

exotic exchange tours for, 108

importance of, 304

at Incirik officer’s club, 90

inter-flight chitchat among, 169–70

Mission Qualification of, 56, 59, 63

“naming” of, 61–63

occupational hazards of, 230

physical demands on, 307

required check-rides for, 129

respect among, 88

retirement of, 305–6

security clearance of, 133

self-confidence of, 47

terror of, 224

training of, 43–65

upgrading of, 56–57

as UPT instructors, 34–35

as weapons, 44

as wingmen, 56

See also Wild Weasels

fighter squadrons

camaraderie among, 120

DOs of, 130

flight commanders of, 127–28, 130

no-fly zones and, 142

personality of, 126

SEFEs in, 130

“standards” among, 169

in World War I, 126

in World War II, 126

Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC), 132, 133–40

Fighter Weapons School

combat experiences as different than teachings at, 139–40

difficulty of, 139

duration of, 133

FWIC for, 132, 133–40

goal of, 133

as life-altering experience, 140

Patch Night for, 139

pathway to, 132–33

See also Fighter Weapons Instructor Course (FWIC)

final-approach fix, 201–2

Fire Control System, first automated, 15

First Assignment Instructor Pilots (FAIPs), 35, 38

First Gulf War. See Desert Storm

First In, Last Out (Weasel motto), 75

1st Marine Expeditionary Force, 183, 232

flameout landings, 103, 105–6, 129

Flaming Dart air campaign (Vietnam War), 18

Flap Wheel radar, 233

Fliegerfaust SAM, 16

Flight Commanders

qualifications for, 127, 130

responsibilities of, 127–28

flight lead, 56, 57, 58, 127, 220

flight lines, 33, 111

Flight Path Marker, 106

Florida, four v. fours training in, 136–37

Flying Window, 128

Fobair, Anita, 19

Fobair, Betty, 19

Fobair, Ross, 19–21, 22, 23, 25

Fort Bragg (North Carolina), 162–63

45th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 19

Forward Operating Bases, 142

four-ship formation, 136–37, 172, 178, 232, 305

480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 47

4404th Combat Wing (Provisional), Khobar Towers attack and, 149–53

France/French

Desert Storm and, 65

design of KARI in, 146

in Middle East, 144

Nellis threat array and, 138

ROLAND system of, 55

Franco-Prussian War, 15

friendly fire, 279

Fucking New Guy (FNG)

definition of, 127

Hampton as, 49–51

Gamblers (Iraq War fighter squadron), 169–70, 279, 280, 284, 302

General Dynamics, 110, 119

generation gaps, among pilots, 47–48

Germany

Hampton’s assignment in, 108, 131

selection of Weapons Officers from, 133

See also Spangdahlem Air Base (Germany)

Ghawar oil fields (Saudi Arabia), 67

GHOST (call sign), 62

Giffin, Bruce, 21

glide slope, sandstorm landing and, 201, 203, 205–6

God’s eye view, 267

grade book, 127–28

“graduated escalation,” 26

Great Hijacking, 120

Green Bean Tour, 60–63

Gregg (engineer), 156

Griffin, Bruce, 19, 21

grounding, Hampton’s, 212–13

Gulf of Tonkin attack, 18

Gulf War, First. See Desert Storm

Gulf War, Second. See Iraq War

gun incident, at Incirik Officer’s Club, 92–97

Habbaniyah Air Field (Iraq), 291

Hahn Air Base (Germany), 45

Hamad (Egyptian pilot), 121

Hampton, Dan

ambitions of, 31, 34

awards and honors for, 13, 39

birthday in Iraq of, 263, 277

combat experience of, 13, 14, 288, 289–300

and combat missions as solitary missions, 307

decision to become a pilot of, 31

early flying instruction of, 30

education of, 31

father of, 30–31, 160–61

grounding of, 212–13

heroes of, 86

as invincible, 167

last Iraq War combat mission of, 289–300

memories of, 308

mother of, 160

personal background of, 30–31

pilot training (UPT) of, 31–38

post-UPT training programs for, 39–43

professional responsibilities of, 167

reputation of, 14

retirement of, 305, 307

self-confidence of, 47, 98, 167, 203

self-image of, 307, 308

Two Dogs name of, 62–63

HARM missiles

criticisms of, 156

in Desert Storm, 69, 71, 72, 74

in Iraq War, 172, 174, 175, 178, 181, 237, 243, 245, 247, 249, 252, 253, 257, 301, 302

See also HARM Targeting System

HARM Targeting System (HTS), 155–57, 172. See also HARM missiles

Hartsfield International Airport (Atlanta, Georgia), 158–59, 163

HAVE QUICK radios, 68

HEIST. See ROMAN (Iraq War call sign): sandstorm landing and

helicopters

in Desert Storm, 301

Hoplite, 271, 272

in Iraq War, 232, 241, 257, 270, 271, 272, 273, 301, 302

9/11 and, 162

Hezbollah, 152–53

high-altitude precision bombing, 16

Hill Air Force Base (Utah), 115

Ho Chi Minh, 26

Holloman Air Force Base (New Mexico), 39–40

“Holloman widows,” 40

home, Hampton’s views about, 305

“HUA” (“Head Up [his] Ass”) award ceremony, 131

HUD (Heads up display)

Iraq War and, 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 171, 172, 182, 185–88, 198, 200, 202, 203, 206, 220, 225, 227, 235, 237–40, 250–54, 261, 265, 266, 268, 269, 270, 272, 274, 276, 287, 290, 294, 297

sandstorm landing and, 198, 200, 202, 203, 206

Hunter Killer missions

characteristics of, 306–7

Hampton’s views about, 306–7

in Iraq War, 245, 281, 289

as solitary missions, 307