Monday I flew an iron-oxide-laden BFM hop with Lt Col Z. I had the most bizarre gunsight glitch I’ve ever seen on a Viper, and the usually spot-on, trusty sight led me astray more than a couple times. That said, I adapted after a couple passes and started getting the hang of things again. It was good to get out and pull some Gs finally. The 11-month layoff certainly didn’t make it easy, but at least it was fun!
Tuesday Cash, Lt Col Z, Spidey, and I tried to knock out Cash’s FLUG-5 (four-ship unopposed SAT), but Lt Col Z had an issue with his jet that forced him to RTB nearly immediately after takeoff. Cash, Spidey, and I pressed out and got a good low-level in across northern Honshu (there’s still snow on the mountains, but not nearly enough to ski on anymore; snowshoeing may still be a possibility at upper elevations). Last, we flew over to the range and emptied 250 rounds each of PGU-27 training rounds in two high-angle strafe passes. It was the first time I’d actually fired live rounds in about 10 months. Thanks to all the dry passes I’ve done the past few months, it was a pair of successful passes, even with the worst crosswinds I’ve ever seen on final.
I hope I get to do more of these flights in the next few weeks!