10 Years after...

[smokyray]

DR,
10 years ago this Monday EAA photographer Jim Koepnik took this photo in my front yard. I had invited my three F16 Squadron mates "Slim, Mob and Rascal" to visit when we came home from Operation Iraqi Freedom in 04". Lucky for me, Fossil, Hollywood, Jason Wolfie and Demon would also be there. Later the 8 RV"s would fly formation for the EAA Cessna 210 to accompany an article I wrote about my friends and their RV"s.
My wife surprised me when she placed this photo in our wall collage recently. I followed up by inviting them all to visit for the "10 years after" anniversary. Unfortunately only two members still own RV"s and are unable to visit. They are however still very active in aviation. The article albeit dated still makes me smile when I am reminded of eleven F16 pilots in the same Squadron owning RV"s, a rare event indeed.

V/R
Smokey


https://imageshack.com/i/nr3dsdj

[JonJay]

Pretty cool. Thank you Smokey for all you did to keep us safe and to all those that still do.

[BillL]

Nice look back at a milestone! Thanks Smokey! When my uncle stepped out of his F4 for the last time, he never flew again. P51D's in the pacific, A few P47's and F4's. 220+ missions over North 'Nam. He started in the Army Air Corps.

You have played a vital role in our freedom, very much appreciated. It is a never ending battle home and abroad. The battle continues.

[Sam Buchanan]

Originally Posted by smokyray

DR,
10 years ago this Monday EAA photographer Jim Koepnik took this photo in my front yard. I had invited my three F16 Squadron mates "Slim, Mob and Rascal" to visit when we came home from Operation Iraqi Freedom in 04". Lucky for me, Fossil, Hollywood, Jason Wolfie and Demon would also be there. Later the 8 RV"s would fly formation for the EAA Cessna 210 to accompany an article I wrote about my friends and their RV"s.
My wife surprised me when she placed this photo in our wall collage recently. I followed up by inviting them all to visit for the "10 years after" anniversary. Unfortunately only two members still own RV"s and are unable to visit. They are however still very active in aviation. The article albeit dated still makes me smile when I am reminded of eleven F16 pilots in the same Squadron owning RV"s, a rare event indeed.

V/R
Smokey


https://imageshack.com/i/nr3dsdj

Smokey, time does "fly", doesn't it.

I recall the time shortly after 9/11 when several of the airport lizards were hanging out at the hangar and you flew the F-16 low-n-slow over the runway at KDCU. Wow....I had seen military flyovers at airshows but to see your plane fully armed with all that stuff hanging from the wings was quite a sight. As I recall a local yahoo had taken off from his grass strip and encroached on the nuclear plant TFR.

Thanks again for chasing the bad guys over in the desert!

[txaviator]

Originally Posted by Sam Buchanan

............As I recall a local yahoo had taken off from his grass strip and encroached on the nuclear plant TFR.

That is a great assumption, I'd bet!

[smokyray]

Originally Posted by Sam Buchanan

Smokey, time does "fly", doesn't it.

I recall the time shortly after 9/11 when several of the airport lizards were hanging out at the hangar and you flew the F-16 low-n-slow over the runway at KDCU. Wow....I had seen military flyovers at airshows but to see your plane fully armed with all that stuff hanging from the wings was quite a sight. As I recall a local yahoo had taken off from his grass strip and encroached on the nuclear plant TFR.

Thanks again for chasing the bad guys over in the desert!

Sam,
Very interesting day that one! We got scrambled from our alert facility with no idea what the mission was, just a "vector west". We had very good intel that week that terrorists were planning to attack a nuke plant somewhere.

Once airborne our tasking took us to your local nuke plant to intercept an airplane "circling the plant at low altitude". When we showed up I saw a Super Cub near the steam stacks and made an ID pass beside and above him at 250 Knots, my wingman was locked onto him a mile in trail, a standard "shooter/eyeball" formation. As I passed I banked to 90 degrees and looked directly into his skylight at him looking right back at me. The Cub then made an immediate "get outa Dodge" turn and headed back to his home grass strip. The entire trip he was yanking and banking, climbing and diving in what my wingman described as a Rat trying to elude a Hawk. We followed him from a high CAP and simply waited until he landed, then flew over his runway which we passed Lat/Longs for the Sheriff to ask him a few questions. Of course, the ensuing intercept required several turns over KDCU, in the interest of National Defense of course...The Sheriff later called and told us he was a local Bubba on an adventure.

Interestingly enough, 1 year later we would be using the exact same airplanes, albeit with a different armament to support Special Forces in Western Iraq...

Thanks sir, for your encouragement over the years. Great memories...

V/R
Smokey

[Sam Buchanan]

Originally Posted by smokyray

yanking and banking, climbing and diving in what my wingman described as a Rat trying to elude a Hawk


Smokey

Nearly snorted my Sun-Drop thru my nose at that one...the expression on the local yokel's face must have been priceless!

[Skykingbob]

Originally Posted by smokyray

DR,
10 years ago......The article albeit dated still makes me smile when I am reminded of eleven F16 pilots in the same Squadron owning RV"s, a rare event indeed.

V/R
Smokey


https://imageshack.com/i/nr3dsdj

Smokey.....thanks for sharing...thats the great thing about life...it's those wonderful memories that make up the fantastic photos in the diary of the mind that will never lose their color and can be enjoyed any time we want!!! Priceless!

[N941WR]

Smokey,

I remember reading that article and thought it was pretty cool at the time and had wondered what happened to the pilots.

Thanks for the update and additional story!

[WISC]

Thanks for your service and the same to your Brothers in Arms!