At the time of ask, the aircraft was controllable, had plenty of fuel, no fire, no electrical issues, a perfectly good aircraft. No inflight emergency.
However, there was about to be.
It just seems so unlikely a Naval aviator would speak out publicly about this. I don’t believe it is genuine.
Fig and Blunder have awful call signs. I know they didn’t choose them, but still . . .
1 reply
Duke Cunningham’s RIO was “Drifty”. One of the B/N’s in my squadron was “Scroat”. Don’t ask.
There is only one PIC with emphasis on the “C” for Command. There is no need for the PIC to ask the GIB or WSO (Wizo) if he wants to “get out.” He orders or commands him to eject and if not, he gets to eat fire from the front seat’s ejection. Then he has no choice but to eject given there is but one set of flight controls and those are in the cockpit just vacated in front of him.
Unhappy but should be very embarrassed, do a ‘pack drill’ as to how it happened.
Heads will roll from shoulders with many stripes.
You are flying against a country with no air force, refueling other fighters who are bombing the living crap out of Yemen by US made weapons/airplanes by Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the US since 2014 in an undeclared war… and claim you are shot down by friendly fire? Your airplane is a tanker? When is there refueling done in a battle zone? When is there a weapons officer on a tanker? Who or what was this frigate firing at if there is no enemy airplanes in the area?
The entire story as told by “Fig” is colossal BRAVO SIERRA! That Super Hornet was shot down by a hypersonic missile the West and specifically the US has NO defense against. Operation Prosperity Safeguard with all of its USN Carrier Task Force power has been neutered since they arrived to open the Red Sea… that still remains closed to this day to any shipping supporting the Israeli genocide in Gaza, West Bank, and southern Lebanon of the Palestinian people.
But those facts do not play well for the present administration nor for the incoming orange man. So, come up with a dog and pony narrative that friendly fire is responsible. Tell a lie long snd loud enough… eventually it will be perceived as truth. Classic BRAVO SIERRA!
1 reply
Sounds like a wargamer teen wrote the post. So much suspect in this. 1) going on social media to broadcast your personal account of anything is EXACTLY the kind of thing you are ORDERED NOT TO DO from the time you enter officer training. 2) He watched the launch; if he is that close to the fleet and preparing to land, where did he find the time for that? 3) …and your electronics tell you when you are a target, not looking out the window. 4) The pilot is the boss. If he makes the split second decision to bail, he doesn’t ask the WSO if he wants to bail out. 5) Talking about the “most violent five seconds” and floating in a life raft…" aww, c’mon! Crews practice for a bailout and you just lost a bazillion dollar fighter to friendly fire, so you blather on about bullshit?
Confidential to those who comment on the call signs: really? An old west Texas pilot told me that when you walk through a cow pasture, you don’t worry about chickenshit.
A few good points, Love2Fly, but not for nothing, but I can answer a couple of things. Yes, F-18s are multirole and configured as tankers, among other things. WSO was on board because the Super Hornet has a two-man crew. He doesn’t get the day off.
I wouldn’t be so quick to jump at your hypersonic missile proclamation. Not because you have no way of knowing that, but think about what you would do if you had one. With a whole fleet out there would you waste it on one aircraft? And how would that give the crew time to decide to bail out?
Tom Cruise recounts a story when prepping for the first TOP GUN movie, he was backseat in the Tomcat for his first ride with a pilot call sign “Bozo”.
There are certain call signs that are required in certain situations. Like Fig when the pilot’s last name is Newton. Anyone named Smart or Bright will be tagged as “Notso”
Probably a good back story on Blunder. I’d gladly buy the man a beer to hear how he earned that one.