It was the first night of the Gulf War, January 17, 1991. Members of the F-18 fighter squadron VFA-81 -- "The Sunliners" -- launched off the deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Saratoga in the Red Sea. Five pilots headed out on a mission into enemy territory. Only four would return.There are many questions regarding what happened that night; some are still unanswered. One fact is known -- it was the last flight for Captain Michael Scott Speicher. Speicher did not return to the flight deck of the Saratoga, nor did he make it to one of the divert fields in Saudi Arabia.Now, 12 years later, family and friends are hoping "Spike," as he was affectionately known, is still alive, and will soon be brought home.Barry Hull was one of Speicher's squadron mates, and the last person to see Scott on that fateful night. He says, "Speicher was a fantastic pilot. He had lots of experience in the F-18 Hornet because he was an instructor. He was really good in the jet ... He was also a very tough guy. He was very tough mentally and physically, yet at the same time he was one of the nicest guys you ever wanted to meet, everybody liked him, he was just an all-around great guy."Hull and the rest of the Sunliners who launched that night headed for a refueling tanker before flying into Iraq. He was the second-last to leave, and dropped back a little and flew up above the last Hornet and looked down into the cockpit. Hull didn't know it at the time, but after putting the pieces together later, realized it was Speicher's jet he had been watching. That was the last time anyone would see Spike for a long time.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/features/renewed-hope-the-search-for-captain-scott-speicher