Free Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat by Dan Hampton

is discussed. This includes all of his check-rides, test scores, and previous performance in his Mission Qual checkout. His attitude and, most of all, his maturity. On this note, we’re talking about professional maturity and decision-making related to flying. If we were judged by O’Club maturity, everyone would still be a wingman.
    This first upgrade is important, because for the previous three to four years you’ve been following others, learning, and generally trying to stay alive. Though there’s considerable autonomy in a single-seat fighter, there’s still always a more experienced pilot nearby to plan, direct, and make most of the decisions. To lead. This mentality change is the first big step.
    The actual program is straightforward. Like all upgrade and training programs, it is well organized. There is a syllabus outlining minimum requirements for every aspect of each training flight and the proficiency level needed to pass. It’s all graded.
    One of the most significant hurdles for a prospective flight lead is learning the art of the briefing. Briefings are supposed to last no longer than an hour and a half. This sounds like a lot of time, but I can tell you it really isn’t. Now, except in rare cases, the pilots taking part in the mission all helped plan it the day prior. Peacetime briefing rooms are in the part of a fighter squadron called “The Vault.” This is behind a huge metal door, like a bank vault, and contains all the classified information necessary for the squadron’s various missions. No one gets in but pilots and intelligence types. The rooms are about ten by fifteen and set up to accommodate a four-ship briefing. The pilots sit around a central table and the flight lead stands up front and talks. There are white boards for drawing details and tactical scenarios. Sliding panels along the front wall contain things that are usually “standard” for most missions. Rules of engagement for employing weapons, divert field data, ground operations, etc.
    The flight lead is responsible for the organization and “flow” of the brief. It starts with a time hack—a synchronization of watches. The “Overview,” which is the intended mission sequence, is discussed. This is called the “Motherhood,” and is all the non-tactical aspects of getting jets off the ground, to and from the base, and back on the ground. Types of takeoffs (afterburner or not), rejoin formations, routes, communications, and the expected return-to-base procedures are all briefed. These events vary considerably with the experience level of the pilots, training requirements, and weather. Contingency plans are a big part of each phase of a brief. How does a four-ship operate as a three-ship if a jet breaks? Who leads the flight if the flight lead doesn’t make it? Air-refueling, night procedures, and a host of other “what if”s? The permutations are endless. Emergencies are also reviewed quickly and concisely, just as they’d be dealt with at 400 knots. There’s always an EP (Emergency Procedure) of the day, where the causes, indications, and solutions are discussed.
    A typical briefing will spend about twenty minutes discussing and reviewing this before getting into the point of the mission.Called the “Meat,” this occupies the remaining time. Say it’s a Wild Weasel mission to find and destroy an SA-6 battery protecting a target that is to be hit by strike aircraft. The first step of the Meat is laying out the “Big Picture.” This would include composition of the strike package, their routes into the target area, call signs, radio frequencies, and timing. The latest intelligence is also reviewed—location of the main target, locations of SAMs and Triple-A, and the expected reaction from whomever you’re trying to kill. The “Ingress” to the target area is outlined, including the type of tactical formations, reactions to enemy fighters and SAMs, and communications. A good flight lead will blend in extra