500 mph @ 100 feet

This past week our training transitioned from air-to-air to air-to-ground.  Our academics and mission planning prepared us for our 100 ft familiarization flight, and dropping live 500 and 2000 lb bombs on different targets on the NTTR.  All fighter pilots are qualified down to 500', but during WIC we're qualled down to 300' and get that chance to see 100'.  Flying at 100' is fine until you make a turn that low going 500 mph...there isn't any room for mistakes that low.  There may be a few less cows on the range after my wingman and I finished our low level training.

Later in the week we had our first night flights here at WIC, carrying either 500 or 2000 lb live laser guided bombs (LGBs) with 210 rounds of 20 mm bullets in the gun.  It had been awhile since I'd dropped bombs and the first time shooting the gun at night using night vision goggles (NVGs).  My wingman and I hit all of our targets, which burned pretty good.  So much so, I had to pick a different strafe target for the gun since looking at the fires through the NVGs gained them down too much.  This was just the beginning of our bomb dropping.

Lana, Liam, and I have used video Skype quite a bit lately since she is still in Munich with her Mom.  Liam has changed so much, even since we were together at Spangdahlem only one month ago.  I miss them both a lot, and they'll be here at Nellis in a month from now...really looking forward to it!