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Recent Posts
- Checkride! June 27, 2022
- On Being a Fighter Jock April 27, 2022
- Fighters and Targets March 25, 2022
- Two types of flyers… March 8, 2022
- More Random thoughts from The Pit – Phantom II February 6, 2022
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Copyright notice- An American Family, 2013- 2022
© John Norvell
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Category Archives: Air Force
Homestead or Don’t Drown
In August 1972, immediately after basic survival my wife Bonnie and I were married. We then went on our honeymoon. She went to Arizona – my assignment and been changed to Luke AFB, outside Phoenix, and I… Well I … Continue reading
At Fairchild 1972
After my graduation from navigator training in July 1972, I went almost immediately to basic survival training. When I got the F-4 aircraft assignment, I knew that this virtually ensured that I would find myself in combat soon. To … Continue reading
Posted in Air Force, American History, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, F4 PhantomII, Family History, Fighter Aircraft, Fighter pilot lingo, Fighter pilot slang, Luke AFB, Mather AFB, Navigator, Navigator Training, POW training, SEA, Vietnam War
Tagged Fairchild AFB, Pow camp exoeriences, Survival training, Trek
9 Comments
Silver Wings at Last
UNT Graduation 3538th NTS Mather Air Force Base – July 25, 1972 That long ago afternoon at Mather, the Officers Club ballroom filled with family and friends gathered to celebrate the occasion. The wives waited in their finest, ready to … Continue reading
Posted in Air Force, American History, Mather AFB, Navigator, Navigator Training
Tagged Graduaton, High Flight, Undergraduate Navigator Training, UNT
1 Comment
Thoughts from the Pit
As I completed my time at Luke upgrading into the backseat some thoughts crossed my mind: 1. The Ejection seat was my friend and I took great care to make sure that everything was right. When I stepped in the … Continue reading
Flying on “Old Shakey”
After weeks of preparation at Navigator school, at Mather Air Force Base, we nav students were set for our first actual airborne mission. Our training aircraft was the twin engine T-29, outfitted with about 12 training stations in the cabin, … Continue reading
Posted in Air Force, Air Force lingo, American History, Navigator, Navigator Training
Tagged Mather AFB, Navigator Training, Sacramento, T-29, UNT
8 Comments
The View from the Pit
Unlike Undergraduate Navigator Training –UNT, the F-4 backseat AKA “The Pit” was a very different world. At nav school, I sat at a table in a classroom, “flew” our practice mission, and did my computations. In the F-4 Sim, I … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, Alaska, American History, Arizona, F-4 Phantom II, F4 Phantom II, F4 PhantomII, Family History, Luke AFB, Navigator, SEA, Vietnam War
Tagged F-training, The Pit
5 Comments
Down to the “South 40”
In May 1973, I checked in, as a new GIB, assigned to the 13 TFS at Udorn RTAFB. I had come to the war late as a non rated officer who entered Nav School in the fall of 1971. Now … Continue reading
FUFs, Pecker Pockets, and RCRs
When I graduated from Nav School, I moved on to the backseat of the F-4 and discovered I had to speak a whole new language. First of all unlike Nav School, we didn’t turn left, we made a port turn, … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, 43 TFS, Air Force, Air Force lingo, Alaska, Alaskan Air Command, American History, Anchorage, Anchorage Alaska, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, F4 Phantom II, F4 PhantomII, Fighter Aircraft, Fighter pilot lingo, Fighter pilot slang, Thailand, U Dorn RTAFB, Udorn RTAFB, Vietnam War
Tagged Aircraft malfunctions, RCR, SOF
3 Comments
Udorn We Have A Problem
July 22, 1973 started off like any other bombing mission. We did our preflight, routine, strapped in and taxied to the arming area. For this mission we had 18 Mark 82 – 500 pound bombs loaded, a more or less … Continue reading
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