[Scan-DC] DC CAP today

[Steve Paulson]

There was an interesting CAP flight today... actually, BRAVE 21 and 22 must
have been bored out of their gourds.  Topics included:

o  The new piddle packs.  First time I've heard "racehorse" as a verb.
"Have you racehorsed yet?"
"No."
"I'm racehorsin' right now, man"
"Again?  That's cause you're not a racehorse.  You're like a chihuahua or
something."

o  Complaining about promotion history and squadron leadership.  Whoever he
was, he was really riled up and on a soapbox.  Griping about superiors and
peers by first and last name for more than half an hour!

o  Lack of cellphone signal -- wondered aloud how passengers on 9-11 flights
were able to successfully place cellphone calls since he's also an airline
pilot and has never been able to get a signal in the air.

o  Some in-air training on navigation and coordinates (converting lat/long
to UTMs and vice versa).  One of the plane's system froze up a couple of
times and had to be reset.

o  After refueling, these guys played a game of "Battleship," calling out
coordinates with "hit" and "miss" responses.  I was waiting for it and he
said it:  "Fox 1, Fox 2, Fox 3"  -- all misses.  So much for modern
technology  ;)

o  Radar targets at long-range

o  After refueling, the RWR was triggered on one of the F-16s, indicating a
missile launch.  He asked his wingman if he was shooting at him--negative.
I wonder what set it off?

o  Discussing why the F-15 makes a better CAP aircraft than the F-16: longer
loiter time, roomier cockpit, and a bigger radar.

They were sure in a chatty mood today.  They made CAP sound like detention
hall, looking forward to when it'd be over.

Thanks, Ron, for the freqs.

--
Steve Paulson
DC Metro Maryland
http://web.utk.edu/~spaulson