Lords of the Sky: Fighter Pilots and Air Combat, From the Red Baron to the F-16 (53 page)

MiG-21, the successor to the MiG-17.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

An F-4G—the “Phantom”—flies over Vietnam.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

A Phantom strike, April 1969.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

Legendary F-100 Wild Weasel pilots Alan Lamb and Jack Donovan.

Wild Weasel patch.

(The collection of Dan Hampton)

An F-100F—the original Wild Weasel fighter—refuels over Vietnam.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

“Triple ace” Robin Olds, veteran of more than 250 combined combat missions in WWII and Vietnam.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

An F-16 CJ patrols Iraq.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

Baghdad reeling from Shock and Awe from an F-16 strike.

LTC Dave Moody (“Mooman”) and his Viper—both from the 23rd TFS “Fighting Hawks”—during Desert Storm, 1991.

(The collection of Dan Hampton)

The author stands in front of his F-16 “CeeJay” after a mission over Iraq, March 24, 2003.

(The collection of Dan Hampton)

A USAF drone—no substitute for an elite fighter pilot.

(U.S. Air Force)

PART FOUR

DAWN OF THE JET AGE

I
KNOW THAT I SHALL MEET MY FATE