resume and pick himisl wp ond
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Shot Down Over Libya
“One of our planes is missing, but the
pilot Is safe,” the communiqué said.
Here Is that pilot's report.
HEY ong a label around my neck. which
id: “Fiping Oter “~~ Posble fractured
‘dull bast, ‘Concussion and facial injuries
Girch of England,” Tinew tis because the medi-
tal order rend the label out oud to eat the base
hoepital
Tired to remember just why that label was there,
and why tani thee tings, 1 eid oad somecne,
taut no one heard, a0 {gave it up and Just lay sil
"Then slowiy. it all came. back: not clearly. and
rightly at fst, buta litle dimly, as though by
moonlight. Inthe end, T got it all
(Operational Onder No, — from Fighter. Q. West
ce Dear 0 Son ~~ Squadron STOP Recs epors
Ite bumer Taian voices parked eve togeer 100
‘are north of ea 1 ten west f Sil Brant STOP
‘Si Hufeans ntact date
"The C.0, wandered in with tin his hand while
wwewere having late te nthe mess ent and handed
ito Shorty, who was in charge of BF
There waa nothing una about the order —we
had had similar ones everyday or the last month
‘xcept, perhaps that the job looked a ite easier
than me
‘Shorty carefully extracted ly fom his tea and
Aiked t sero the rom. Then he fad Ita second
time: “Hels bell, what a pce of cake!" Shall T
sy fight, cr? Well have to art right avay:
We handed it to Ooty, who stopped picking the
sand out of his warboard eat, read Ie dowly, then
‘Ut it down and went on exeavating his ear.
T don't believe it" he suid." They newer park
‘them elas tagether, but they ave, what a piece
oleae!
Outside, the Hurrcanee were waiting, looking
very dlty in their desert camouage, Which was
Just coat of iht-brown paint the color of sand
‘Ata datares they mange into ther surrounding
‘They looked He thin and undrfed, but very
‘rider the wings ofeach, in the she, st a ter
and rigger playing naughts and’eroses In the hot
“All lear sie.” I pred the button she coughed
‘ence of tice, 24 chou leaving the tnd fom het
Throat, and started. Cheek the oxygen, check the
patrol: brakes of, tax into potion behind Shorty,
Trscrew into fine teh, mitare control t rich
‘udjne tall timers and now Shorey’s holding ia
thumb pin the ai. Yen, OK, OK. Thumb up,
fn everyone else ds the sme
Six dusty left arms went out, si throttles were
ently ped forward and thesis machines moved
Seay, churning up the dust with ther aescrews
tnd creating a minor sandstorm in their wake. Six
people began to eoneentrate
Shorty avung bit to the right on takeoff, but
he alwaj did tat, and we all knew he away did
ff sot didn't matte. Once airborne undercare
‘up, adjust the revs, regulate the mixture and start
Tecking
"This basin of looking ie the moet important
part of «fighter plot's jb. You've got to have a
Fibber neck and you've got to keep fe moving the
whole time from the moment you fet into the ait
{o the moment you sive back at your base. If Yo