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resume and pick himisl wp ond » 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

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