“2,” Martin replied sharply. It was not a discussion. Wingman were expected to keep their mouths shut and ears open.

“You’re going to want to get the quickest kill possible, in case the bandit’s buddies are in the area,” Magic continued.

“2!”

“Let’s try it again, any questions?” Magic asked as he gave Martin the visual signal to move out to a tactical formation.

“Negative,” Martin replied. He was determined to make it right. He had to show Magic that he could get the quick kill. He wouldn’t screw it up this time.

Once they reached the appropriate altitude, they each called ready as before and Magic called the check turn. Magic reversed his turn as Martin started calling down ranges.

“Fight’s on!” Martin called as he reached a mile and a half. He lit the afterburner and rolled out as he drove toward Magic’s turn circle, but this time he started a shallow climb and checked away to slow his acceleration.

The sight picture was just different. As Magic continued his break turn, Martin rolled into a descending turn and sliced back toward him. The visual cues were different from what he was expecting, but almost immediately he saw what he thought to be attack cues – Magic’s airplane appeared to be nearly as long as it was wide.

Martin continued to pull Magic’s F-16 toward his HUD. It was going to be a high aspect gun shot. He had one chance to get it right before Magic could reverse, but with the higher aspect angle, Martin had more of Magic’s aircraft available to shoot.

Martin pulled back on the sidestick with everything he had and tried to stabilize Magic in the HUD. He squeezed the trigger, raking the pipper through Magic’s jet as it screamed by him. Once he let off the trigger, he tried to pull up to maintain his advantage, but Magic had already capitalized and the two were now side-by-side and jockeying for position.

“Gator knock it off, Gator 11 knock it off,” Magic said over the radio.

“Gator 12 knock it off,” Martin echoed.

“We can talk about that one on the ground, let’s move on to the next set,” Magic said after confirming their fuel state. Martin’s face felt flush. He wasn’t sure if he had gotten enough of a stable track to count as a kill, so he hadn’t called it. Either way, he was afraid Magic now thought he was terrible for not maintaining the offensive. So much for making a good first impression.

******

“Questions on the brief?” Magic asked as he stood in front of the white board in the small briefing room.

“None,” Martin responded.

“Questions on the motherhood?” Magic asked, referring to the administrative portion of the mission getting to and from the airspace to fight.

“No, sir,” Martin replied. He was still thinking about the first two sets. He had done fine in the subsequent short-range 6000’ and 3000’ sets, but he feared that the first two would be enough to give him his first bust as a Gator. Not a good way to shine as a new wingman.