"Ian you wanna take a flight anywhere specific?"
"There should be a bombing range on the north side of the island. Let's drop in and squeeze off a few." ...
[Timeskip to present] Sorry if this is a little abrupt
So after a couple of weeks sitting idly in the barracks, I finally get to fly. As promised, the F-4 Phantom II that was in refurbishment is now ready for some action.
I literally jump into the roosterpit. Once my weapon systems officer and I are fastened in our seats, I immediately run through the start-up checklist.
APU on, lights, fuel selection, throttle ident, ... The turbofan engines spool up and roar to life. We close the canopy.
Avionics, on. Radio communications up and running. All control surfaces and hydraulics are fully functional. Ejection seat, armed. Stores management register our weapons. The WSO handles radio communications with the tower. Once we're clear to taxi to the runway, I give the thumbs up to men outside to open the hangar. Bright light showers the plane, and I add power to begin rolling ...
