"Second Lieutanant Jackson?"
I rolled over and looked up to the man above me.
"Yes?"
"You've been called for patrol,"
I groaned and got out of bed. I had been asleep only an hour. It was 3AM.
I walked out to the hanger and got into my G-Suit. The Flatpack was waiting. The lead technician said that I had two AIM-9X's and four AMRAAMS, along with 75% fuel and two droptanks. I nodded, got in the plane, and put my helmet on. The engines started with a whine and as they spooled up and quickly turned over to high whine and roar. I taxied to the runway.
"Tempest, clear for take off, runway nine, proceed immediately north and climb to ten thousand feet, switch to frequency 178.2 MHz for instruction.
"Copy,"
I pushed the throttles to full as I imagined that I was pissing off hundreds of people in the terminal.
Doesn't count as a mission but who will be joining me today?
I'll join.
"I'm gonna go join Jackson and fly around for a bit. See you guys later."
I drink my coffee rather quickly, run into the barracks and put on my gear, (flight suit things), and walk to the hangar.
I open up my canopy, and hop into my plane. I do all of the system checks (guns, nav, radio, avionics and flight systems) and turn on my engine.
ATC comes on and tells me "F-16 cleared for takeoff. Advise Tempest 2 miles north of runway 9. Climb to 10000 feet and hold. Tune to 118.7 MHz for instructions."
"Copy, advise Tempest 2 miles north of runway, tune to 118.7 MHz for instruction."
I punch in the numbers given to me by ATC, and I spool up my engines and taxi to the runway.
I taxi to the runway and I switch my radio to Unicom and take off.
"Tempest, I should be coming up on your 6 here shortly."
