Nobody likes being “in the dark.” The mind can play terrible games when you find yourself operating in a communication vacuum; indeed, the most carefully laid plans can be undermined by poor communication. The feeling of anxiety brought on by an emergency or a rapidly changing environment is what fighter pilots refer to as...
You’re at 20,000 feet and 550 knots on a training mission in your F-16, and your instructor pilot (IP) just demonstrated a perfect offensive BFM (Basic Fighter Maneuver) engagement. Now, it’s your turn to show him what you’ve learned. He yells out on the radio, “You have the aircraft!” You respond, “Roger Sir, I...
