Nexus - 0216 - New Times Magazine-pages

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LIGHTNING ENCOUNTER The pilot shifted pee in his _ = was his es duty on _ aoe wh = ejector seat as one of the parachute straps tional readiness in a single year, and no- cupersorie fighter squatted mendeeily of, chafed his shoulder. Operational readiness one had ever told him to scramble. Why tho Operational Readiness Plaifoom at an duty was a real drag: two hours non-stop should they?—Russia was not in the habit airfiel}| in Hast Anglin, Haglend, during the sitting strapped into a tiny cockpit waiting of attacking England early on a Sunday early sixties. Just below the ‘cockpit a for a Russian bomber that had less chance moming. As if to contradict his thoughts, each side of the fighter, the glass nose-cone er nevcilrins im bei Se Manion ip ecieteint comet life with meting tud- of a deadly Flresreak ‘arte dis inate Wincing slightly, the pilot re-adjusted his denness: ing missile sparkled in the weak early a tees = — ee aaeere c ae pepe a tata he er ment panel for the twentieth time thathour. Je scramble!" apped Battery master switches on, gyros sta- Hesitating for only a split-second, the seat, the pilot remained blissfully unaware 1.) peg 2 of what = to come. ” bilised, both throttles at ground-idle, inter- pilot flipped the plastic cover clear of the ception radar at fyel boosters, switched both on and moved standby. The pilot's his white-gloved hand swiftly backwards to right hand fiddled the engine starter buttons. With a deafen- idly with the cover ing hiss the two isopropyl nitrate starters over the fuel booster span the Avon jet engines up to 20% switches. Ifanorder 5 m_, lighting both with a sudden roar that to scramble came sent birds scattering away across the air- through on the field in all directions. Pushing both throt- secure ‘telebrief’ te. forward as quickly as possible, the — see a. pilot thumbed his transmit switch briefly: P' . "02 rolling.” had to do was flick both fuel Aeon on "Roger 02, clear take off. Climb out on and press the twin- 105 degrees and call Ground Control engine starter but- Interception." tons. After that, Turning directly onto the runway thresh- things would happen _ old, the pilot watched the engine per cent very quickly. gauges as they climbed to 100 r.p.m., then The pilot relaxed deliberately pushed both throttles sideways again and smiled to and forward through the afterburner gate. Both jet nozzle indicators flicked to the The sleek British Electric Lightning supersonic fighter squatted menacingly on the Operational Readiness Platform at an airfield in East Anglia, England, during the early sixties. Just below the cockpit on each side of the fighter, the glass nose-cone of a deadly Firestreak air-to-air heat-seek- ing missile sparkled in the weak early morning sunlight. Strapped into his ejector seat, the pilot remained blissfully unaware of what was to come. SL 58¢NEXUS LIGHTNING ENCOUNTER OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1993