Mar 27, 2022,07:59pm EDT|1,247 views
What’s It Like To Be A Real Top-Gun Fighter Pilot? We Asked One.
Jim Clash
Lt. Col. James “Face” Collins, 39, has been in the U.S. Air Force for 16 years, most of that time flying fighter jets. He has deployed to Afghanistan, flown Eurofighter Typhoons with the Royal Air Force and currently leads the Combat Training Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base just below the Arctic Circle near Fairbanks, Alaska. After my thrilling supersonic ride in the backseat of an F-16D last week with Collins at the controls, pulling 9 G’s in the process, he and I sat down (um, I was a bit wobbly) for an interview back at the base. Following are edited excerpts from a longer chat with the affable father of four.
Jim Clash: Talk about the challenges of flying up here in the arctic versus areas further south?
James Collins: Anywhere else, say like, Guam, where I was a couple of months ago, I wear this simple flight suit I have on now, a vest, harness and G-suit. I didn’t have to wear special boots, thermals, a soft shell jacket and all kinds of other things that we had on today. That adds complexity. You can’t see a lot of switches in the cockpit [because of the bulky clothing], like the oxygen regulator. You have to feel it. Any place else, I can look down and see all of that stuff. Now imagine it being pitch black at night on top of that. The real challenge is the big bay doors to the hanger up here. When it’s below freezing but above 0 F, they can be open for 30 minutes. When it’s below 0, you have only 15 minutes otherwise pipes in the building will start bursting. You have to be expeditious. I’ve also been on the runway when it’s hard to raise the landing gear because the hydraulic fluid is so cold. Metal does not like being cold. Things break. It’s combating all of those elements - the darkness and cold in winter are not only challenging to our crew, but also to the equipment.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimclash/2022/03/27/whats-it-like-to-be-a-real-top-gun-fighter-pilot-we-asked-one/?sh=4654bb5d7be8
