Page 16 - Volume 18 Number 10

Falcon Insurance Agency Inc.Full Page4/C Adlooked over at Chocks and got a head nod. Saluting with my left hand, I punched the clock and placed my helmet against the headrest. I jammed the throttles all the way forward to full afterburner and released the brakes.In the first five seconds of the takeoff roll, eight stages of afterburner pressed me into the back of the ejection seat with successive kicks. My eyes were glued to the afterburner nozzle gauges to make sure both burners lit fully. Airspeed then held my full attention. Seven seconds after brake release, passing 100 knots, I eased the stick back to raise the nose to 10 degrees. Liftoff came about a third of the way down El Toro’s 7,800-foot runway. Gear up, flaps up, reduce pitch to maintain a 50-foot level acceleration; 200 knots, 250, 300, 350 – the speed built almost as fast as you can read those words.Approaching the end of the runway, I eased the stick aft and transitioned to climb with about a 2-g pull. I stopped the nose at 80 degrees, virtually straight up. To peg that climb attitude, I held the stick slightly forward of neutral in what felt like zero-g flight.Passing 4,000 feet, the airspeed read 420 KIAS. I looked back and saw that Chocks was already starting his pull into the vertical. Ding. My radar warning receiver told me that Chocks had locked on. I pulled the throttles back to half-burner to give him a slight power advantage.“Ocean Departure, Dallas Four One is passing five, six, seven thousand for Flight Level four three zero.”“Dallas Four One, Ocean Departure, radar contact. Nice job. Contact LA Center on 289.9.”“Toop.” Chocks letting me know he got it without my having to call.“Center, Dallas Four One flight, passing Flight Level one niner zero for four three zero.” My indicated! DOWTY! HARTZELL! MCCAULEY! MT PROPELLER! SENSENICH! RAPCO DISTRIBUTOR! WOODWARD PT6Ahttp://www.rockyprop.com e-mail: rockyprop@rockyprop.com! LARGE INVENTORY ! SAME DAY SHIPPING ! UNCOMPROMISED QUALITY ! COMPETITIVE PRICES ! WORLD CLASS WARRANTY ! FACTORY TRAINED TECHNICIANS2865 AIRPORT DRIVE ! ERIE, CO 80516FAX: 303-665-7164 ! FAA/EASA CRS FR6R545N14 • TWIN & TURBINEOCTOBER 2014