Page 104 - Never Fly Solo

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Lose Sight, Lose Fight

Wingmen Keep You Focused
and on Course

“Just remember, Waldo, if things get out of control, just
stay visual.”
These were my wingman’s last words to me as I headed
to my F-16 to do my walk-around inspection. I repeated them
over and over in my head: “Just stay visual.” Simple enough,
right?
I had already flown more than forty combat missions and
was relatively experienced in the world of aerial combat, but
I was still nervous. As my wingman and flight lead, Capt. Rob
“Koz” Kosciusko would lead me to the target. I just had to
trust him.
I loved flying with Koz. Not only was he a great instruc-
tor pilot, he was a friend—a great friend, in fact. We spent a
lot of time together outside the squadron, and I trusted his
judgment on more than just flying. We even shared the same
career path. Both first-assignment instructor pilots (FAIPs),
we were stationed in many of the same bases. And when it

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