Page 159 - Never Fly Solo

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error, took control of the jet, and raised the lights himself.
Here’s the kicker: if an IP takes the jet from a trainee on a
check ride, it’s basically an instant bust—you failed the
flight.
Unfortunately, this was the second flight in a row that
Captain Perko had to take over because of my failure to raise
those darned lights. And suddenly I was one step closer to
washing out of undergraduate pilot training (UPT) and seeing
my life’s dream vanish in an instant.
At twenty-two years old, I was beginning to see this sim-
ple little mistake as one of the biggest tragedies of my young
life. My failure to flip one little switch left me standing at the
crossroads of my future. With my confidence at its lowest
point and doubt pulsing through my veins, I asked myself,
“What now?”
I had one last ride coming. This time, it was with my
flight commander, Maj. Jerry Free. A combat-decorated for-
mer F-4 fighter pilot, he looked more Superman than military
officer. Standing over six feet tall, in an impeccable uniform
and in better shape than most officers my age, Major Free was
sharp, charismatic, and a great pilot—the epitome of an Air
Force officer. But he was also stern and demanding and did
not tolerate slackers. He was intimidating, especially for a
brand-new lieutenant going through the first (and most chal-
lenging) training program of his career.
In the pre-mission briefing room, expecting the worst, I
fidgeted nervously with my checklist while waiting for Major
Free to arrive. What if I did the unthinkable and did not raise
the lights again? What if I messed up something else on the
flight? What was I going to do if I washed out of UPT? What
would I tell my family and friends—the people who seemed
to have more confidence in me than I had in myself?