Page 54 - Never Fly Solo

CHECK SIX | 27
But your wingman can check your six. The following dia-
gram shows the sight line of two fighter pilots in combat for-
mation. We literally watch each other’s back for all threats.

U U U U
U
U

Blind Blind
spot spot

A threat normally comes from where we can’t see it.
That’s what makes it such a threat: we don’t know it’s there.
Checking each other’s six means we’re constantly watching
our wingmen’s most vulnerable spot for threats to their safety
and to the mission. Missiles and enemy aircraft always try to
attack from the rear. Not only that, it’s impossible for a pilot
to see if he’s on fire, leaking fuel, or has some structural dam-
age. He needs a wingman to observe these threats, too. For
this reason, wingmen can never doubt each other’s intentions.
We must act on the advice of our wingmen and trust that
when we hear “Break right!” it’s for a good reason.
Timing can be a critical factor. You don’t always have the
luxury of checking and double-checking your wingman’s
judgment when the missiles are locked and launched. In the
fighter pilot world we have a saying: “Speed is life.” If you