called a radome. Onboard we control all the air in the area of responsibility.
This was the first night of the war and the first time AWACs was used in full scale air combat. We could get by with a minimum crew of twelve in the back and four up front. On Night One every seat was full.
Everybody wanted to fly a sortie tonight. There were two other E-3s airborne and a spare sitting at Kadena and every AWACer I knew was hoping to get in the air and see some action.
After four years of training we’re doing it for real. Everybody, but me that is. It’s first night of the war and I can’t even do my job. Instead I was stuck on a phone patch through Clark command post talking to the Operations Center at Hickam.
There was some lieutenant colonel on the other end of the line asking a lot of questions. She has a nice voice though. Sounds like she’s from New York or New Jersey.
I’d ask her if she weren’t an officer and if there were not twenty other people listening on the line between Vietnam to Hawaii.
The first air-air engagement of the war was a face off between two USAF F-15Cs and two Vietnamese MiG-21s. The engagement lasted three minutes and ended with the F-15Cs triumphant.
“Two V two, F-15C blue, MiG-21 red. Splash two MiG-21s.” I told Colonel Madison over the phone. The two shot down MiG-21s were the first air-air kills of the war.
They would not be the last.
Lieutenant Colonel Carol Madison
Air Force Intelligence Officer
In a comedy of logistics I had the weapons director on a phone held to my left ear while I passed on information to the Air Boss with another phone in my right ear.
“A flight of two F-15s just engaged with two MiG-21s.”
“What happened?” The Air Boss asked.
“The MiG-21 was shot down by a Sparrow missile.” I told him.
AIR ENGAGEMENT #2
USAF F-15Cs vs. VPAF SU-17s
Captain William Bell
F-15 Driver
AWACs said they were just up ahead. As I swept the night skies I was unable to spot anything. That didn't stop the tingling at the back of his neck or the pounding of my heart.
Then I saw them.
Three moving dots, so low down that they were practically in line with the horizon, and completely backgrounded by the orange rays leaking from a dawn that was still a few hours away. The instant I spotted them I pinned them in my vision, and waited for the moment when they would try to evade. Instead they kept coming right at us.
“Follow me in.”
“Two,” I responded.
I watched as West fired one AIM-7 and then another. Two bandits exploded in midair. I did not see any chutes.
I had to give it to West. He was a great pilot.
The last bandit flew in an erratic S-turn pattern. He was not running, but he was not engaging either. It looked like he was trying to decide what to do now that his buddies were crispy critters.
“That last one is all yours.”
“Two,” I responded.
I moved in for the kill.
Senior Airman William Lydecker
E-3 SENTRY Weapons Director
“Two V three. Three Vietnamese SU-17 Fitters challenged another two ship of F-15s. The lead F-15C scored a double-kill against two Fitters with AIM-7 missiles. His wingman scored another kill on a third SU-17, for a total of three kills in the dogfight.” I told the command center.
Lieutenant Colonel Carol Madison
U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer
“Another F-15 two ship has come under attack by VPAF fighters.” I told everyone. The whole room was huddled around my station. My phone patch had become the main artery of the war and I, for a brief moment, was the star of the show. “They dropped two SU-17s.”
A cheer rang out through the command center.
“Wait.” I said. It was hard to hear the weapons director on the AWACs without everyone yelling at once.
Everyone got quiet expecting devastating news.
“They shot down three.
AIR ENGAGEMENT #3
USN F/A-18s vs. VPAF MiG-21s
Senior Airman
This was the first night of the war and the first time AWACs was used in full scale air combat. We could get by with a minimum crew of twelve in the back and four up front. On Night One every seat was full.
Everybody wanted to fly a sortie tonight. There were two other E-3s airborne and a spare sitting at Kadena and every AWACer I knew was hoping to get in the air and see some action.
After four years of training we’re doing it for real. Everybody, but me that is. It’s first night of the war and I can’t even do my job. Instead I was stuck on a phone patch through Clark command post talking to the Operations Center at Hickam.
There was some lieutenant colonel on the other end of the line asking a lot of questions. She has a nice voice though. Sounds like she’s from New York or New Jersey.
I’d ask her if she weren’t an officer and if there were not twenty other people listening on the line between Vietnam to Hawaii.
The first air-air engagement of the war was a face off between two USAF F-15Cs and two Vietnamese MiG-21s. The engagement lasted three minutes and ended with the F-15Cs triumphant.
“Two V two, F-15C blue, MiG-21 red. Splash two MiG-21s.” I told Colonel Madison over the phone. The two shot down MiG-21s were the first air-air kills of the war.
They would not be the last.
Lieutenant Colonel Carol Madison
Air Force Intelligence Officer
In a comedy of logistics I had the weapons director on a phone held to my left ear while I passed on information to the Air Boss with another phone in my right ear.
“A flight of two F-15s just engaged with two MiG-21s.”
“What happened?” The Air Boss asked.
“The MiG-21 was shot down by a Sparrow missile.” I told him.
AIR ENGAGEMENT #2
USAF F-15Cs vs. VPAF SU-17s
Captain William Bell
F-15 Driver
AWACs said they were just up ahead. As I swept the night skies I was unable to spot anything. That didn't stop the tingling at the back of his neck or the pounding of my heart.
Then I saw them.
Three moving dots, so low down that they were practically in line with the horizon, and completely backgrounded by the orange rays leaking from a dawn that was still a few hours away. The instant I spotted them I pinned them in my vision, and waited for the moment when they would try to evade. Instead they kept coming right at us.
“Follow me in.”
“Two,” I responded.
I watched as West fired one AIM-7 and then another. Two bandits exploded in midair. I did not see any chutes.
I had to give it to West. He was a great pilot.
The last bandit flew in an erratic S-turn pattern. He was not running, but he was not engaging either. It looked like he was trying to decide what to do now that his buddies were crispy critters.
“That last one is all yours.”
“Two,” I responded.
I moved in for the kill.
Senior Airman William Lydecker
E-3 SENTRY Weapons Director
“Two V three. Three Vietnamese SU-17 Fitters challenged another two ship of F-15s. The lead F-15C scored a double-kill against two Fitters with AIM-7 missiles. His wingman scored another kill on a third SU-17, for a total of three kills in the dogfight.” I told the command center.
Lieutenant Colonel Carol Madison
U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer
“Another F-15 two ship has come under attack by VPAF fighters.” I told everyone. The whole room was huddled around my station. My phone patch had become the main artery of the war and I, for a brief moment, was the star of the show. “They dropped two SU-17s.”
A cheer rang out through the command center.
“Wait.” I said. It was hard to hear the weapons director on the AWACs without everyone yelling at once.
Everyone got quiet expecting devastating news.
“They shot down three.
AIR ENGAGEMENT #3
USN F/A-18s vs. VPAF MiG-21s
Senior Airman
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