Take My Breath by AwayRealityBetterThanFiction on a03

Chapter 5

*****Trigger Warning: Mild description of previous racial violence so if it upsets you, please do not read.

Immelmann - An agressive maneuver that results in a 180 degree turn of direction to engage an oncoming lower altitude attacker by gaining a better attack position.

G-force - Force of gravity acting on an object, basically the force of acceleration (1g = object sitting at rest on Earth's surface). Most fighter pilots are trained to be able to tolerate 7-8g through extensive physical training and use of specialized equipment. Most of us normal folk can only tolerate about 5g (probably less...at least for wimps like me) without passing out. For reference, a roller coaster would probably be about 2-3 g.

G-suit - A specialized flight suit that helps pilots withstand high positive G-force by inflating and pumping blood from the lower body up to the torso and head to keep a pilot conscious during a dogfight. Yes, they are at risk for passing out in their plane...pretty scary.

Beretta - A type of firearm that is standard issue for many law enforcement and military personnel.

Story starts below...Enjoy!

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"Plane one performs an Immelmann and goes to immediate guns on the bogey at a range of...twelve meters? Have you lost your God-damned mind?" Commander Tomlinson asked, slapping the assignment down on Harry's desk.

"No, Sir. Not that I can recall," Harry replied, trying so desperately not to stand up and smack the sneer right off Commander Tomlinson's face. Just another day in Aerodynamics. Monday afternoons were always enjoyable. It was week three now, and Harry didn't know how much more of this he was going to be able to take before he had a full on mental breakdown.

"Well then you're certainly not using it to fly. Because this shit," he smacked his hand over the paper again in disgust, "is going to get you fucking killed up there."

Harry nodded, but inside he was absolutely fuming. The thing was, it wasn't a bad move. There had been a lot of worse options suggested by his classmates as they compared proposed schematics for the situations that Dr. Smith had outlined on the board. Commander Tomlinson hadn't had a reaction like this to those poorly planned schematics. He'd merely waved them aside with a bored hand and said, "Try again."

But for Harry? He had to take his daily pound of flesh.

"What were you possibly thinking with this move?" Commander Tomlinson asked incredulously.

Harry took a deep breath. "I was thinking that if I didn't go on the offensive I was going to get both me and my wingman gunned down. It's an aggressive move. Yes. But it's not something we aren't trained to do. I don't see another way with the bogey in that position. The plane can handle the maneuver being inverted with the engine power and design. It would pull a few G's, but the pilot would be able to remain conscious under that G-force if they were wearing the proper G-suit. It would effectively take down the enemy. And after seeing their comrade get blown to bits with a move like this, whatever bogeys were left would probably bug out not wanting to be next."

Commander Tomlinson leaned over Harry's desk and got right up in his face. "Just in case it slipped your mind in this wonderful display of how big your balls are, the piece of equipment you are using to bang your chest and scare off your opponents like a damned Gorilla is thirty million euros. Unless you are independently wealthy and merely joined the Navy as a whim to pass the time before your trust fund comes to fruition, you don't have the kind of money to replace your plane when you inevitably wreck it with this kind of stunt. Save the tax-payers from having to pay for your idiocy, and do the damn assignment again, with a little more attention to saving your own arse this time, hm? The proper thing to do in this case would be to go on the defensive and retreat. Save your plane. Save your life."