Safety Net 》Reuban Finch

Chapter 4

Training gave a new round of information on this mission. Let's just say it seemed impossible to those in the room.

Maverick stood at the front of the room, a clock set to three minutes on the screen behind him.

"Time is your greatest enemy," he begins pointing at the screen. "Phase One of the mission will be a low-level attack with 2 flank teams. You will be flying along the narrow canyon walls to the target. The radar guided surface-to-air missiles defend the area; these SAMS are lethal."

At this, everyone looks around at each other, wondering the same thing. What exactly is this mission?

"But they were designed to protect the skies above, not the canyon below," Maverick continues, pointing to the animated graphic of the course.

Without hesitation, Rooster calls out, "That's because the enemy knows that no one is insane enough to try and fly below them." A point which many of the other pilots agree with if the looks on their faces are anything to go off of.

"That's exactly what I'm going to train you to do,'' Maverick immediately replies. Now, everyone is highly intrigued.

"On the day, your altitude will be 100 feet maximum," he continues. Phoenix and Bob look at each other skeptically and a little worried. This is not something they had ever done before. "You exceed this altitude, the radars spit you, you're dead. Your air speed will be 660 knots minimum."  Fanboy and Payback look at each other, concern written on both their faces.

Jia was going to start panicking the moment she found out how dangerous this mission was.

Maverick continues, looking at the screen. "Time to target, two and a half minutes, that's because fifth generation fighters are waiting at an airbase nearby. And a head-to-head with these planes in your F-18s, you're dead. That's why you need to get in, hit your target, and be gone before these planes have a chance of catching you."

He pauses, looking at each of the aviators to make sure they understand the severity of what he has just said. His goal is to bring everyone home alive, and he can't make that happen if they don't understand.

"This makes time your greatest adversary," Maverick leaves off, everyone getting ready to fly the course.

"You'll fly a route in your nav system that simulates the canyon. The faster you navigate this canyon, the harder it will be to stay under the radar of these SAMS. The tighter the turns, the more intensely the force of gravity your body multiplies. Compressing your lungs, forcing the blood from your brain, impairing your judgment and reaction time."

The tension in the room is palpable. No one was expecting this when they were called back to Top Gun. Regardless of the fact that they are the best of the best, this mission seemed impossible.

Without giving them too much time to think and dwell, Maverick finally gives them that day's assignment. "So for today's exercise, we're gonna take it easy on you. Max ceiling 300 feet, time to target 3 minutes."

Everyone looks at each other, trying to comprehend what they are about to do.

"Good luck."

☽☆☾   ☽☆☾   ☽☆☾

Coyote, Phoenix, and Bob have the first run of the day. Everyone else remained in the mission room, watching the monitors that showed their every move.

It was a good learning moment for the people not in the air, as well as the ones running it when they came back. 

"Time to target is a minute and thirty. We are two seconds behind. Increase speed to 490 knots," Bob informs.