Cesar “Rico” Rodriguez is an Air Power Colonel (ret.) and former fighter pilot in an elite group amongst veterans: he’s one in all three pilots with three air-to-air shootdowns since Vietnam. His canine fights and experiences from the cockpit of an F-15C Eagle taking down MiGs in each Desert Storm and Kosovo present a first-hand account of simply how difficult aerial fight might be. On this Fight Story, Rico describes his journey from a child in Puerto Rico to the Citadel to the Air Power and, lastly, to his present life at Raytheon persevering with to assist the Air Power win the following air conflict.
The outline of fight begins on the 49:14 mark.
0:00 A canine battle
2:11 – The place the decision signal “Rico” got here from. Unsurprisingly, it was coined at a bar.
6:35 – An outline of F-15C plane tail quantity 114, a picture behind Rico within the interview which you could see on the YouTube interview. Rico flew this plane for his first two shootdowns.
10:05 – Rico’s father – an Army Air Protection Officer – additionally had a need to fly however Rico’s journey to fly had a distinct origin.
16:50 – Flying sure plane and profiles felt extra like a crew sport than others the place you needed to work as a crew.
21:48 – Rico’s first plane was the A-10 however he then labored his manner again to flying the F-15.
23:13 – Being a part of a small group (Latinos Unidos) from Puerto Rico as an Air Power pilot and cadet at The Citadel.
25:15 – What was it wish to be a fighter pilot within the Chilly Battle?
31:14 – An outline of Crimson Flag intense and real-world coaching situations as Nellis AFB.
33:55 – “Grasp arm scorching” means all weapons are scorching and raises the depth issue.
34:23 – Transition from A-10 to F-15 personally and inside the Air Power fighter group.
40:38 – The expertise being a part of the Panama Marketing campaign in 1989 and it was the primary time to have stay weapons and open an Air Tasking Order.
49:14 – First hostile contact and shootdown on January sixteenth with Craig “Mole” Underhill southwest of Baghdad.
53:18 – Description of a Cut up-S maneuver.
1:02:00 – A traditional “two circle battle” and the purple baron’s description of a two vs one circle battle.
1:04:58 – The one plan of action is to defeat the missile when it’s coming at you.
1:10:18 – A narrative of how classes discovered authored by those that fought it might probably change because it goes up the chain of command.
1:14:30 – The lethality of the AMRAAM missile and the way it revolutionized combating.
1:17:57 – First kill of the Kosovo Battle was at evening and at lengthy vary and a lesson discovered to not have a look at the missile coming off the rail when at evening.
1:21:31 – Rico’s final flight teaming up in coaching with the youngest pilot within the Squadron going up towards 4 Gen 4 fighters.
1:24:00 – Flying with a flag and a coin.
1:25:00 – Would you do it once more and the following technology of fighter pilots?
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