Make it real

Airman, August, 2004 by Hank Caruso

Regarding the lead photo for "Eyes on the Skies" on Pages 18 and 19 of the May 2004 issue of Airman, it's visually dramatic but fails to ring true. The person sprinting toward the F-15 isn't dressed in flight gear (no G-suit, survival vest or helmet), nor is any of this gear visible on or near the aircraft. There is no member of the indispensable ground crew present to aid the pilot in "putting on" the aircraft. Loose items like the wastebasket on the floor are safety hazards as the aircraft exhaust can hit them while leaving the hangar. In short, it's just too sterile and contrived. It shouldn't have been hard to do it right.

Hank Caruso

via e-mail