Wings of Gold

by totallynotabrony

Training

August, 1999

Corpus Christi, Texas

The sunlight sparkled off the water as Rainbow Dash gunned the car over the bridge. Below, wading fishermen cast lines into the waters of Oso Bay.

Truax Field was coming up on the left, and she got into the turning lane. The move was a little sudden, just like the rest of the drive had been.

She’d left the apartment angry with her stallionfriend and hadn’t slowed down since getting in the car. She took a deep breath before entering the base. It was time to go to work and she couldn’t afford distractions.

She parked the red Camaro and made her way to the training center. General Motors had made a remarkably smart decision to sell kits that converted their vehicles to be pony-compatible. The Chevrolet dealership in Pensacola had given her a good deal on the gently used car. She just wished people would stop telling her that she should have bought a Mustang.

Rainbow was training to learn the military way of flying. She already had a civilian pilot’s license, and had undergone classroom and survival training. Now, she was on to primary flight training, and that involved actually getting her hooves on the controls of an airplane.

The T-34 was not a jet, however it was still a cut above anything she’d flown before. Best of all, they were beginning to learn acrobatics.

She’d been at Truax for a few months. While she loved the flying, she was anxious to move on. The propeller trainer had stopped being fun shortly after she had found its limits. Now, Rainbow couldn't wait to go to the next stage.

After a couple of rewarding flights that day, she headed home. There was still work to be done in her off time, but at least she got to leave base.

Entering the apartment, she stripped off her green flight suit. While ponies were pretty much exempt from wearing clothing in public, the military required uniforms. The suit was practical, at least. It was made from Nomex, a lightweight and fire-resistant material. It had pockets galore, which was something Rainbow appreciated.

There was a pencil pocket on the left sleeve that was covered with a flap held in place with velcro. Most pilots tore the flap off. Those who could get away with it hung a vanity patch on the spare velcro tab. Rainbow’s depicted a “fun meter” that was pegged at maximum.

“I’m home!” she called.

“Hello,” said Raincloud. “Listen, I’m really sorry about what happened earlier.”

“Me too. I just don’t know why we can’t get along.”

The pegasus stallion came over to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m sure we’ll work something out.”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah.” She wasn’t sure she believed it, though. Their relationship had been going downhill ever since they’d moved in together. She really shouldn’t have latched on to the first pony she’d met.

Raincloud wasn’t bad, but the two of them didn’t really move in sync. Rainbow hoped to have things worked out soon. She went to do her homework.

Kingsville, Texas

A couple more months passed, and Rainbow was transferred to more advanced flight training. Luckily, the new base was just down the road from Corpus Christi, and she could keep the same apartment.

It was good that the winter months were coming. The summer in south Texas was uncomfortably warm. Worse, Kingsville was inland and didn’t enjoy ocean breezes.

It was all worth it, though. Rainbow had done well enough to have her pick of available positions in the various flight training paths. She’d chosen tailhook aircraft.

Waiting for her in Kingsville was the T-45 jet trainer. It took a little ground school before she was declared ready to fly it. She would spend about nine months learning the T-45 before going to the next stage.

Despite drawing closer to the end of her training, Rainbow was growing more impatient. Her first ride in the jet was great, but she still wanted more. While the T-45 seemed like it had lots of power and agility, and felt like a real fighter plane, Rainbow knew that there were better things to come.

There were still things to study. Learning to fly blind with only instruments was scary, but useful. Formation flying was fun. The most important part of the tailhook program, however, was getting carrier qualified.

Rainbow had visited the aircraft carrier Lexington that was used as a museum in Corpus Christi. After walking around and inspecting the flight deck, it seemed even more impossible that an airplane could land on a ship.

Still, the T-45 would have to do it. When it was her turn, Rainbow and a pilot instructor took off and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico to find the carrier that was standing by for training.

The navigation directions led them to the right place. Rainbow got into the flight pattern and waited for clearance to land.

“Listen to the Landing Signal Officer,” said the instructor from the backseat. “He knows what he’s doing.”

Sure enough, the LSO came on the radio for final instructions. Rainbow put the plane into the circling left turn that would ultimately end up right at the edge of the landing strip. Once she was in line and coming in straight, she called the ball.

“The Ball” was a system of lights on the tail of the aircraft carrier. When an incoming pilot was in the correct position, a red “meatball” light could be seen. If the plane was too high or low, or off to the side, the lights would help them correct.

Rainbow had only a small adjustment to make. As she closed in, she verified again that the landing gear, flaps, and tailhook were down. The airplane shook a little as it passed through the turbulent air behind the carrier.

Alternating her eyes between the ball and the cockpit instruments, Rainbow also listened to the LSO’s voice. It was a lot of information to take in, process, and make decisions on. The flight deck loomed large, and she aimed the airplane where she thought it should go.

It was the hardest landing she’d ever experienced up to that point. As the plane hit the deck, the tailhook grabbed one of the thick wires laid across the landing area and brought the airplane to a halt.

“Not bad for your first time,” said the LSO. “Number two wire. Back off the throttle and get unhooked. Welcome aboard.”

There were four wires, just to make sure a plane caught at least one of them. A perfect landing would catch number three.

Rainbow pulled the throttle back and the airplane rolled backwards to disengage the tailhook. The planes went to maximum power shortly before landing so they would be able to take off again if they missed all the wires. Luckily, the wires were strong enough to take the impact of a plane under full throttle..

“That’s one,” said the instructor. “You’ve got more to do before you’re carrier qualified.”

Rainbow didn’t need to be reminded. Most of the day, she would be doing nothing but practicing landings and takeoffs. She gave the plane a little power and rolled forward again. A crewman with lighted sticks directed her. The T-45 moved up to the nose of the carrier and the landing gear rolled up to the catapult shuttle.

Crewmen got the airplane ready to fly. A blast shield to protect the deck from the jet exhaust was raised behind the plane. The front landing gear was locked into the shuttle.

The catapult officer got everything ready to go. On his order, Rainbow throttled up and waited. The force that steam-powered catapult could genetrate was enormous, and there would be no problems getting the lightweight airplane moving.

The cat shot was if anything more intense than the landing. As the plane fired off the end of the deck, Rainbow gently pulled back on the stick and the T-45 sprang into the air. They were flying again.

“Good,” said the instructor. “Now do it again.”

Lemoore, California

It had been a long two years. Since leaving Officer Candidate School, that was how long Rainbow had spent training to fly. In a ceremony at Kingsville not long before, she’d finally received the decoration she’d worked so hard to earn.

Standing outside the Replacement Air Group headquarters in Lemoore, Rainbow glanced down at the pin above the left pocket of her khaki uniform. She’d received it when she’d stopped being a student and became a pilot.

The Naval Aviator badge was gold in color, depicting an anchor, a shield, and wings. It glinted brightly, and Rainbow couldn’t be more proud to have it.

The Replacement Air Group was where she would finally learn to fly, to really fly. The RAG was a transition point where young pilots learned the aircraft that they would operate once they got out to the fleet.

There would be weapons practice, air combat manuvering, tactical control, and everything she needed to know to be a fighter pilot. It was going to be several more months of training.

Raincloud had protested her relocation, but begrudgingly moved to California with her. Rainbow would probably have to move again once she got a permanent assignment. She was honestly surprised that their relationship was strong enough that he hadn’t refused to leave Corpus Christi.

An F/A-18B Hornet soared overhead with a training pilot and instructor inside. Someday, thought Rainbow, that’s going to be me.

Comments

[The Grey Pegasus]

Alright, just a normal chapter telling events over a long period of time. Still good.

So, I'm guessing the current year is now 2001... So how far are you going to skip ahead now?

[soren]

2001, I wonder if the introduction of ponies has changed the time line enough to avoid a certain historical event.

[side-fish]

1999 plus another two years? wow. I take it that the Clinton presidency is over. And I suppose Rainbow Dash and friends are considerably older now. It's been more than ten years since their the first encounter with humans, after all. Perhaps my only suggestion is if you could add more lines for Rainbow Dash. I'd like to read her reactions on her training. Other than that, i'm fine. I guess the next chapter is where the action starts.

[blade1108]

As a native resident of Corpus Christi Tx I love what you did with chapter 5

[sockeye101]

Oh, great... Now there's a genius in the white house that's going to declare war against ponies...

...Or maybe Pinkie's cooking will convince him otherwise...?

[Admiral Stoic Rum]

mmm, South texas coastal weather sucks... humidity...

[Scarlet Key]

I hope you don't forget to mention that the 2nd to last plane a new pilot trains in before the Hornet is the Polatis PC-9 stunt trainer. then it's on to the Hawk.

[damnaion]

mmmmm

[gamer4COD]

My father learned to fly and land on the U.S.S. Lexington, he served in Vietnam as a medivac pilot, and I visted the Lexington when I lived in Corpus. I love the feeling I got when i walked onto that thing. Now story time.

The U.S.S. Lexington was in the Pacific Campaign during WW2, the nickname "Blue Ghost" came from its distinct blue lights all over the aircraft carrier and because the Japanese thought they sunk it several times, it was the closest Japan had to a real ghost, at the time, the Japanese couldn't believe that it would keep coming back from the grave. It scared the fuck out of them that this monster couldn't be killed.

[Ink_25]

The force that steam-powered catapult could genetrate was enormous,

generate

Nice story. It could sometimes use more detail, though, but I like it. Much better than anything I could write currently.

[The Old Plug]

May I ask.....Truax field is my old base in Madison Wisconsin, home of the 115th Fighter wing. Is there a similar name in Corpus Christi? Google is not saying.....

[totallynotabrony]

9362132
Truax Field is the name of the runway at Corpus Christie Naval Air Station. So many years ago that I was writing this, I may have been confused.