Maverick steps infront of the room full of pilots.
"Time, is your greatest enemy," he says seriously, turning to face the screen behind him, "Phase one of the mission will be a low-level ingress attacking in two-plane teams."
The screen showed a long winding canyon, with red targets labeled "SAM" or surface to air missiles.
"You'll be flying along this narrow canyon to your target," He continues, the screen now showing a more detailed picture of anti-air missiles, "Radar-guided surface-to-air missiles defend the area. These SAMs, they are lethal. But, they were designed to protect the skies above, not the canyon below,"
"That's because the enemy knows that no one is insane enough to try and fly below them," Rooster cut in.
Maverick turns to face him, "That's exactly what I'm gonna train you to do. On the day your altitude will be 100 feet maximum."
Echo shares a concered look with Bob.
The screen shows a jet flying along the canyon.
"You exceed this altitude," the jet flies above the red line, where a digital SAM spots it and hits it, freezing the screen, "Radar will spot you, and you're dead. Your airspeed will be 660 knots, minimum."
Payback and Fanboy straitened up, glancing at eachother.
"Time to target: two and a half minutes," the screen now shows pictures of a russian fighter jet, "That's because fifth-generation fighters wait at an air base nearby. In 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 even have a chance of catching you,"
Rooster glances at Hangman, who has a shit-eating grin glued to his face, excited to start flying this mission.
"This makes time your greatest adversary," Maverick finishes seriously.
***
*Maverick's voice over*
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 enemy SAMs.
Payback jerks the yoke, following the path shown on the nav system, taking short forced breaths.
***
The tighter the turns, the more intensely the force of gravity on your body multiplies.
Pheonix's breathing becomes more labored as she turns a corner tightly, forcing herself not to close her eyes, and to stay focused on the course.
...compressing your lungs, forcing the blood from your brain, impairing your judgment and reaction time.
Echo shakes her head slightly, attempting to clear her vision as she takes a breath, her mask supplying oxygen, but her lungs too crushed to accept much.
***
"So for today's lesson, we're gonna take it easy on you," Maverick says to the pilots, "Max ceiling: 300 feet. Time to target: three minutes,"
The pilots shift slightly, apprehensive for that day's exercise.
"Good luck," he says with a small nod.
YOU ARE READING
Above The Clouds
Fanfiction*Under heavy editing, but updates will come. I'm back!!* Emilia "Echo" Shaw and Jake "Hangman" Seresin have been rivals since day one at the Top Gun Academy, fighting for the coveted spot of Top Gun and later for a spot on a highly dangerous mission...
