This is the guy you knew “Capt. Christopher Stricklin”. Man he was a risk taker. I am surprised he survived the ejection.
BTW: Have you ever seen the documentary about super sonic ejection. I couldn’t find it but here is something similar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvBxQC-Olyg
Before the guy splatted his jet we were flying Strike Eagle’s at Seymour-Johnson and he was part of the arrogant “cool guys” in the squadron that went hot-shotting around acting like they were the end-all to be-all.
Keep in mind, this is a squadron of fighter pilots and he and his pals were acting like they were all big and bad when they were surrounded by fighter pilots. . .really, who did they think they were going to impress?
The super-sonic mishap was from the 336th out of Seymour-Johnson and the pilot (Brian Udell) is a great young guy with skills (he and I attened the same university. . .albeit decades apart). His WSO, Dennis White, couldn’t find a nicer guy and highly skilled.
That night they were flying a 2-ship intercept training mission at night over the ocean with a haze-layer masking the horizon. . .then a glitch in the HUD blanked out then came back with the attitude mixed up and they were screaming towards the ocean.
Sadly, during the ejection Dennis died. A good man, a family man and a patriot. Brian was a young pilot that did what he could. . .no one could have saved that jet. . .and Brian has since matured into a solid fighter pilot with exceptional skills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HecyxhXDepU