On Time On Target

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I flew out to the ocean, perhaps taking my time. The rearview camera showed no damage to civilian buildings. Shattered glass I would expect, but apparently no buildings were hit. It does not make good if you kill civilians who may or may not side with you in a conflict. The intention is to not make them side with the enemy.

I would log possibly a half hour's mission, but the success is worth it. I only hoped as I turned back for the hopefully final pass that Sacha would be as lucky as I would. Though I am sure she has more excitement than I!

I realigned to the target area with the smoke clearly visible in the morning sky as well as the fires from the bridges kilometers away.

After adjusting the aircraft, I felt I had aligned properly, and went "Winchester" on bombs.

Sgt. Gennedy had installed a camera behind the cockpit. It was small, and practical for bomb attacks, so I could verify at the time whether I had struck.

As I left the area, I noticed quite a few fires. There is going to be less worried pilots today!

The return home was uneventful comrades, but I will mention that it is a good thing I chose to divert to Gudauta. The Su-33M2 can consume large amounts of fuel, especially when you are using afterburner!

Yes, there was still a MANPAD / SAM threat, but you must realize that they will have fired when they have. I therefore let the autopilot fly me home, while I pulled out a snack, ate it in silence, and enjoyed the breathtaking view of the mountain area. It is truly beautiful, only marred by the constant conflict that it has to deal with here.

Upon entering the ILS path to the aerodrome, I let it go for a few minutes, then disengaged the autopilot. Landing is perhaps one of the most joyful experiences, save for an aircraft cruiser!

I only could imagine the feeling of what Sacha must be going through, facing two Mirage 2000-5s alone as I taxied back to the hangar.

Then I heard the unmistakable intonation of contacts as I was powering down the aircraft, Sgt. Gennedy himself driving the tractor that would push me back into the hangar...

"Destiny Angel, snap 130."

"Ready to copy."

"Bandits, bandits, bearing 133 for 92, angels low, hot. Confirm two, repeat, two hostiles. Weapons hot."

"Roger. Master arm on."

After that I had turned off the radio. It was useless to monitor. I would hear about it within an hour, after I debriefed Major Grachev.

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