From inspired 10-year-old to pilot in war (San Jose A10 WartHawg Lady Pilot)

Mercury News ^ | 5/4/03 | David E. Early

[NormsRevenge]

COLORADO SPRINGS - Seventy-three seconds into the launch of the Challenger, the shuttle exploded in a violent fireball. The crew of seven was incinerated.

The horrifying images numbed a nation. But for one 10-year-old girl in San Jose, the tragedy inspired a lifelong sense of purpose and determination that would serve her well 17 years later when she, too, confronted mortality, in the cockpit of a warplane over Iraq.

[VOA]

Upon final approach she alone held the decision on whether to eject.
She decided the plane could withstand a good landing.
"(snip)...It was probably the best landing I've ever done.''

I saw this pilot's story on the evening news.
I'm not a pilot, but I tend to trust her commanding officer who said it
was an amazing landing of a really damaged plane.

(I can't recall all the detail, but I think the commander said it was a "first"...
of a landing of a plane such as this with manual controls, which I don't
fully understand...maybe it meant a lot of the automatice/hydraulic constrols
were lost to the pilot.)

I have lots of trepidation about females in the combat theater...but I don't
think many infantry/armor troops were complaining about the damage this pilot did
to the Iraqi bad-boys.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Campbell isn't a fighter puke, she's an attack pilot. Something she and McSally need to remember.

[NormsRevenge]

Ping

[Teetop]

"..., whose call sign is ``K.C.'' for Killer Chick,..."

I can hear the PC crowd screaming now! LOL

This pilot obviously knows what to do, thanks to training and determination. I wish her well in her career, no doubt it will be a long one.

[toddst]

Campbell isn't a fighter puke, she's an attack pilot. Something she and McSally need to remember.

And your point is . . . ?

[americafirst]

WRONG. She is a graduate of USAF Fighter Lead In, has a diploma that says "Fighter Pilot" and is just currently flying an attack aircraft. Next assignment could be an F-16, F-15 or F-22 - who knows. Do not let this threaten your manhood. Women can be damn good fighter pilots - I know because I trained some.

[WaterDragon]

Frankly, I'm green with envy that she's flying those planes.

[risk]

Her father, San Jose City Councilman Chuck Reed, said that until that moment she was ``an ordinary kid.''

Doesn't her reaction say volumes about America's future? Some adults were devastated by the Challenger accident, but K.C. was inspired. I remember watching the explosion and my biggest fear was that young people like K.C. would be deterred from going into space. I see I was wrong!

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Well bully for you junior. She's not a fighter puke, neither is McSally, despite your claim.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Sit up in your chair hhigher so the distinction doesn't fly so high over your grape.

[GeorgeWBiscuit]

I don't know if anyone else caught her being interviewed, and sorry if this seems sexist, but this fine woman is damn hot!!! I couldn't believe it, she has it all: brawn, brains beauty. She's hot enough, she could shoot me down anyday. No matter, I'll still give it my best "You've lost that loving feeling" try.

[americafirst]

And the reason you're pissed at me is . . . ? Do facts always cause these kinds of problems with you, or are you just a misogynist? Call me junior again and I'll tell her to kick your a$$.