Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net> (Marvin Kaye)
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Date: Sat, 06 Dec 2003 14:38:30 -0500
Message-ID: <redirect-2840229@logan.com>
From: RWolf99@aol.com
Subject: RE:  Deadstick F-104s
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I can personally vouch for Naf's piloting skills -- I was a lowly second 
lieutenant at Edwards AFB when he was an active USAF test pilot.  I was fortunate 
enough to ride in his T-38 back seat once.  (Although I think I called him 
"Sir" back then -- you know how it is...)  While I don't recall all the specific 
details of the flight, I do remember his continued apologies about not being 
able to give me as much stick time as he wanted -- seems he had just come back 
from a three week vacation and was scheduled to do a very demanding low level 
cruise missile chase flight the next morning and needed the practice time 
himself.  Although from my seat it didn't seem like he needed much practice at 
all!  (My logbook from those days is at home and I'm on a business trip so I 
can't check the details of the flight.)

I do remember that Naf was one of the good guys that seemed to really enjoy 
having flight test engineers in the back seat.  Not all the test pilots were 
that way, I assure you, although all were "good sticks".

Interestingly, I had the opportunity to ride in a T-38 back seat with another 
future Lancair driver -- Jim Manly.  That flight I remember in great detail 
and it was definitely lots of fun.  Jim was one of the good guys, too.  
(Probably still is, but I haven't seen him for 20 years.)

These flights were back in 1980-82.  I was a private pilot back then and it 
was quite an education to observe first-hand the extreme professionalism with 
which the test pilots approached every flight -- whether a test flight or 
simply a chase flight.  I learned a lot.

- Rob Wolf
LNC2 70%