Tales of the White Rocket is a collection of true stories from the men and women who flew, instructed, and lived the T-38A Talon during the golden era of Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT), from 1961 through the eighties.
For three decades, every U.S. Air Force pilot earned their wings on the supersonic "White Rocket" at bases like Columbus, Vance, Laughlin, Reese, Moody, Williams, Craig, Randolph, Sheppard, Webb, and Laredo. The stories you'll find here come from the flight rooms and squadron bars where pilots, instructors, and crew chiefs gathered after each flying day to share everything - the unbelievable, the heartwarming, and the heartbreaking.
These stories will make you shake your head on occasion and laugh out loud at others. To the best of my knowledge, they are all true. Adding 5 knots or lowering the altitude by 100 feet won't change a story here at all. While the majority of what you'll read comes from my own experiences, I've also included stories from "Guest Help!"
A must-read for T-38 alumni, UPT graduates, military aviation enthusiasts, and the families of those who served.
- Lt. Col. Robert F. Holliker Jr., USAF (Ret.)
