Mitchell Boling

Persian Tomcats Mitchell Boling

The year is 2003, and the United States is in the midst of its invasion of Iraq. Watching from across the border, The Islamic Republic of Iran is very interested in the activity. The Iranians see an opportunity to seize control of Iraq from the Americans and quell a centuries-long border dispute. They intend to conquer Iraq once and for all, but first, they must force out the Americans. To do so, they begin gearing up their F-14 "Persian Tomcat" fighters with a new weapon. Using these fighters, purchased from the U. S. decades earlier, will Iran find success? Not if the USAF 55th Fighter Squadron "Shooters" has anything to say about it.

A story about piloting and maintaining the F-16 Viper, we join First Lieutenant Victoria "Shirley" MacMillan as she completes the USAF F-16 "Basic" course, becoming a full-fledged "Viper Driver." She is assigned to the Shooters at Shaw Air Force Base, where she meets Staff Sergeant Christopher Gray, an aircraft maintainer in the 55th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. The two of them play key roles in the conflict to come, attempting to stop Iran's Persian Tomcats.

Join the pilots and aircraft maintainers of the U. S. and Iran as they navigate the "choreographed chaos" of flight line operations. Additionally, follow along as the pilots of both countries experience the beauty, exhilaration, and dangers of flying high-performance jet fighters.

While flying fighter jets is an exhilarating, dangerous profession, performing maintenance on them is difficult and sometimes overwhelming. Without the professionalism and dedication of the aircraft maintainers, the pilots would never be able to take to the skies. This story illustrates the special bonds that form between pilots and their maintainers, as one cannot perform their job without the other.