~^ beancounter ~^ wrote:
years and years to earn...seconds to lose...

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SAN LUIS OBISPO - At a quarter past noon on Jan. 21, a U.S. Navy F-18
Super Hornet jet fighter flown by a combat-tested pilot named Richard
Webb appeared over the Edna Valley and streaked toward San Luis Obispo
County Regional Airport.

snip

On Jan. 21, Webb checked out an F-18 Super Hornet at the Lemoore base
for a training flight, to add to the 14.8 hours he had logged in the
aircraft's cockpit. His superiors assumed that he would fly to a
designated military training area above Sequoia and Death Valley
national parks, 100 miles to the east.

snip

Here's the part that I am wondering about; "his superiors assumed" ???
Perhaps it's just the terms the LA Times writer wanted to use (or how
I'm reading it), but as written it sure reads like it's a case of it
wasn't actually known where the pilot was going, or what he was going
to do with the "checked out" bird. It's like; "Here are the keys, have
it back by 5." g

From those with such experiences while in the RAG; wouldn't there have
been at least a flight plan for example? Might that be what was meant
by "assumed"? Any thoughts on that para from the article?

MW