Michael W. Hankins - Flying Camelot: The F-15, the F-16, and the Weaponization of Fighter Pilot Nostalgia

When I was working at the Air Force Academy, Brian McAllister Linn visited for a guest lecture. Before the event, he took time to meet with the history faculty. Instead of presenting his own research, he wanted to hear about ours. When I explained my project, he told me it might be a good fit for a series on which he was working at Cornell University Press. That is how I luckily happened upon an amazing, fruitful professional relationship. Emily Andrew has been kind, gracious, encouraging, and patient, guiding me through the process, and so has Allegra Martschenko. Brian Linn and David J. Silbey, general editor of the Battlegrounds series, provided wonderful support and encouragement, as well.

In terms of the research on which this manuscript was based, I need to thank Don Mrozek, an inspiring mentor, who continues to provide insight. I have also benefited from the feedback of Michael Krysko, Albert Hamscher, Andrew Orr, and Joseph Unekis. I was fortunate to have worked closely with aviation historian Robin Higham, only a few months before he passed away. Many others helped with the writing process, including General Richard Myers, David Vail, Ted Nagurny, Jennifer Zoebelein, and Kate Tietzen. I am grateful to Kansas State Universitys history department, which supported me emotionally and financially.

No historians work would be possible without the archivists who make primary source documents accessible to us. I had help from many, but Mary Elizabeth Ruwell at the Air Force Academys Special Collections went above and beyondwhen I found myself stuck in Colorado Springs without a car, she not only helped me find research material for the project, but personally drove me to and from the archives. I also had great help from the Air Force Historical Research Agency (especially Dan Haulman and Mary Dysart), the University of Texas at Dallas Special Collections, John OConnell at the President Gerald Ford Library, Mark Nankivil at the Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum, Heather Anderson and Sarah Musi at Boeing, Carla Krivanek at Lockheed, and the wonderful staff of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Archives, especially Elizabeth Borja, Melissa Keiser, and Kate Igoe. I am particularly indebted to novelist Robert Coram, author of Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War. Coram graciously made his research material for that work available at the Marines Corps History Division Archives Branch at Quantico, Virginia. The thousands of pages of correspondence, interview notes, and official documents in that collection were invaluable. Although our interpretations of John Boyd and the surrounding subject matter may diverge, Coram assembled an amazing body of work, and I am very grateful for it and for his generosity.

A number of years ago, I told Don Mrozek that I wanted to study the post-Vietnam Air Force, specifically its changes in training and technology. He said it was a good idea, but one on which someone else at Kansas State had already been working. That person turned out to be Brian Laslie, who I am lucky to say is now a good friend. Not only has he given incisive feedback on numerous versions of this text, but he has walked me through many questions and worries. Many others have provided useful feedback on this text or its supporting materials. I am deeply grateful to Angelica Aboulhosn, James and Emilie Tindle, Mary Elizabeth Walters, Roger Launius, John Terino, Steve Fino, Roger Connor, Jeremy Kinney, Margaret Weitekamp, Angela Riotto, Doug Kennedy, Bob Wettemann, Jennifer Weber, Craig Morris, David Stone, Larry Burke, Sean Seyer, John Krige, and Paul Martell-Mead.

Finally, I would like to thank my friends and family, who have been through a lot with me, and been supportive of me as I worked on this project. I dont know if I got into this more because of all those times my father brought home test footage of Paveway bombs being dropped from F-4 Phantoms, or because of the time Ryan English casually suggested, You can pursue research in military history focusing on air power, right? Either way, this whole thing is probably their fault.

While I have tried my best to ensure the text is free of errors, if any remain, they are mine alone and have nothing to do with any of the wonderful people listed above.