Mohawk 1, Gear down, full stop.

Driving up "initial" at 200 knots, I rocked my wingman into the close formation position referred to as "fingertip." He moved his aircraft into a stable position about ten feet away from my wing. "Mohawk 1, initial, 441." I radioed the RSU. This was it, my last set of patterns in Phase II of UPT.

I was returning from my formation check ride.

Rewind about an hour and half and I was just taking off on the wing. Headed out to the area to perform a dynamic set of maneuvers and aerobatics in tandem with another aircraft, all the while getting graded and critiqued to seal my future as an Air Force aviator.

Only one word can describe it: EPIC.

As our aircraft passed the "initial" location, about two miles short of the approach end of the runway, I looked back to check on my wingman. I looked directly above me to see if any T-6s were in the high pattern and then to my left to see if there were any Texan's already in the break or on the perch.

It was clear. My wingman and I owned the runway. Then came my favorite part of every formation flight. The salute off.

Since I was lead, I would break before my wingman to create spacing. I looked at my wingman and he was in perfect position. I grabbed the stick with my left hand (ackward!) and gave him a smart salute. He responded with a large head nod and then I immediately rolled the aircraft into a 80 degree turn and racked up the G's to make a 180 degree turn. Success! I rolled out under 150 knots and configured my aircraft for landing.

"Three green, flaps take off." The check pilot responded with his mandatory response, "Checks."

Then came my radio call for all of outer space to echo: "Mohawk 1, Gear down, full stop."

The last radio call to tower I made in the T-6A Texan II.

Epic.