European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday october 15, 19b7 the stars and stripes Page 9 top gun Good for image Pilot says by Dave Diehl staff Wriler aboard the Saratoga the movie top gun has done a Tol for Dapper tomcat pilots like 26-year-old it. Derek Rydholm. It s kind of funny Rydholm said Silling Back in his Squadron s ready room aboard the aircraft Carrier Saratoga. It s done a. Lot to change the image of the f-14 pilots. There s a lot More interesting  the Blond 1983 Annapolis graduate tits the Mold bin unlike his celluloid counterpart to cruise Rydholm lives he pan o the Hotshot fighter Pilot. Right now Cowboy so nicknamed be cause his last name sounds like ride pm Ryd Holm is aboard this aircraft Carrier in the Mediterranean flying with one of two tomcat squadrons the vf-103 sluggers. During the six months in the Mediterranean Rydholm will launch off the Saratoga in the f-14 almost every Day. The flying he docs is a lot like hat shown in the movie but he said it seemed like cruise flew a Jot More than real pilots do. Much of it Derek Cowboy Rydholm top photo Wys he Job Indah the Awe wrae moments of being launched off Carrier decks. Their at sea flying time does t include the Aerial do fighting. Rydholm said most air to air experience is Back Home against american pilots. While on patrol the Navy hat to watch its fuel so not every Type of Hying is included. Attending the Navy s of gun school Ai Miramar Nas calif., is on Rydholm s list of wants. Not everybody gels picked in s an Honor among Navy aviators. Rydholm said a fighter Pilot needs the right combination of age skill and experience besides being in the right place at the right Lime to gel in the school. He thinks he May have what it takes he s Young has the right amount of flying hours about 500 and is just about to come off a cruise. The school unlike its portrayal in the movie in t so much of a Competition among pilots Ryd Holm explained. The movie was a Lillic blown out of proportion he said. The school is designed so that the squad Rons Send their Best Junior pilots so they can go Back to those squadrons and Leach them what they relearned is the lifestyle of tomcat pilots like that portrayed in he movie a Tittle Rydholm said. In some instances in is. It s a link less exciting. When we have a Chance we gel fairly wild but not like in the  fighter pilots sometimes need to relax to get rid of the anxieties and pressures hat can build up with six months at sea Rydholm said. Some recklessness at a Naples Italy port Call had him suffering from what he diagnosed As a broke Finger suffered in a Friendly wrestling match Wilh another aviator. Rydholm likes his Job. It combines the thrills of flying High performance fighter jets with the Awe some moments of being launched off of and land ing on Carrier decks. I be been scared he admitted. I be been hav ing More problems at night. Our at sea times have been so  Rydholm however takes it in stride. We joke about it. We say we Fly just enough to scare  Rydholm has put the f-14 Down on the Carrier deck More than 120 times so far far Short of the 1,000 traps naval aviators aim for. He s missed the Hook Only four times so far. Catching he wire is a Good feeling for a Carrier Pilot. Missing is not fun. It s a very depressing feeling especially  tomcats land on Carrier decks at about 160 Mph. A Hook under the plane s Tail must Caich a Cable within the space of 200 feet not the thousands of feet afforded land based pilots. An air Force fighter Pilot his Mission is Over when he stops fighting Rydholm said. The f-14, although designed for carriers has to be flown onto the deck just right. Rydholm said the Power response in t As Quick As he and other Tom cat pilots would like Carrier pilots Are trained to push the throttle to full Power when hey hit the deck in Case they gel a Book skip and Nave to be off again. Not doing so could mean a swim you need to be adding Power before you Ihm you need to be adding Power said Rydholm. There s very Little room for  Sara s super in lots of ways Bidav Odiehl suit writer aboard the Saratoga during its six month cruise of the Mediterranean the aircraft Carrier Saratoga is patrolling familiar Waters. In april 1986, the Saratoga launched jell that raided libyan terrorist Camps in and around the Gulf of Sidra earlier on the same deployment he Saratoga helped Nab the Achille Lauro hijackers. Despite the tension in he persian Gulf officials on the Saratoga doubt they la get involved there during at after their Mediterranean assignment. Aircraft carriers like giant floating air bases Ake the warriors to the Battle. But besides its air planes the Saratoga totes some impressive numbers the 7g.000-Lon ship s seven mess decks produce 10,000 meals a Day including 7,000 Gallons of milk and 400joav of bread. Every Day away from its Hom port in Mayon fie., its own television station will broadcast 34 hours of shows on two channels to the ship s Crew of about 5,000 men. The 16-Story warship at 31 is a few years older than a Good portion of its Crew. It can cruise at 35 Mph. It will product enough electricity to Power 12,000 average sized american Homes. Below its 4,5-acre flight deck Are three Barber shops and a laundry that cleans about 2,400 pounds of dirty laundry a Day ii has a 64-bcd Hospital and a jail. The super Sara Asil s called by ils Crew houses some 100 Miles of piping 1,000 Miles of electrical wire and 2,300 phones. The Saratoga is earn ing w n Carrier air Wing 17, some 70 aircraft in eight squadrons including f-14 tomcats a-6h intruders. A-7 corsairs s-3a Vikings e-2c Hawke is and sh-3h sea King helicopters. In the ship s three stores sailors can buy nearly anything from a bar of soap to a $ 1,330 role watch. Is Pekko by Din pm til aircraft a Hunt in by Petty officer 2.c. Rob in Courton the decl of surs togs