Pensacola: Wings of Gold

After Col. Ballinger is injured during a traing exercise, Lt. Colonel Bill Kelly, a pilot, asked to take command of the Sea Dragons by Col. Rebecca Hodges. It is a four person team including First Lt. Robert/Bobby Griffin, a jet pilot; First Lt. Annalisa/ Analise Linstrom, a helicopter Huey pilot, First Lt. Wendell McCrae/McCray, a computer and electronics specialist and First Lt. A.J. Conoway/ Conaway an explosives expert.''''Their first mission is to save a DEA plane whose pilot has been injured in Central/South America. Meanwhile Bobby has started romancing Jeanine/Janine who is Kelly's daughter.

Kelly is assigned to train neophyte jet pilots (Nuggets). Hammer, his second in command; Kate, a bar owner; and three nuggets, Burner, Ice and Spoon are introduced.

Jack Hightower is talking to Kelly when his car is blown up in Cairo. Kelly reevaluates and decides he wants to be in a combat unit. Another class of nuggets is graduating. Hammer, Major Lewis is applying for a staff position with the 18th M.E.U., with Kelly's encouragement. Kelly talks with Col. Doug Drayton and he asks to be ""the ace"" of the 18th M.E.U. Spoon and Ice, on the same carrier, the ""Connie"", get orders to return to Pensacola. On the way back they meet, Burner, who was based in Turkey. Kelly observes a helicopter pilot flying an attack helicopter, the Cobra. He asks Edward Turelli (cc), call sign Capone to join his unit. At a meeting, Kelly talks to many pilots. The team, the Aviation Combat Element (Ace?) of the 18th M.E.U. is called the Fighting Bandits. Spoon says Flying Bandits although the patch says Fighting Bandits. Hogs, Frogs, Hueys, (types of helicopters?/pilots) Cobras, and jet pilots (jet jockeys) comprise the unit. At the bucket Kate hugs Spoon, Ice