Question: At the start of every episode, it shows a man dressed in black carrying a black briefcase with the name R.L. Stine on it. Is the man in black really R.L. Stine or a crew member, and we are meant to only think it's Stine?
Question: In the episodes where Harm flies F-14s, what does it mean when pilots are told to "call the ball"?
Chosen answer: When landing on an aircraft carrier, a pilot "calls the ball" by confirming to the landing signal officer (LSO) that they have the carrier, and more specifically its landing guidance systems in sight. Carriers use a Fresnel lens system which is a light only visible at a certain angle, so if a pilot sees the "ball" they are at the correct altitude and glide slope for landing.
Answer: According to all online sources I found, yes, this really was R.L. Stine.
raywest ★