Originally Posted by
thrust
While I agree with most of what you said, I don't buy your last statement. We've had numerous T-38 trained folks come to the KC-10 over the past few years. Some are outstanding pilots, some you question how they graduated. Some have great attitudes, some are bitter that they didn't get the fighter they think they deserved. Some are great working with a crew, some not so much.
In short, there hasn't been any measurable difference between a T-1 and T-38 grad showing up in the -10.
I agree. When I was working in the training shop in KC-135's I could not tell the advantages of training and getting a T-38 dude vs a T-1 dude mission ready. While T-1 guys are sometimes the back end of the power curve, they at least understand told, mission prep and crew concept and fat kid style formation. The squadron environment is much more like AMC in T-1s than in the T-38/6 Sqs. But there are also some smart T-1 guys that come to tankers. It was in my top third based off location and guard options I was looking at the time. Though it was not my original plan I must say (we got 1 38 in our flight and 3 total). Some of the 38 dudes were sharp but the attitude of some of them had to be readjusted. But there will be douces in every airframe. IMHO, there could be some advantages to keeping kids in T-6s longer before shipping them off to either 38's or tones.