av8r4aa

Here is a topic that EVERYBODY has something to talk about.

Being strictly a F.L.A.P thats (F%#@!$# Light Airplane Pilot)
I have some trouble understanding these military pilots.
Of course we all do the same job now but I regulary see very little finese with some of the Military trained aviators. Seems like they fly the plane with stone hands.
I was a Corporate pilot and if it wasn't smooth there was some butt chewin to be had. Maybe thats why I notice smooth more than I need to. Also when the other guy plows the plane onto the 12 Thousand foot runway and the guy says
" Okay 3 wire" I am amazed that that technique is acceptable in the "civilian
world"
Yes in deed that would be superb in a slippery, short, wet, pitching carrier deck.
But out side of that I find that unacceptable.

I would not have the balls to try to do what the Military flyers do with their planes, I just wonder why they do not try to be a little smoother with the flying machine?
Okay Maverick and goose Flame -on

T-1A Guy

Be careful about painting all military pilots with the same brush! Having been in the miltary instructor business for many years....I would say the quality and ability of our pilot candidates with civilian flying backgrounds varies tremendously!

Bengalsfan

... we aren't all Navy guys thinking the 3 wire is the goal worth working towards!

av8r4aa

I was not trying to paint all military Aviators with the same brush.
I was just commenting on the different flying styles. Both Military and
Civilian pilots get the SAME job done its just that it seems to me that one is
smoother than the other.
I could NEVER go head to head against some hot shot Military flyer.
In either knowledge or aerobatic skills. The Military would surely kick out
someone "Joe Average" like me very quickly. My idea of a good flight is no bumps and straight and level. That style has a very limited lifespan in the Military arena.

1) Fly safe
2) save fuel
3) be smooth

This is what I strive for .
Just my observation

SWAcapt

I don't think landing smoothness has much to do with if your background was military or not. If it did, then all former helicopter pilots would stall attempting to land. I was a pilot for 8 years before entering the Navy and was "retrained" not to flare (6-800 fpm to impact). As an airline pilot, My new "mission" is passenger comfort. I work hard for every landing (except maybe at MDW with a 126K land weight (a higher priority is not going through the blast fence).
Working hard for a smooth landing is about pride in your profession. I've had both a USAF pilot and a civillian pilot use the "OK 3-wire" term after a landing. I beleive though that it was a critique/indictment of their performance rather that an acceptable goal. I believe 90% of us strive to land smooth and the other 10% are either lazy or unskilled. We all occasionally will experience rough landing, but hopefully are always striving to do better.

av8r4aa

I think we are stuck on the landing mode here folks.
My comments are for the ENTIRE FLIGHT. That includes taxi. takeoff, climb,
cruise,decent, and landing.
Sure having a smooth landing is nice.

I was flying in the back commuting to work the other day.
I looked up front and knew the pilot who was flying the plane while taking my seat.
It was VERY EARLY in the morning and I wanted to rest on the flight.
Well that was impossible to do with this ham fister at the controls.
I could tell we were being step climbed to altitude. I just do not see any reason to pull a 2 "G" to climb a 1000 feet and get a negative G pushover to level off.

This person had zero "feel" of his actions. On the decent I think he must have
fell forward on the yoke causing me to nearly come out of my seat.

Its the whole flight like this and then I hear the comment of "okay 3 wire"
that just ticks me off.
Dude get a grip. Its a airplane ride........ not a Six Flags Ride!

Bengalsfan

... flying like a 6 flags ride is a lot more fun

4th Level

Amen Brother!!!!

FedEx1

Flame bait. Total flame bait. Don't even reply to this thread. Reminds me of the playground in 5th grade.....

SWAcapt

The one and only time that I had to take the plane away from the FO and land it was ironically a guy that was all civillian and had been a corporate Lear pilot. I however did not make the jump that all civillian-only trained pilots are idiots. I wrote it off as he had a bad day and lost his situational awareness. We talked about it and hopefully he learned something. I was civillian trained before the Navy and had realized that a monkey can land on 10000 feet of runway and wanted a challenge. I got that challenge landing on 450 feet of pitching carrrier deck. Try that after being shot at with SAM's and AAA. It appears that perhaps your biggest challenge in life will be sitting in the right seat for 20 years....make that 22 when the Wright ammendment goes away. Fox-2.