Oh wow you guys have been an insanely great help!
I wouldn't have found half of this information otherwise!

I've been a tad busy this weekend with a workshop, so the interview questions have been delayed a bit. Hope that's okay!

But I'm really looking forward to writing this essay. For the first time in my school life, I'm actually keen on writing a piece of work. I'm just worried I'll go over the word limit hahaha!

Multiple Replies
 

John Boyd: the Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War. Fantastic book....I couldn't put it down. A failure as a human being, but his ideas founded modern fighter tactics.
Boyd by Robert Coram :: Reader Store

I will work night and day to prove you wrong on this one! :p

XHooker:
Thanks for the words, and I agree with all your follow-on. Two's supporting!

Crewdawg:
LOVED Olds' book. Could not stop reading it, either. Olds had a better realtionship with people than did Boyd; still had his demons. He holds a 'near and dear' to me, as I met him at a military function about 4 years before he died. While taking Q&A, I asked him: of all the classic airplanes he flew, which was his favorite? I had spoken with him earlier in the bar; some of my buds told him I had been an F-4 driver.

He asked me "How many hours do you have in the Phantom?" I answered: "2340."

He paused, then gave me the finger in front of about 150 people, saying, "God, I envy you!! I loved that airplane!!" The place erupted with laughter; the O-6 officiating got very PC-concerned. (That alone was priceless).

I've never been so proud to be given the bird by a One-Star General in my life. :p

Erich Hartmann's book is also great. What I liked about Hartmann: he served in the post-war Luftwaffe. It said to me: he's a fighter pilot. It's not about politics. He wasn't Hitler's henchman...he was a guy flying for his country.

Matmacwc:
That's an excellent resource for him--great idea to post.

USMCFLYR:
Yes, of course, I simplified a little...my post was already too long! But you are correct. I often tell my students that fighter-flying is a 6-dimensional game of chess: X, Y, and Z axes, but also energy, position, and anticipating what the opponent is likely to do as a function of time.

My favorite F-4 stories are when, late in my career, a 4-ship of VERY experienced F-4 pilots and backseaters would beat superior F-15s and F-16s, flown by relatively new guys, to a standstill. (Including fighting Weapons School; the Weapons School Students didn't pass the ride).

vagabond: have you, or anyone else, noticed how well this kid writes? I couldn't spell, punctuate, or compose this well when I was 16....heck, most of the pilots on APC can't select 'your' over 'you're,' 'affect/effect,' it's, its....it made me wonder if he really is a 16-year old, or a spy for the Chinese!

Young man, I'd like to read a copy when you're done!

Hartmann Quotes
 

Got these two quotes about Bubi from an aviation-quote website. Emphasis added by me:


"Of all my accomplishments I may have achieved during the war, I am proudest of the fact that I never lost a wingman."
"It was my view that no kill was worth the life of a wingman. . . . Pilots in my unit who lost wingmen on this basis were prohibited from leading a [section]. They were made to fly as wingman, instead."

Hahaha! I can assure you that I am a 16 year old (17 by the end of July), and although I have a Vietnamese background, I am certainly not a spy :D
Born and raised in Australia, after all!

I would be glad to send you a copy once I've finished. Thanks to you all of you guys, you've all made me much more eager to start writing my essay. I've never had many peers who were interested in flying or any topics regarding aviation except for one, so being a part of this forum and being able to talk with so many knowledgable in this area is definitely making me excited to do my work hahah!

I'd just like to ask though, if anyone gives me information based on experience, could you please state your:

Just copy and paste the above and fill them in. No need to do anything too time consuming.

Example:
- Country of Flight Training: Australia
- Name: Bob Jane
- Positions in aviation/rank (if applicable): Captain
- Years of experience in aviation: 12
- Retired? Y/N: No
- Any military experience? If so please state: Yes, RAAF (5 years)
- Aircraft flown: F/A-18C Hornet, Cessna

I'd just like this information so that I would be able to reference my work :D

Also, sorry again for the delay in the development of interview questions! I'll hopefully have them up within a few days!

Thank you for the help all of you are providing! I'm really enjoying exploring this topic!

Oh yes, I've noticed. This kid is sharp.

Hi guys!

I've got the interview questions ready now. If anyone would be willing to participate to allow me to gather primary sources for my report, I would be very grateful!

If possible, could participants please put their name (first name only is fine) or let me know if you would prefer me to refer to you by your forum name or simply keep you in anonymity.

Introduction (For referencing)
- For how long have you been flying or have flown aircraft?
- Have you been a part of the military in terms of aviation? For example a Navy or Air Force pilot?
- What position/rank did you hold in your profession of aviation?
- What aircraft have you flown?

Aviation Related Questions
- How difficult is flying in comparison to an everyday aspect such as driving a car?
- Have you participated in any aerial combat situations or military simulations/training such as the Red Flag program?
- If so, how would you describe your experiences in combat?
- In air to air combat involving fighter jets, what aspects do you feel are most important in determining the victor? For example pilot skill, technology, armaments, aircraft etc.
- What do you believe makes a good fighter pilot?
- Are there any common traits among fighter pilots in your opinion?
- What other aspects, if any, do you believe are vital in aerial combat to ensure survival or victory?

Other Experiences?
- Do you have any other suggestions to help explore the extent in which pilot skill is a key factor in determining the victor in aerial combat?

Many thanks for your help!

Call Sign: Benny (I like a degree of anonymity and the reality is many pilots and their spouses know me better by my call sign than my real name anyway).

26 years.
US Navy.
Military: Lieutenant Commander (O-4 Retired). Civilian: Airline Captain (Current).
T-2, T-34C (Both only in flight school) S-3, TA-4 and A-4, F/A-18, C-9 (Military variant of the DC-9), B-737, B-777.

Exponentially. The speed, extra dimension and inability to stop make a world of difference.
Navy Fighter Weapons School (Topgun) adversary tactics course graduate (a slightly shorter version than the power projection class with the emphasis on being the enemy rather than the fighter)
No actual combat time logged.
It's a sliding scale. Good technology can overcome a lot of shortcomings, but not incompetence. I'd say an average pilot current and trained in the latest technology will defeat a good pilot who's flying equipment a generation behind. (I'd bet on an average F-22 driver over a good Hornet driver).
Intelligence, competitiveness, and the ability to assimilate information rapidly, while keeping as calm as possible.
Think of the traits that make a good quarterback in American football and they're pretty similar.
Good equipment flown by well trained pilots.

Meant to PM this, but I'm too lazy to retype it.

Thanks Benny for you response! I'll definitely be using this in my report :D

Just curious, but how did you get your call sign? I understand its not something you choose, but get given to you right?

Definitely no choosing of your own call sign. Most, like mine, relate to your name. Some are because of physical traits. The best ones stem from an event (usually a faux pas) that requires changing the initial call sign.

Personal call signs aren't used in missions unless things break down into some sort of post merge fur ball, then all bets are off for "standard" comm.

Great call signs could be a never ending thread.

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/mi...ntroversy.html

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ha...rsy-spoof.html

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ha...all-signs.html

One could write several 1500-word essay on this topic alone.

Additional Thought: when the kid is done with his essay, we might "celebrate" by giving him a callsign of his own. :)