Sham fighter pilot wannabe website?
03-26-2012, 04:25 PM
#41
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Retired Naval Aviator
Posts: 377
Not everyone with prior flight time gets jets, it just doesn't happen. I was an primary IP with VT-6 not so long ago and IMO, folks have the "it" factor or they don't. Having it simply means the ability to learn how to fly the Navy way. If you had it and had lots of prior flight time, the better off one did. However, if you didn't have it, then no amount of flight would help. Of course the needs of the service always come into play.
Now, I'm an IP in the 45 at Kingsville and I see those with prior flight time come this way. Some have done well in primary but damn if it doesn't even out in phase I jets and especially phase II. I've been an FRS IP at VAW-120 as well, seen all three and of course, winged aviators in the fleet are much removed from those prior flight time days.
Now, I'm an IP in the 45 at Kingsville and I see those with prior flight time come this way. Some have done well in primary but damn if it doesn't even out in phase I jets and especially phase II. I've been an FRS IP at VAW-120 as well, seen all three and of course, winged aviators in the fleet are much removed from those prior flight time days.
03-26-2012, 05:14 PM
#42
I'm a man of my word.
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Position: Devil's Advocate
Posts: 2,883
Originally Posted by ipdanno
-----Original Message-----
Subject:
To LtCol Van Wxxxxxx:
Sir I am DJ Baker and I would appreciate it if you could tell me
what it takes to be an F16 fighter pilot of the USAF. What classes should I take in high school to help the career I want to take later in my life.
What could I do to get in the academy.
Sincerely
DJ Baker
-----Original Message-----
Subject: FW:
Anybody want to help this poor kid from Cyberspace?
"Vee Dub"
AETC Fighter Requirements, AETC/XPRF
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RE: Help for an Aspiring Fighter Pilot
Dear DJ,
Obviously, through no fault of your own, your young, impressionable brain
has been poisoned by the superfluous, hyped-up, "Top Gun" media portrayal of fighter pilots. Unfortunately, this portrayal could not be further from the truth. In my experience, I've found most fighter pilots pompous, back-stabbing, momma's boys with inferiority complexes, as well as being extremely over-rated aeronautically. However, rather than dash your budding dreams of becoming an USAF pilot, I offer the following alternative. What you REALLY want to aspire to is the exiting, challenging, and rewarding world of TACTICAL AIRLIFT. And this, young DJ, means one thing-the venerable, workhorse C-130! I can guarantee no fighter pilot can brag that he has led a 12-ship formation down a valley at 300 ft above the ground, while trying to interpret a 9-line to a new DZ, avoiding pop-up threats, and coordinating with AWACS, all while eating a box lunch, with the engineer in the back taking a pi$$ and the navigator puking in his trash can! I tell you, DJ, TAC Airlift is where it's at. Where else is it legal to throw tanks, HMMWVs, and other crap out the back of an airplane, and not even worry about it when the chute doesn't open and it torpedos the General's staff car! No where else can you land on a 3000' dirt strip, kick a bunch of ammo and stuff off the ramp without even stopping, then take off again before range control can call to tell you you've landed on the wrong LZ! And talk about exotic travel--when C-130s go somewhere, they GO somewhere (usually for 3 months, unfortunately). This gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture enough to give any local population a bad taste in their mouths, not something those strat-lift pilots can do from their airport hotel rooms!
As far as recommendations for your course of study, I offer these. Take a
lot of math courses. You will need all the advanced math skills you can
muster to facilitate the calculation of per diem rates around the world, and when trying to split up the crew's bar tab so that the co-pilot really
believes he owes 85% of the whole thing. Health sciences are important,
too. You will need a thorough knowledge of biology to make those educated guesses of how much longer you can drink beer before the tremendous case of the shidz catches up to you from that meal you ate at that place that had the belly dancers in some God-forsaken foreign country whose name you can't even pronounce! Social studies are also beneficial. It is important for a good TAC Airlifter to have the cultural knowledge to be able to ascertain the exact location of the nearest ti++y bar in any country in the world, then be able to convince the local authorities to release the loadmaster after he offends every sensibility of the local religion and culture. A foreign language is helpful, but not required. You will never be able to pronounce the names of the NAVAIDs in France, and it's much easier to ignore them and go where you want to anyway. A study of geography is also paramount. You will need to know the basic location of all the places you've been when you get back from your TDY and are ready to stick those little pins in that huge world map you've got taped to your living room wall, right next to that gigantic wooden giraffe statue and beer stein collection.
Well, DJ, I hope this little note inspires you. And by the way, forget about that Academy thing. All TAC Airlifters know that there are waaay too few women and too little alcohol there to provide a well-balanced education.
A nice, big state college would be a much better choice. Good luck and see you on the SKE scope!
Maj. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
C-130 Program Manager
Subject:
To LtCol Van Wxxxxxx:
Sir I am DJ Baker and I would appreciate it if you could tell me
what it takes to be an F16 fighter pilot of the USAF. What classes should I take in high school to help the career I want to take later in my life.
What could I do to get in the academy.
Sincerely
DJ Baker
-----Original Message-----
Subject: FW:
Anybody want to help this poor kid from Cyberspace?
"Vee Dub"
AETC Fighter Requirements, AETC/XPRF
------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: RE: Help for an Aspiring Fighter Pilot
Dear DJ,
Obviously, through no fault of your own, your young, impressionable brain
has been poisoned by the superfluous, hyped-up, "Top Gun" media portrayal of fighter pilots. Unfortunately, this portrayal could not be further from the truth. In my experience, I've found most fighter pilots pompous, back-stabbing, momma's boys with inferiority complexes, as well as being extremely over-rated aeronautically. However, rather than dash your budding dreams of becoming an USAF pilot, I offer the following alternative. What you REALLY want to aspire to is the exiting, challenging, and rewarding world of TACTICAL AIRLIFT. And this, young DJ, means one thing-the venerable, workhorse C-130! I can guarantee no fighter pilot can brag that he has led a 12-ship formation down a valley at 300 ft above the ground, while trying to interpret a 9-line to a new DZ, avoiding pop-up threats, and coordinating with AWACS, all while eating a box lunch, with the engineer in the back taking a pi$$ and the navigator puking in his trash can! I tell you, DJ, TAC Airlift is where it's at. Where else is it legal to throw tanks, HMMWVs, and other crap out the back of an airplane, and not even worry about it when the chute doesn't open and it torpedos the General's staff car! No where else can you land on a 3000' dirt strip, kick a bunch of ammo and stuff off the ramp without even stopping, then take off again before range control can call to tell you you've landed on the wrong LZ! And talk about exotic travel--when C-130s go somewhere, they GO somewhere (usually for 3 months, unfortunately). This gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture enough to give any local population a bad taste in their mouths, not something those strat-lift pilots can do from their airport hotel rooms!
As far as recommendations for your course of study, I offer these. Take a
lot of math courses. You will need all the advanced math skills you can
muster to facilitate the calculation of per diem rates around the world, and when trying to split up the crew's bar tab so that the co-pilot really
believes he owes 85% of the whole thing. Health sciences are important,
too. You will need a thorough knowledge of biology to make those educated guesses of how much longer you can drink beer before the tremendous case of the shidz catches up to you from that meal you ate at that place that had the belly dancers in some God-forsaken foreign country whose name you can't even pronounce! Social studies are also beneficial. It is important for a good TAC Airlifter to have the cultural knowledge to be able to ascertain the exact location of the nearest ti++y bar in any country in the world, then be able to convince the local authorities to release the loadmaster after he offends every sensibility of the local religion and culture. A foreign language is helpful, but not required. You will never be able to pronounce the names of the NAVAIDs in France, and it's much easier to ignore them and go where you want to anyway. A study of geography is also paramount. You will need to know the basic location of all the places you've been when you get back from your TDY and are ready to stick those little pins in that huge world map you've got taped to your living room wall, right next to that gigantic wooden giraffe statue and beer stein collection.
Well, DJ, I hope this little note inspires you. And by the way, forget about that Academy thing. All TAC Airlifters know that there are waaay too few women and too little alcohol there to provide a well-balanced education.
A nice, big state college would be a much better choice. Good luck and see you on the SKE scope!
Maj. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
C-130 Program Manager
This had me rollin'! Damn, I wanna fly C-130s now just so I can "throw tanks, HMMWVs, and other crap out the back of an airplane..."
03-26-2012, 06:30 PM
#43
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2010
Position: Baja Vermont
Posts: 5,180
Trust me, it way more fun to shoot 'em up after they hit Earth. Assuming there the enemy's crap. I still can see the Maverick coming off the rail, guiding on a tank and seeing the turret spinning off!
GF
GF
03-27-2012, 02:55 PM
#44
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2011
Posts: 484
Haha...that C-130 email is legendary. I knew author when he was a FAIP.
I went through USAF UPT during the height of the bank - fully 2/3 of my class got a desk. I got a Herk and initially, felt cheated - I wanted an A10! There were none. There hadn't been any and weren't any after my class for a while. It just was that time. I remember going through co-pilot initial qual tactical training at Little Rock and had a Navigator instructor pull me aside. He asked me, "Do you even want to be here?" - I answered, "Yes, of course" - He wasn't a dummy and said, "Let me guess, you wanted to fly a fighter?" I said, "No, an A10!"
He told me something that stuck with me. He said, "Give the old girl a chance. It's a helluva plane and an even better mission. You'll see the world and do your real-world mission almost every day while your fighter buddies will by shooting their watches, telling lies in the O-club, and training for the day they get to shoot something - which likely won't happen. Just give it a chance and you'll like it. I promise."
He was right. I loved it. It took a (short) while, but it grew on me. Everything in that email is spot on. Then I was lucky enough to get to AFSOC early in my career and things were even better.
The Herk is the modern day C-47/DC-3 and the "Cadillac" variant I got to fly was even better. Retired, I still get to fly it, but not employ it (ferry & FCF flights for a contractor), but it's still an amazing machine.
But like most things - time has changed the Herk world and mission. Gone are the days of living down in the weeds. Most of their employment is as little tiny trash haulers doing high-level movement into places nobody else wants to (or can) go.
I wish I could remember that navigator's name...I'd like to thank him.
I went through USAF UPT during the height of the bank - fully 2/3 of my class got a desk. I got a Herk and initially, felt cheated - I wanted an A10! There were none. There hadn't been any and weren't any after my class for a while. It just was that time. I remember going through co-pilot initial qual tactical training at Little Rock and had a Navigator instructor pull me aside. He asked me, "Do you even want to be here?" - I answered, "Yes, of course" - He wasn't a dummy and said, "Let me guess, you wanted to fly a fighter?" I said, "No, an A10!"
He told me something that stuck with me. He said, "Give the old girl a chance. It's a helluva plane and an even better mission. You'll see the world and do your real-world mission almost every day while your fighter buddies will by shooting their watches, telling lies in the O-club, and training for the day they get to shoot something - which likely won't happen. Just give it a chance and you'll like it. I promise."He was right. I loved it. It took a (short) while, but it grew on me. Everything in that email is spot on. Then I was lucky enough to get to AFSOC early in my career and things were even better.
The Herk is the modern day C-47/DC-3 and the "Cadillac" variant I got to fly was even better. Retired, I still get to fly it, but not employ it (ferry & FCF flights for a contractor), but it's still an amazing machine.
But like most things - time has changed the Herk world and mission. Gone are the days of living down in the weeds. Most of their employment is as little tiny trash haulers doing high-level movement into places nobody else wants to (or can) go.
I wish I could remember that navigator's name...I'd like to thank him.
03-27-2012, 05:35 PM
#45
Get me outta here...
Joined APC: Oct 2008
Position: Boeing right seat
Posts: 1,541
Originally Posted by LowSlowT2
...
He was right. I loved it.
...
He was right. I loved it.
...
I never flew and employed it... but wish I had had the opportunity to do so.
Such a great airplane.
03-27-2012, 05:42 PM
#46
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: FAA 'Flight Check'
Posts: 13,837
I've run across very few that did not end up enjoying whatever community they eventually flew in during their careers even if they had the opportunity to fly multiple airframes. A notable exception were a number of Prowler pilots who I met through the years.
USMCFLYR
USMCFLYR
03-28-2012, 03:01 AM
#47
Line Holder
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: Retired
Posts: 38
Air Force F-18's?
Maybe not a minor point but the Air Force does not have any F-18's
Originally Posted by vagabond
Well, MY offer is better than this snake oil saleman's!
I will buy this power pack thingie and if this old bag, annoying lawyer with poor eyesight and in lousy physical shape who has a sharp retort to anything and everything can make it to an F-18 in the Air Force, this guy is legit.
I will buy this power pack thingie and if this old bag, annoying lawyer with poor eyesight and in lousy physical shape who has a sharp retort to anything and everything can make it to an F-18 in the Air Force, this guy is legit.
03-28-2012, 03:28 AM
#49
New Hire
Joined APC: Jan 2011
Posts: 8
In case you haven't seen this, it's worth 2.5 minutes of your day:
Sh!t Fighter Pilots Don't Say - YouTube
Sh!t Fighter Pilots Don't Say - YouTube
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