Blue Angels crash

[Lee D]

RIP


I suspect the bulk of your fighter jocks, AF or Navy, have the skills to be a Thunderbird or Angel. From what I understand, if you were selected as fighter pilot you must have a certain level of aptitudes and abilities. I suspect most of these guys could do just fine in the position, IF that is what they wanted to do.

[aloft]

Originally Posted by Tram

What you have just said here is.. If you take an average fighter pilot and train him, he can fly with the Blues/Birds... That training is what makes him no longer average..

Not at all. It's a matter of proficiency. Give any of the Blues or T-birds an instrument proficiency check or an ACM ride in the middle of the show season and they will suck ten kinds of arse. Throw a regular line/fleet fighter jock in a blue or red/white/blue jet and ask them to fly fingertip at half the normal distance and they will suck just as bad.

The weapons delivery/ACM proficiency thing is talked about at the decisionmaker level; several years ago, the T-birds would practice their regular fighter pilot skills every so often to stay sharp. (I even saw a photo of a T-bird F-16 with TERs on each wing several years back.) I think they stopped that when a couple of them smacked tails during a practice demo.

[Fly4Pay]

Originally Posted by H46Bubba

I know in the Navy it's considered harship duty. Their away from home four days out of the week, every week for 10 months, ...

Hmmm... sounds like an AirTran mid-level FO schedule.....except it keeps going a heck of a lot longer than 10 months!

I'm filing for hardship pay!

[Fly4Pay]

Originally Posted by aloft

Not at all. It's a matter of proficiency.

Yup. Every maneuver the T-Birds does, we did in pilot training in the T-38. Now, they do them with more jets, and closer together, but the maneuvers are the same. Those guys put polish on the polish, though--they are outstanding fliers.

They are ALSO evaluated very much by personality. Two of my AF buds flew with them, and I talked to them about the interview. They both said that it was a "social contest". Can you hang with the team socially while simultaneously being the "ambassador" for the AF. I imagine that keeping your "nice face" on 24/7 for a couple of years would be tough!

[BCTAv8r]

I assume that since they require a photo with the application, that they are also looking for people with excellent social skills and looks that would give a good image to the branch of service. Basically, skills are not all they are looking at, is it?

[calcapt]

Originally Posted by H46Bubba

F-14's look better in the break, especially at sea!

The F-14 is a great airplane. If I want to show my friends the airplane I flew in the fleet, I must now buy a ticket to the museum to do it. My how time flies....

[H46Bubba]

Originally Posted by calcapt

The F-14 is a great airplane. If I want to show my friends the airplane I flew in the fleet, I must now buy a ticket to the museum to do it. My how time flies....

Tell me about it. Every aircaft I've flown in except for one, which is at the Naval Avaiation Museum in P'cola, is stored at Davis Monathan being piece parted to support the remaining Marine 46's. I grew up at Miramar (Navy Brat) loved everyday of it. I was pizzed when the Navy gave it up to the Marines.

[SkyCougar]

Originally Posted by H46Bubba

I grew up at Miramar (Navy Brat) loved everyday of it. I was pizzed when the Navy gave it up to the Marines.

So was most of San Diego. (no offense Marine folks) But tradition is tradition, and San Diego is a Navy town!