Hired with low time

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Firebird2XC

I know you poke fun at yourself here- but I saw some real clowns climb into UH-60 cockpits before I got out.

One guy actually asked me "Hey there, Sarge.. what do you think I could be doing better? I'm a fixed wing CFI and all that stuff... I've got a few hundred hours as a pilot already. Why can't I hack it?"

We were doing closed pattern training and the IP simulated an engine failure. Mind you, we've got two damned engines. He asks the pilot I mentioned above for memory items. He starts sputtering nonsense that included things like "Jettison cockpit doors". I later told him if he actually HAD jettisoned my doors, I'd have told him to go after them. He also said something about landing off airport. That was REALLY funny, because we were IN THE DOWNWIND AT AN AIRPORT. One with a huge runway, too.

Yup, I've seen some very "puzzling" Army helicopter pilots. You know - the SIC for Chalk 5 for life guys. They are in the minority, but sometimes you want to head down to Rucker and slap someone for the occasional yahoo who slips through the system.

3) UH-60s rule. Chinooks drool!

If we ever meet, Charlie, you will pay for that.

The coolest thing I've seen is a flight of 47s fly by slingloading shotgun Humvees followed by a flight of 60s slinging (and I kid you not) single gators. How you guys can even look us in the eye is beyond me.

[X-Forces]

Originally Posted by Ian J

Yeah, but that's an apples to oranges comparison as well. Even if we're not talking about quality, just the selection process alone is going to make a heck of a difference.

And I'm really talking about the AF or the Navy - clearly the Army will let just about anyone be a helo pilot.

Hey, I resemble that comment!!


I'm not sure if you can remember this far back, but do you remember one of the training videos we had to sit through during IERW. It was basicly "Army Aviation's greatest crashes"

The one that always sticks in my mind was the AH-64 flying nap of the earth through a wooded area.

Pilot - "You think I can make it between those two trees?"

Weapons Operator - "NO!!!!"

Two seconds later the whole video starts fliping cartwheels, and you see the tailboom fly off in front of the aircraft!!


When I think about stuff like that I wonder how some guys slipped through the cracks!

[TXaviator]

Originally Posted by X-Forces

Hey, I resemble that comment!!


I'm not sure if you can remember this far back, but do you remember one of the training videos we had to sit through during IERW. It was basicly "Army Aviation's greatest crashes"

The one that always sticks in my mind was the AH-64 flying nap of the earth through a wooded area.

Pilot - "You think I can make it between those two trees?"

Weapons Operator - "NO!!!!"

Two seconds later the whole video starts fliping cartwheels, and you see the tailboom fly off in front of the aircraft!!


When I think about stuff like that I wonder how some guys slipped through the cracks!

clearly he didnt slip through the crack!



(ive seen the video too hehe)