Air Force or Naval Academy?

Low_Level_Hell · July 23rd, 2006, 16:23

LETTER ON WHETHER TO BECOME AN AIR FORCE PILOT...... OR A NAVAL AVIATOR......

The piece is written by Bob Norris, a former Naval aviator who also did a 3 year exchange tour flying the F-15 Eagle. He is now an accomplished author of entertaining books about U.S. Naval Aviation including "Check Six" and "Fly-Off".

In response to a letter from an aspiring fighter pilot on which military academy to attend, Bob replied with the following:

22 December 2005
Young Man,

Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air Force
Academies. Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and a fine way to serve your country. As you requested, I'd be happy to share some insight into which service would be the best choice. Each service has a distinctly different culture. You need to ask yourself "Which one am I more likely to thrive in?"

USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well run. Their training programs are terrific. All pilots are groomed to meet high standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft are top-notch and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent. Their enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best trained. The USAF is homogenous and macro. No matter where you go, you'll know what to expect,
what is expected of you, and you'll be given the training & tools you need to meet those expectations. You will never be put in a situation over your head. Over a 20-year career, you will be home for most important family events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force pilot...so would your wife. Your Dad would want your sister to marry one.

Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black Shoes (surface warfare) and Bubble Heads (submariners). Furthermore, the Navy is split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East Coast). The Navy is heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home; it may be great, average, or awful. A squadron can go from one extreme to the other before you know it. You will spend months preparing for cruise and months on cruise. The quality of the aircraft varies directly with the availability of parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth; you'll be proud if you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from terrific to the troubled kid the judge made join the service. You will be given the opportunity to lead these people during your career; you will be humbled and get your hands dirty. The quality of your training will vary and sometimes you will be over your head. You will miss many important family events. There will be long stretches of tedious duty aboard ship. You will fly in very bad
weather and/or at night and you will be scared many times. You will fly with legends in the Navy and they will kick your ass until you become a lethal force. And some days - when the scheduling Gods have smiled upon you - your jet will catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea and you will be drop-jawed that someone would pay you to do it. The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore.

Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask...pack warm & good luck in Colorado.

Banzai

P.S.: Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits.
P.S.S. And oh yes, the Army pilot program, don't even think about it unless you got a pair bigger than basketballs. Those guys are completely crazy

HH-60CC · July 23rd, 2006, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Low_Level_Hell

Their aircraft are top-notch and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent. Their enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best trained.

ROFL, what crack is he smoking?

frog_flyer · July 23rd, 2006, 20:33

is bob of any relation to charles aka "chuck" norris?

fish314 · July 23rd, 2006, 22:34

You know low_level_hell posted that entire letter just to be able to include the post-post script! Any time a Navy guy says that Army guys got big balls, the Army guys have got to post about it.

Me, personally, I wonder what a Navy guy is doing admiring an Army guy's balls, and exactly why the Army guy likes it so much! Sounds pretty gay..

Go Air Force!

skyhawk39 · July 24th, 2006, 00:36

GO NAVY GO !!! HAHAHAHA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

boeing 777-300 · July 24th, 2006, 01:00

Bob Norris is most definately and alias for Chuck Norris.

Skyhawk39. Those letters are the funniest things i have ever seen.

willc · July 29th, 2006, 12:10

I only have 3 statements to make in regards to this.

1. Of course the Navy version of that letter would be....

Navy - knows how to have fun
You will fly with legends in the Navy. your jet will catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea. The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore.

Air Force- Chuck Norris round house kicked the fun out of them.

2. If Flash and Superman had a race to the end of the universe, who would win? exactly, Chuck Norris.

3. FYI, Chuck Norris can eat Transformers in robot mode and s**t them out in vehicle mode.

USMC-SGT · July 29th, 2006, 12:58

Compared to the Marines the Armys pair looks more like ovaries....

sorry...had to fuel the fire

MFT1Air · July 29th, 2006, 15:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by USMC-SGT

Compared to the Marines the Armys pair looks more like ovaries....

sorry...had to fuel the fire

Looks and utility are definitely two different perspectives. Marines have nothing on a woman going through PMS. Those ovaries serve a significant purpose. . .a PMS woman can kill you more efficiently than any Marine.

Of all the aviators, however, Air Force aviators shoot their wad, then head back to a nice air conditioned air base; naval aviators shoot theirs and head back to the comfort of a carrier. Army Apache or Kiowa pilots or Marine Cobra pilots? They are up close and personal with RPGs and AKs as much as the grunts are. True soldiers indeed.

fludy12 · August 2nd, 2006, 07:16

Well, I graduated USNA '93 and was an SH-60B LAMPS pilot. Pure thrill, terror, anger, frustration, fun, and some of the best and worst times of my life. Cost me my first wife, but I wouldn't have traded it for the world!

And yes... I've been that pilot in the bar in Singapore... and Pattaya, Hong Kong, Yokosuka, Atsugi, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, etc... And that was just the West Pac stuff... Don't get me started on the Med cruises... Good times!

SteveC · August 2nd, 2006, 08:34

Hey fludy! Welcome! Nice to have some more experience on board. I'm sure there are some young guys around here that will want to pick your brains about the Academy.

Pull up a chair and enjoy the place.

Oh, and thank you for your service.

MikeD · August 2nd, 2006, 13:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyhawk39

GO NAVY GO !!! HAHAHAHA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Skyhawk, what's the word with the 944th, BRAC-wise?

skyhawk39 · August 2nd, 2006, 17:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeD

Skyhawk, what's the word with the 944th, BRAC-wise?

We're shacked. March '07 we close the doors at Luke.

MikeD · August 2nd, 2006, 20:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyhawk39

We're shacked. March '07 we close the doors at Luke.

That sucks. We'll have to get a beer next time I'm up at PHX. I'm normally down at TUS, and my time at Holloman is coming to an end.

frog_flyer · August 2nd, 2006, 21:29

damn f22's fault!!

July 23rd, 2006, 16:23	#1
Low_Level_Hell Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 145	Air Force or Naval Academy? LETTER ON WHETHER TO BECOME AN AIR FORCE PILOT...... OR A NAVAL AVIATOR...... The piece is written by Bob Norris, a former Naval aviator who also did a 3 year exchange tour flying the F-15 Eagle. He is now an accomplished author of entertaining books about U.S. Naval Aviation including "Check Six" and "Fly-Off". In response to a letter from an aspiring fighter pilot on which military academy to attend, Bob replied with the following: 22 December 2005 Young Man, Congratulations on your selection to both the Naval and Air Force Academies. Your goal of becoming a fighter pilot is impressive and a fine way to serve your country. As you requested, I'd be happy to share some insight into which service would be the best choice. Each service has a distinctly different culture. You need to ask yourself "Which one am I more likely to thrive in?" USAF Snapshot: The USAF is exceptionally well organized and well run. Their training programs are terrific. All pilots are groomed to meet high standards for knowledge and professionalism. Their aircraft are top-notch and extremely well maintained. Their facilities are excellent. Their enlisted personnel are the brightest and the best trained. The USAF is homogenous and macro. No matter where you go, you'll know what to expect, what is expected of you, and you'll be given the training & tools you need to meet those expectations. You will never be put in a situation over your head. Over a 20-year career, you will be home for most important family events. Your Mom would want you to be an Air Force pilot...so would your wife. Your Dad would want your sister to marry one. Navy Snapshot: Aviators are part of the Navy, but so are Black Shoes (surface warfare) and Bubble Heads (submariners). Furthermore, the Navy is split into two distinctly different Fleets (West and East Coast). The Navy is heterogeneous and micro. Your squadron is your home; it may be great, average, or awful. A squadron can go from one extreme to the other before you know it. You will spend months preparing for cruise and months on cruise. The quality of the aircraft varies directly with the availability of parts. Senior Navy enlisted are salt of the earth; you'll be proud if you earn their respect. Junior enlisted vary from terrific to the troubled kid the judge made join the service. You will be given the opportunity to lead these people during your career; you will be humbled and get your hands dirty. The quality of your training will vary and sometimes you will be over your head. You will miss many important family events. There will be long stretches of tedious duty aboard ship. You will fly in very bad weather and/or at night and you will be scared many times. You will fly with legends in the Navy and they will kick your ass until you become a lethal force. And some days - when the scheduling Gods have smiled upon you - your jet will catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea and you will be drop-jawed that someone would pay you to do it. The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore. Bottom line, son, if you gotta ask...pack warm & good luck in Colorado. Banzai P.S.: Air Force pilots wear scarves and iron their flight suits. P.S.S. And oh yes, the Army pilot program, don't even think about it unless you got a pair bigger than basketballs. Those guys are completely crazy

July 23rd, 2006, 20:33	#3
frog_flyer Old Skool Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: FTW Posts: 3,970 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Air Force or Naval Academy? is bob of any relation to charles aka "chuck" norris? __________________ Charter Member - JC Pilot Motion Picture Society (JC PiMPS) "There needs to be more drinking here on JC. We need more ******* partying!" -Doug Taylor

July 23rd, 2006, 22:34	#4
fish314 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: (CBM) Columbus AFB, MS Posts: 1,212	Re: Air Force or Naval Academy? You know low_level_hell posted that entire letter just to be able to include the post-post script! Any time a Navy guy says that Army guys got big balls, the Army guys have got to post about it. Me, personally, I wonder what a Navy guy is doing admiring an Army guy's balls, and exactly why the Army guy likes it so much! Sounds pretty gay.. Go Air Force! __________________ Dude, what are you trying to do? Land the airplane or adjust the field elevation?

July 24th, 2006, 00:36	#5
skyhawk39 Junior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: KLUF Posts: 132	Re: Air Force or Naval Academy? GO NAVY GO !!! HAHAHAHA !!!!!!!!!!!!!! __________________ ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI, USAFR Viper IP "they come to snuff the rooster"

July 24th, 2006, 01:00	#6
boeing 777-300 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Santa Clarita, California Posts: 749	Re: Air Force or Naval Academy? Bob Norris is most definately and alias for Chuck Norris. Skyhawk39. Those letters are the funniest things i have ever seen. __________________ Alex Moore

July 29th, 2006, 12:10	#7
willc Junior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Pensacola, Fl Posts: 74	Re: Air Force or Naval Academy? I only have 3 statements to make in regards to this. 1. Of course the Navy version of that letter would be.... Navy - knows how to have fun You will fly with legends in the Navy. your jet will catapult into a glorious morning over a far-away sea. The hottest girl in the bar wants to meet the Naval Aviator. That bar is in Singapore. Air Force- Chuck Norris round house kicked the fun out of them. 2. If Flash and Superman had a race to the end of the universe, who would win? exactly, Chuck Norris. 3. FYI, Chuck Norris can eat Transformers in robot mode and s*t them out in vehicle mode. __________________ "These naval airmen, bold fellows, always on for an adventurous attack..." Sir Ian Hamilton*

July 29th, 2006, 12:58	#8
USMC-SGT Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: East Posts: 1,049	Re: Air Force or Naval Academy? Compared to the Marines the Armys pair looks more like ovaries.... sorry...had to fuel the fire __________________ .....i have two speeds, walk and kill

August 2nd, 2006, 07:16	#10
fludy12 Banned Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 56	Re: Air Force or Naval Academy? Well, I graduated USNA '93 and was an SH-60B LAMPS pilot. Pure thrill, terror, anger, frustration, fun, and some of the best and worst times of my life. Cost me my first wife, but I wouldn't have traded it for the world! And yes... I've been that pilot in the bar in Singapore... and Pattaya, Hong Kong, Yokosuka, Atsugi, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, etc... And that was just the West Pac stuff... Don't get me started on the Med cruises... Good times!

August 2nd, 2006, 08:34	#11
SteveC Moderator Join Date: May 2003 Location: GRR Posts: 8,435	Re: Air Force or Naval Academy? Hey fludy! Welcome! Nice to have some more experience on board. I'm sure there are some young guys around here that will want to pick your brains about the Academy. Pull up a chair and enjoy the place. Oh, and thank you for your service. __________________ . Life is painful. Suffering is optional.

August 2nd, 2006, 21:29	#15
frog_flyer Old Skool Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: FTW Posts: 3,970 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Air Force or Naval Academy? damn f22's fault!! __________________ Charter Member - JC Pilot Motion Picture Society (JC PiMPS) "There needs to be more drinking here on JC. We need more ******* partying!" -Doug Taylor

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode