USNA vs USAFA for flying

scoutpilot said:
Sounds like a freshly minted lieutenant has joined the board...:thumb:
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Of course, when your RHAW gear screams at you...and my little tiny scope shows this GLOWING target...with your ID on it...

And I'm thinking "go slammer!!!"

Well, that's the difference 'tween Army Aviation...

And my Eagle... :rocket:

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
Freshly minted? No, when I started flying we still used pistons to spin er up, the Soviets where still our bad guys and gas was 36 cents a gallon....

Say what about the study done with a Cobra in air to air combat with an F-16 (at least I remember it being an F-16, could have been a 15).. Out of 24 engagements the helicopter won 21 of them (or some close ratio)..Sorry you young’ns will struggle with this one day too(memory)...
 
Apachecav said:
Say what about the study done with a Cobra in air to air combat with an F-16 (at least I remember it being an F-16, could have been a 15).. Out of 24 engagements the helicopter won 21 of them (or some close ratio).
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I remember that.

Also, the Navy was considering purchasing the Apache for fleet defense for the small boys when the go fasters weren't available. They did some similiar tests with the F-14 and I think the results were even more dramatic.

While this was going on, I got to fly the Apache. Second Navy person. Right after DCNO-Air. I still have a nice little model of it all decked out in Navy markings. Probably ultimately cost the tax payers a fortune. Anyway, I saw horizon pictures on the canopy that day that I had never seen before or since in any type of aircraft.
 
I didn't know the navy was considering that, I landed to the Ticondaroga once and while on board the Ships Capt. Gave me a tour.. I asked him what was the one threat he hated most to deal with.. His reply? "Why that damn egg beater you got on my boat" .. Seems when you know how to fly em, you can mix your signature in with the waves and they can't tell you apart..

Did the navy nix the idea over simply using the Phalenx (SP?)...
 
Apachecav said:
I didn't know the navy was considering that, I landed to the Ticondaroga once and while on board the Ships Capt. Gave me a tour.. I asked him what was the one threat he hated most to deal with.. His reply? "Why that damn egg beater you got on my boat" .. Seems when you know how to fly em, you can mix your signature in with the waves and they can't tell you apart..

Did the navy nix the idea over simply using the Phalenx (SP?)...
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Hughes was selling the system as over-the-horizon targeting and point defense to augment LAMPS for battle groups sans a carrier.

By the time a ship can use Phalanx, they are already in exterus. I think they were actually thinking about hanging a couple of Phoenix on it.

Spent a lot of time playing bad guy during operational readiness exams. 60kts at 30ft or so pretty well simulated a patrol boat attack. 30 knots and 20ft-30ft serpentining (love that word ever since the original In-Laws) would almost guarantee success if one didn't run out of gas first. Sneak up their stern and then slide up the side to the bridge and scare the crap out of everyone.
 
Peter Falk was good in that!.... I didn't spend much time feet wet,,, well not unless you count jungles :biggrin:

Either way you cant go wrong if you can hover...
 
Buncha old dogs, talking about them Soviets and how good they once was... :wink:

Welcome to the board!
 
Freshly minted? No, when I started flying we still used pistons to spin er up

Thats OK. When I started flying (got tired of holding my breath in the boats) we were still using the SNJ. Got through without once catching a wing tip!
 
Age and treachery will beat youth and inexperience every time :wink:

Not so old that we can't still run with the grandkids (hey I was up at 6 to play racquet ball!)

Good to be here thanks for welcome aboard scoutpilot...
BTW I was flying littlebirds when we still called them OH-8s :biggrin:

I still have Sons at home and am starting research on the best wat to prepare and secure appointments these days..
 
subvet said:
Freshly minted? No, when I started flying we still used pistons to spin er up

Thats OK. When I started flying (got tired of holding my breath in the boats) we were still using the SNJ. Got through without once catching a wing tip!
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Glad you came up for air, the lack of O2 fogs the brain... Good on the wing tip, still can't hover though :rolleyes:

Cheers!
 
Apachecav said:
If it is Helicopters the young lad wishes to fly, then the ONLY REAL option is the US ARMY.No other program in the US Military can teach you how to hover on a dime and give nine cents change.
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You restricted AO aviators don't have a clue. You haven't flown until you have to go out for a night medevac to 40k tons of bobbing steel and the flight deck is climbing faster than you can with a full armpit of collective followed by dropping faster than you can autorotate. Also, on nights such as this, there is obviously zero horizon. They can keep the dime and you can only hope and pray that it doesn't cost you any more.
 
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Mongo said:
You restricted AO aviators don't have a clue. You haven't flown until you have to go out for a night medevac to 40k tons of bobbing steel and the flight deck is climbing faster than you can with a full arm load of collective followed by dropping faster than you can autorotate. Also, on nights such as this, there is obviously zero horizon. They can keep the dime and you can only hope and pray that it doesn't cost you any more.
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See "Aviator, Helicopter, US Coast Guard" for more information about doing this routinely.
 
I must say, after catching up on this thread while on travel, in the background I sense the rattle of dice cups at the bar, coins being thrown down, patches being pointed out on flight jackets, hands waving around in the air and sentences starting out "there I was at x-thousand (or y-hundred) feet on a black and stormy night" - and the sheer enjoyment of aviators of all flavors talking about what they love(d) to do. Glad you are all here to talk about it today. The up-and-coming candidates and appointees should take away the fact that serving, though arduous, delivers many "and they pay me to do this" moments! I'm married to one of you wingpeeps, my b-in-law also wore the wings of gold, and when sponsor alumni aviator sons and daughters of various flavors come back to the dinner table, the air stories abound.

For the OP who is thinking about future aviation, think about the missions, the aircraft, the lifestyle and culture. All you can do is take your most educated shot at which road is for you, try things on for size as summer training permits and see how it unfolds for you.:biggrin:
 
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Mongo said:
Don't be too hard on them. Most of them are ex-Navy/Army that couldn't handle the challenges of the real military and transferred to the CG.
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I've gotta hand it to you, when you go you go hard! :biggrin::wink:

I just like to give a hard time to the non-pilots who want to tell pilots about flying.

PS: It's all in good fun, no one get your knickers in a twist.
 
Capt MJ said:
I must say, after catching up on this thread while on travel, in the background I sense the rattle of dice cups at the bar, coins being thrown down, patches being pointed out on flight jackets, hands waving around in the air and sentences starting out "there I was at x-thousand (or y-hundred) feet on a black and stormy night"
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Textbook beginning:

No ****, there I was...50' AGL, at night, totally inverted. The only way I could tell was because my Air Medal kept slapping me in the face, and the V-device got stuck in my eyebrow...
 
scoutpilot said:
Textbook beginning:

No ****, there I was...50' AGL, at night, totally inverted. The only way I could tell was because my Air Medal kept slapping me in the face, and the V-device got stuck in my eyebrow...
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Or in the P-3 Navy: There I was sitting in the galley enjoying my in-flight meal and snack... :biggrin: haha
 
scoutpilot said:
Textbook beginning:

No ****, there I was...50' AGL, at night, totally inverted. The only way I could tell was because my Air Medal kept slapping me in the face, and the V-device got stuck in my eyebrow...
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50 Feet!!!! If I ever flew that high I would get a nose bleed!!!!!:eek:
 
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