I fly F/A-18 Super Hornets for the US Navy.
Let's talk about aviation. If you have questions about being an officer, military aviation, etc, ask away. I can't answer any questions that might reveal my identity like callsign, squadron, etc; nor can I answer questions about things like tactics or other things that might be classified.
Also the recaptcha is being a bitch tonight
>>28094188
Please remind all the new pilots to throttle back when they pull out of the line. Its not fun having oil catch bases flying at you.
>>28094188
ALso I can't bump my own thread, so feel free to bump. I'd appreciate it
How do you take a shit.
>>28094234
Designated poop bombchute
>>28094228
If you have a pilot not observing nozzle courtesy tell your division officer. He should quietly bring it up with the offender. That would be the best way to do it.
>>28094188
At the risk of derailing the entire thread: do you think the F-35 will be on par with the Hornet in terms of maneuverability?
>>28094234
You poop yourself. You can pee in a bag. You have no remedy for poop problems.
>>28094188
E or F?
And do you think that the two seat version is valid? Do you feel like the second seat makes a significant improvement?
>>28094188
Your entire squadron probably thinks your a tool.
>>28094267
Honestly I have no idea in regard to kinematics. I have spoken to F-35 pilots, and they have a lot of good things to say about the F-35.
Have you ever flown with foreign pilots? What did you think of them and/or their aircraft?
>>28094188
>>28094232
Who's dick did you have to suck to get a fighter pilot slot?
>>28094290
There are certain regimes of flight where having a second person in the cockpit is awesome. So yes I think the concept is valid.
>>28094256
Were you ever at VFA-106 around 2010-2011? We could of used the same urinal.
>>28094331
>There are certain regimes of flight
In English, please? I'm sorry I don't know enough about aviation to understand.
>>28094331
Can you elaborate on that? What's the advantage of a two-seat fighter? And if there are definite advantages, then why aren't nearly all fighters two-seaters? I always wondered why the US seemingly abandoned two-seat fighters after the Phantom and the Tomcat.
>>28094362
The US grabbed both the F/A-18 B/D/F and the F-15E.
>>28094325
>>28094325
I have been very impressed with the Brits that I have flown with. They tend to send over very experienced guys though, so maybe that has something to do with it.
I went through training with a bunch of Saudis. They fucking sucked. Every single one of them. And they couldn't even do like five pushups. I'm pretty sure they only sent over the nobility to get trained, and those dudes haven't lifted a finger their entire lives. They don't know how to study, PT, or work hard in general. They tried to kill every instructor they flew with, and took like five tries to pass one flight every time.
What's the favorite munition you've ever dropped?
If you drop a 2000 lb bomb, will it destabilize the aircraft a little?
>>28094370
So then why is the F-15C a single-seater? I guess that's what I'm trying to say. What's the advantage of a one-seat plane that they would omit the second seat for their primary air superiority fighter? Same goes for the Raptor.
>>28094384
On the topic of training: Were you trained how to deal with sudden pressure loss? I saw a documentary on how aircrews on Air Force planes train for explosive decompression and I wonder how different it is for fighter pilots compared to larger planes.
Do you think that having a forward airspeed requirement of zero when performing stall and post stall maneuvers is a big advantage?
>>28094353
>>28094362
There are advantages to both.
Single seat aircraft have a slightly larger fuel capacity, as they have a smaller cockpit. A single seat pilot will also generally ahve better awareness of his aircraft, because if he isn't doing something it doesn't get done.
Two seaters have the advantage of having two brains to take care of complex situations. Like if the pilot's concentration is being taken up with intense flying, he wouldn't be able to operate any systems like targeting pods, the radar, etc, so when that is happening having a second guy there is worthwhile.
>>28094432
Ah, you want to know what happened to the RIO. Simply put, advances in technology meant that the lone pilot could do everything that previously required an extra crewman.
>>28094468
Which version do you pilot?
>>28094188
Why didn't you fly for the Marines?
>>28094468
What in your opinion is the best way to get into the US Navy as a fighter pilot, and does any of that actually translate into the RAAF?
Have you ever dealt with RAAF pilots? I believe some of the USAF's pilots come over here occasionally.
>>28094418
Anything that weighs 2,000 pounds. It doesn't destabilize the aircraft, but the plane will roll away a little bit once you release the bomb
>>28094438
We go through a pressure trainer, so yes. For us there isn't much we can do except descend, and stay on our oxygen. Decompression sickness is possible
>>28094188
why cant you tell us about tactics you fucking faggot kek
ever been to cold lake air weapons range in alberta?
i guess if you're navy then probably not?
>>28094468
>Like if the pilot's concentration is being taken up with intense flying, he wouldn't be able to operate any systems like targeting pods, the radar, etc, so when that is happening having a second guy there is worthwhile.
On a similar note, about what percentage of the time do you let the autopilot do the flying? And is letting the autopilot fly while on-station or whatever pretty much out of the question?
Does the autopilot have bombing modes like on the old bombers of WWII through the '50s, or is that a thing of the past now?
>>28094612
I'd imagine if he did and the US Navy found out about it, there'd be a massive witch-hunt and he'd be burned at the stake.
>>28094453
yes, in BFM only.
>>28094494
no comment
>>28094513
no
>>28094514
US Navy, be a citizen, apply for an officer commissioning program, get into flight school, perform above average
Did your first real carrier landing scare you? Or did you train so much that it was muscle memory?
>>28094625
The only time the autopilot is on is during the admin portions of flight, like transiting to or from a training area. I might turn on the altitude and airspeed hold (ATC) when I'm holding in marshall.
There are more involved autopilot modes, like you can couple to the ASL for level bomb deliveries, or for naval mining ops, etc, but that's not really used.
How difficult is it to perform flight ops in higher sea states?
>>28094724
it was terrifying, and it still gets my adrenaline going
>>28094188
How does it feel knowing you fly the Prius of jets?
but hey, at least you can barely hit supersonic speeds at low altitude
>>28094758
It's not that bad. The only thing that sucks is the pitching deck can mess with your landing. The lens might be showing you something, but it could be wrong, so it's up to the LSO to make the right call. Sometimes they will give you a power call because they see the deck coming up, and you bolter because of it. Assuming visibility is good, it isn't the end of the world. You tend to get aboard well even with a pitching deck assuming CAG paddles has the guts to call an "easy with it" which is basically permission to ease guns to land.
>>28094418
>If you drop a 2000 lb bomb, will it destabilize the aircraft a little?
Depends what you mean by "destabilize." You certainly won't suddenly lose control the moment you release or anything, but the Super Hornet's departure resistance is degraded with increasing asymmetric load and the AOA limitations are prescribed by the FCS accordingly (anywhere from unrestricted when symmetrically-loaded down to just 15 degrees with serious asymmetric loads).
>>28094332
Bump for answer.
>>28094800
How does it feel knowing you don't fly anything?
Currently in college and considering doing PLC for the marines and hoping to fly jets. Any suggestions OP?
>>28094332
>>28094823
no comment
>>28094843
Jesus, that was SLOW. That's just scary
pretty drunk, so excuse me if the question's been asked, but whats the most dangerous situation you've been in while in flight?
Neat thread btw
>>28094709
So did you go in as enlisted first? NROTC, OCS, Academy?
>>28094825
Feels great, I've never been a fan of flying.
aspiring ranger though, so maybe we'll meet in the future
>>28094840
Just do your best. At this point it is all you can do. Sorry I can't give you specific gouge that will help
>>28094863
>aspiring ranger
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, you fucking neckbeard.
You will never even go into the recruiting office you pussy.
>>28094883
probably gonna try to go in there on my next day off to see if they'll let me take a practice run at the asvab
still got a ways to go from a physical standpoint
>>28094888
Nice trips.
But sounds like you haven't "aspired" at all other than looking at Ranger videos online and browsing /k/.
>>28094854
near midair collisions during BFM, probably the closest I have been to death
>>28094856
NROTC
>>28094863
good luck
>>28094912
Well, I went from 287 lbs to 170 lbs with being a ranger as the goal, currently at 183 since I'm starting to eat more.
also getting a membership at 24 asap
>>28094843
That's a terrible moment to lose an engine... do you lower the nose to try and scratch your way back to Vmc, or just keep the nose up for a better ejection vector and punch out? I guess the jet was probably fucked either way so he probably made the right call.
What's the procedure if you lose an engine off the catapult?
>>28094919
...Is it supposed to do that?
Hey OP I just had my first interviews for Senatorial nominations to the USNA with a couple of Service academy grads, they had a couple interesting points.
How many hours did you have and what was your College GPA going into OCS? Pretty much every aviator I've talked to has told me that my best shot isn't with the academy but with an OCS slot after attending a school like Embry-Riddle and attaining a fuckton of hours.
Can you offer your own opinion of this?
>>28094953
Fuck, I had thought you went OCS, not NROTC.
>>28094919
>>28094927
Throttles-max
Rudder-Full against yaw/roll
Emergency Jettison Button - push
Maintain 10-12 degrees pitch attitude with the "W" symbol. Do not exceed 14 degrees AOA/AOA tone
If unable to arrest yaw/roll or stop settle - eject
What it means is: Go to max afterburner if you haven't already, drop your external ordnance, and fly at your lift limit. If your radar altimeter goes off your best bet is to eject at that point
>>28094953
If you wait to apply to OCS you are boxing yourself in. If you don't make it in you're fucked. I would advocate applying to whatever program you are qualified for as soon as possible, because it's very possible you don't get picked up your first try.
Did you know you would be a pilot going in?
>>28094994
Hmm... that brings up another question.
I know the Super Hornet's set up so trim/hands-off is normally 1g, regardless of speed. But what if you're going too slow to even pull 1g at the AoA limit? Do you have to actually push *forward* on the stick to stay within AoA limits or will it push for you?
>>28095051
Yeah that's what I was thinking. I figure I'll go NROTC and if my grades aren't as competitive as the upperclassmen I know are getting slots, I'll drop out of the ROTC program before I commission and try to apply for OCS, then OTS and an ANG slot if that doesn't work. Thanks for the imput dude.
How likely am I to get contracted with great PT scores and a 3.5 GPA in electrical engineering?
>>28095122
Just as likely as someone with great PT scores and a 3.5 in womyns studies
>>28094384
I was in AF tech school for fighter crew chiefs with Saudi NCOs. They fucking thought copying answers and smelling like AXE body spray was a good look.
I can concur with your statement on studying and PT. The ones in my class would fly to Houston on the weekends to go car shopping. They came back from one three day weekend in a new Mercedes. They got there ass ripped when they drove up to class when they where supposed to have marched like the rest of us.
>>28095114
If something strange happened you might have to give some initial forward stick. It trims to 1G, but it isn't instantaneous
>>28094188
Have you been to Nellis for Red Flag? I see you Navy guys here all the time.
>>28095082
No, I just knew that I had a good chance
>>28095122
very high chance, in NROTC they weight engineering highly
OP, what do the selection rates for flight school look like? To provide a point of reference, about 10% of people applying for an Ivy League University make it in; is flight school more or less stringent than that?
you are living my dream
workload wise what was the most difficult part of your training ?
api ? primary ? jets ?
also what kind of degree did you commission with ? I've heard that the Navy especially prefers STEM degree. but i also keep hearing the slogan "poli sci to fly"
lastly how old was the oldest person you went through training with . i'm 22 and only just now starting university i'm kinda worried that i will age out before i even get the chance to touch a cockpit
thanks
>>28095152
>That nose strut AoA indexer for paddles to watch
Do you have any idea how long they've been doing that for? F-35C seems to have it too but I can't tell with older Hornets. Phantoms don't seem to have an indexer at all, either in the cockpit or on the nose strut.
Also, how much do you rely on the indexer during approach? And what do you think of the F-35C not having a HUD?
How many guys do you know who have gotten in on an eye surgery waiver?
>>28094927
>F-18
>Vmc
lel
>>28095300
Anon here, my father is an ophthalmologist. He has done plenty of surgery on military pilots. I don't know if you could get in with one, but I know the guys that are in do have them, and stay pilots.
>>28095319
Lel what?
>>28095296
I think the indexer has been a thing for a long time, I'm not sure how ling it has been shown externally for the LSOs
>>28095300
A lot
>>28095348
>>28095296
Oh, and I use the indexer as a peripheral reference during landing. Like I'm seeing amber, anything else and I start paying attention. But normally I use the E bracket in the HUD that does the same job
>>28095167
College senior applying for NFO and SWO.
How many hours of sleep do you get a week? What's the worst (ie most uninteresting and/or tedious) NFO job I could get stuck with if I don't end up being able to fly?
Will speaking a useful strategic language (Chinese major) mean anything realistically? My recruiting officer told me that it's a positive and they like to snap up people like me, but was intentionally vague and obtuse when I questioned him further about the kinds of jobs I might get with it.
>>28095409
>F/A-18A
>A
>Lending more credence to FAA regulations than a fucking NATOPS manual
For fuck's sake, the FAA was still throwing the goddamn equal-transit fallacy around in pilot training until about ten years ago. Now they defer to a book written for Naval aviators in the '60s.
http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/media/00-80t-80.pdf
The Super Hornet has a Vmc. It varies widely with weight and configuration, and so an AoA is published instead since it's more useful to the pilot, but the concept of Vmc is still very much applicable.
>>28095463
>normally I use the E bracket in the HUD that does the same job
I see. Well assuming other pilots have your same habits (and that the F-35 will display the bracket in the HMD), I guess the absence of a dedicated indexer on the F-35 won't be such a big deal then.
Well OP, I'm a bit jealous of your job, and your aircraft, as the C172S NAVIII I fly doesn't get above 130 KTAS. I got a couple questions
1. Is a TACAN any different operationally than a VOR/DME?
2. How does the engine not compressor stall at really high AoAs and low airspeeds?
>>28095506
I sleep enough. More than SWOs do. When I'm not on the ship I sleep 8 hours a night. When I'm underway I sleep less but enough. ]
The worst NFO job would probably be E-2s in my opinion. They have all the drawbacks of living on the carrier with none of the awesome parts of speed and G.
Speaking another language may get you a small increase in pay if you pass the test
>>28094825
>That lack of TD
She deserves to ND right into her stupid cunt face
>>28095562
The TACAN lets us dial up one frequency and get both radial and DME. We can also use it for air to air TACAN, which tells us the distance between cooperating aircraft. THat is useful for a lot of tactical reasons.
The engine is controlled by a computer that is very smart. That's all I know. In the T-45 you had to be careful to be at a low AOA before you increased to military power, otherwise you were inviting a compressor stall. That isn't an issue with the Super Hornet. You can do whatever you want; compressor stalls are rare.
>>28095588
...and how much do SWOs sleep?
Is the SWO lifestyle really as thankless and shitty as I hear it is?
>>28095633
>Is the SWO lifestyle really as thankless and shitty as I hear it is?
If you have to ask, yes. Worse, in all likelihood.
>>28095633
yeah. SWOs hate their lives. Every SWO I know wishes they were an aviator. SWO is garbage, don't do it unless you have no other option
>>28095633
Oops, forgot thread-themed my picture.
Thanks for all of the responses and this thread, by the way. I've been on /k/ for almost five years, and have only seen a handful of officer OP threads, and rarely are they this informative.
>>28095621
Ah, that is pretty cool. Just curious, how much of your job is actually flying? I gave up the aspiration to fly for the military a little while ago, and figured as a civilian pilot I'd still be happy. Its just a different type of flying, I guess
>>28095598
okay autismo
>>28095648
>>28095645
Damn it.
Maybe I should apply to the Marine Corps too. The have no GPA requirement for Intelligence Officers.
Though honestly, I'd be happy doing any MOS, so long as I can feel proud of the work I've done at the end of the day.
>>28095672
I've got a cousin has an intelligence officer slot over in the Navy. He thinks they're doing EXTREMELY necessary work. I might see if I can join him once I'm through with college.
Here's a question, though I'm not sure if you guys can answer it. It came to mind when I was looking up the wiki article on the Tu-22M:
>The Tupolev Tu-22M (Russian: Tyпoлeв Ty-22M; NATO reporting name: Backfire) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau.
The question is: what's the difference between a regular strike bomber and a maritime strike bomber?
Is there anything specific you need to do to a bomber to make it suitable for maritime bombing (besides loading it up with a shitload of anti-ship missiles)?
>>28095688
I don't have a realistic shot at getting an Intelligence slot in the Navy, because I have a mediocre GPA.
>>28095694
Just taking a wild guess, but probably just the range capability
>>28095706
They can't be too different in the current environment. I'm just telling you that you will definitely feel as if you're doing something useful if you do get involved in the intelligence industry.
>>28095694
Its called a maritime strike bomber because it was used by Naval Aviation and carries anti-ship missiles.
Its just a role.
>>28094188
How confident are you in the actual ability to engage in a dog-fight situation?
How to you train to use the gun on the plane in air to air combat?
What training is involved in ejecting out of a plane? Like do you do parachuting or sky-diving practice?
>>28095715
I think you misunderstood me. My dream is to do Intelligence, with SWO and NFO being my backups, but since:
>1) selection for Naval officer community slots are part of your application, pre-OCS, and take GPA into account
and
>2) Marine officer slots are distributed according to performance in OCS, rather than being dependent on GPA
and
>3) my college GPA is mediocre, but I have useful language skills and my PT is great
and finally...
>4) while being a SWO apparently fucking sucks, being a Marine infantry officer sucks in less soul-crushing ways
...I am probably going to apply to Marine OCS.
>>28094808
pretty much the only way you can get a F-15E to spin is with a serious lateral asymmetry
>>28095753
have you considered marine ground intelligence officer? if i were to become a marine officer i would want to do that above all other marine officer jobs.
>>28095562
can't hold on top of a TACAN, and there's a limit to how many jets can be on one channel.
>>28095562
>2. How does the engine not compressor stall at really high AoAs and low airspeeds?
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/pdf/88491main_H-2152.pdf
Have fun :^)
>>28094188
have you ever worried that you will be bombing targets in syria and then you will accidentally be shot down by the s400? assuming of course you are in the middle east. if you are flying over syria whats it like to fly in an foreign airspace ruled by non-ally's air defense and that air defense system being the most advanced in the world?
>>28095856
Russia's not dumb enough (and the US is professional enough to prevent it too) to give each other an reason to have a SA-21 lock on to a US military jet.
>>28094825
>tfw the most I'll probably ever fly is a 40 year old Cessna with questionable flight history
Why even live? I mean, can a civilian buy a retired fighter jet? I see Mig-21s for sale on aircraft website sometimes, with claims that they're nearly flight ready. My dream is to eventually buy a fighter jet, but I'm sure there's probably tons of legal shit you'd have to deal with to get it. Not to mention getting the aircraft flight worthy would probably cost twice what you paid for it in the first place.
>>28095805
Yep! That's what I was looking at. I speak pretty good Chinese and smattering of Uighur/Kazakh/Uzbek (they all have a 95% cognate rate, like Serbian/Croatian/Montenegrin Serbian) that I'd like to improve.
I think I could do some good and do some pretty interesting stuff.
>>28095888
now as ground intel officer do you actually go out in the field with the guys on recon missions or do you just talk them through it back at base? im confused because it said you could go through the marine recon course.
How many Arab civilians have you killed?
>>28095907
AFAIK you go out.
>>28095907
No. For the most part you're just looking over reports and making powerpoints.
>>28095872
Well, you can do what all the other tryhard wannabes do and get yourself a Nanchang/Yak and a pickle suit, and piss everybody off when you come blindly blasting through the pattern for the overhead break with your like-minded "squadron."
Seriously, though. What's the appeal? Why do you want a fighter jet? An SU-26 beats any fighter jet for aerobatics. And the speed is overrated; it's just plain mundane at altitude, and you can only go 250 knots below 10,000' anyways (...legally, that is).
>>28095961
aawww that sucks. i thought it would be cooler like you get to order your recon guys to scout here and there and then when they find a nice big jucy target they relay the coordinates to the arty guys.
>>28095961
>>28096001
from what a marine recruiter told me, you have a shot at getting assigned as a 2LT to recon or scout sniper platoon, leading them as light infantry.
This is from the mouth of a recruiter though, so I'm sure with 95% likelihood that even if I ended up getting that slot, I'd probably end up having to present sexual harassment powerpoints and filing paperwork all day.
>>28096026
>I'd probably end up having to present sexual harassment powerpoints
very sad but unfortunately true. pathetic what the social side of the us military has become.
>>28094188
Nathan ?
>>28094188
Is mentioning which carrier you fly from something that could reveal your ID ? I don't really think so, since those things carry carry a couple of thousand people or something.
>>28095694
It's called like that because it is used by Russian Naval Aviation as an ASM carrier.
If only I was born in a country with a less bonkers military selection process for pilots.
Oh well, at least I still became a civilian pilot.
>>28095872
A retired Naval Aviator I knew was fixing up an old Polish Mig-21 when he passed away, he was a COMCVW in the service and planned on contracting his Mig to the military for BFM training.
OCS dropout here
was SNA (student naval aviator)
ask me anything.
proof
>>28097126
Dropout or washout, why did it happen?
>>28096778
That's how planes are made.
>>28097147
dropout.
was too young and immature to handle all the responsibility. got accepted fresh out of college when I had a bunch of personal issues I still had to sort out
also the 10 year commitment gave me cold feet.
sucks cause i spent a little less than a year putting together an attractive package and got selected and everything but I knew in the end i made the right decision to DOR (drop on request)
one of my best friends from college applied a year later, got selected, and made it through. he's now training down in pensecola. I like to think i gave up my spot for someone who really wanted it.
>>28097183
Good to hear you've come to terms with it dude. What was your package you got accepted with? Grades, major, all that shit.
Any experience with the RAF?
I imagine there are a range of skill levels just like in every service, but do they seem like they've got their act together in your opinion?
Not expecting specifics or facts, just curious.
>>28097246
Serves me right for posting while thinking he was still around rather than reading the thread first.
>>28095598
They obviously removed the bullets first you sperg.
>>28095296
F-14s have them.
>>28094188
if this is still going on, why is it a breach of security to reveal OP's unit- or for that matter, to reveal which unit was involved n which operation? I'm sure there's a good reason for it- But I'm fuzzy on an actual reason.
>>28094297
As much as I think the F-35 is a complete waste of money- I admit its handsome as fuck.
>>28094384
Sounds like they (and Westpoint) have the same problems the Bongs used to have- You can buy your way to the top- but you can't pay for excellence.
Chick i went to high school with is a Navy pilot, all her facebook photos are all her and her gfs all over the world. There's like 5 model-tier pilots in her squadron it seems. how prevalent are women pilots?
>>28094188
OP, you glorious winged faggot. I do some low rated civilian flying. Landing on the pitching deck of a moving aircraft carrier, at night in instrument conditions sounds like the most terrifying flying imaginable. Madmen.
>>28097441
because some people don't want to have an association with /k/. PERSEC, not necessarily OPSEC
>>28097474
>paying for west point
it's more of that the Saudis don't take shit seriously. just unprofessional in my experience. and i flew with two of the better Saudi dudes... they weren't outright dangerous and one was fairly responsible.
>>28095167
Sweet.
>>28097675
It helps that fighter aircraft are intentionally designed to be as easy to fly as possible. :^)
1) Can you roll 90 degrees from level and maintain that position, because apparently the F-16's FLCS will not let you, given its 1 g seeking programming.
2) 1 v 1, the viper is supposed to be the best at ACM, given its insane sustained turn rate. Yet hornet drivers can duke it out with them, owing to their great AoA and pitch authority. How do you guys really do against vipers?
3)The hornet, and rhino , catch flak (excuse the pun) for being "slow" with external stores. What do you think, about that, as a pilot of one?
4) Ford or Chevy?
5) I was told by an eagle driving major in the AF that "we" , will wipe the floor with flankers and fulcrums in real world conditions, based on his training with said aircraft flown by indians, polacks, etc. What do you think?
What does the Navy look for when selecting students completing Primary to fly jets?
When do SNAs get their assignments for specific planes like Hornets, Rhinos, or Growlers; and how is that determined?
What do the specific communities think of eachother aboard the carrier?
Do fixed wing guys give shit to helos?
Is there a rivalry between 18E and 18F pilots because Fs have NFOs?
What do F-18 pilots and NFOs think about their Growler counterparts?
can't bump my own thread
this will probably fall off the back page
sorry, last night I got distracted
>>28104585
oh, I guess you can bump your own thread now? Went back to page 1. Neat.
>>28095661
>>28095661
I fly pretty much every day
>>28095694
kind of like a fighter vs. interceptor question. They do the same thing, it's just who operates them and what their mission is
>>28095734
Very confident, but what pilot isn't? We train to use the gun by doing BFM flights with it unloaded. If you get in a situation where you need the gun you use all the normal symbology, just no bullets come out. Ejection training is just getting basic training on how it works, no real parachuting, though there is a VR type thing where they hang you up by one and let you pretend.
>>28095968
Speed is fun down low. Low level training on VR or IR routes is nice. Or on approved ranges.
>>28094771
I see you from the other side
>>28097659
They aren't common, but they are more common in helicopter squadrons. For some reason there aren't many female fighter pilots.
>>28097675
yeah it can be a little worrisome at times
>>28101989
It depends on what you mean by "maintain that position." I can leave it at 90 degrees angle of bank, but the nose will start falling. In any dissimilar BFM you try to play to your strengths and away from the other guy's. I know an F-16 driver will try to use his better turn rate, and I will try to use my turn radius. So who wins depends on a variety of factors.
>>28102063
Have an NSS above 50. This means you are above average. Do the best in your selection group and you have a better chance of getting what you want. Get lucky and get a slot. Some weeks there's no jet slots, some weeks there are plenty. You get your specific aircraft after advanced flight training, same method as primary, do well and get what you want if slots are available.
Slight rivalry between platforms, as well as between E and F. We think Growler crews are nerds.
>>28095849
I've seen that F-18
Just remember who you'll be calling when you crash and burn.
Can you tell visiting photographers to take more pictures of loaded Rhinos in the air? There are a million shots of clean launches already.
Have you heard anything about the F-22? Know any guys who have flown against it? How badly did they get their asses kicked?
Any benefit to selecting Lemoore or Norfolk over the other? I'm turning in my dream sheet soon and I'm thinking Norfolk but just want to hear your thoughts. Navy will tell me where to go anyway.
Also any reason to fly legacy hornets over the rhino?
>>28105091
They don't fly by too much
>>28105192
Norfolk is more centralized to all the other bases and where all the action is. Lemoore is too far from San Diego and Everett. Lemoore is too hot in the summer and Norfolk gets snow and rain.
>>28105192
Sorry just saw this
Lemoore is an armpit. The air quality is shit. It smells like cow shit nine out of ten days. It's over a hundred degrees every single day from June to October. Some aspects of the flying are better. The main working area has awesome low levels, and on some BFM flights you go to a MOA right overhead the field, so your bingo is super low. The downsides to the flying are that you can't go supersonic unless you go to one of the working areas out at sea, which isn't all that common. The good part about living in Lemoore is that if you drive 2-3 hours you have all sorts of good shit near by, like the beach to the west and awesome national parks to the east.
Oceana is a more dense city. There are typical city things, bars, night life, restaurants, etc. The flying is lame in ways, it's all over water, the course rules are more complex, the city is right next to the base so noise complaints are common. You wear dry suits a lot over the water which sucks. But if you're a single guy into bar hopping it's probably the place for you.
>>28105239
Lol I have a Jolly Rogers shirt. I live in VB so I see Oceana's flight patterns all the time. Makes me feel safe honestly.
I prefer 18Gs.
>>28105192
>>28105505
From an enlisted perspective: Norfolk/Oceana are East Coast and thus the very air you breath must be approved by Big Navy while the West Coast has been dubbed "Hands in Pockets Navy" by some and that only increases the further away from Norfolk you find yourself.
>>28105505
Speaking as a civil pilot, you get noise complaints everywhere all the time. Sure what you're flying is louder, but there's just no pleasing some people - especially the idiots that buy property near an airfield and suddenly realise planes make noise.
>>28106022
Fucking this. We get so many noise complaints even though we're cruising by like a mile from anywhere populated at like 3000 feet. Fucking lazy Hawaiian assholes.
>select the palm trees
>IT KNOOOWS
>>28106054
If you want a laugh, have a search for a facebook page called "Kyneton Airstrip.Say NO." Some asshole ranting about an airfield and posting details of aircraft registration holders and being mocked by pilots.
>>28094866
That guy in the yellow shirt is my personal hero's.
Did Yellow 13 do anything wrong?
>>28094291
*You're
Why do flyboys act like they work for a different Navy? I am a master at arms attactched to E-6b mercury squad and the crew and pilots act like fucking cunts
>>28101989
>1) Can you roll 90 degrees from level and maintain that position, because apparently the F-16's FLCS will not let you, given its 1 g seeking programming.
Errr.... like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWhoeLizrKk
>>28104644
>Speed is fun down low. Low level training on VR or IR routes is nice. Or on approved ranges.
Exactly... a civilian pilot wouldn't be allowed to fly low-level above 250 knots. Not that 250 knots isn't enough to get your adrenaline going down low...
Are the low-level routes generally free of power lines, antennas and other similar hazards? I enjoy flying low, but I'm always paranoid about going below 300' agl or so in sparsely-populated Class G for that reason.
>I can leave it at 90 degrees angle of bank, but the nose will start falling.
Is there not enough rudder available to hold knife-edge?
>>28106931
VRs and IRs don't guarantee any avoidance. Some have antennas that will be way above your min alt. Only flown the routes at 360 GS in the training command but even at that speed it's not hard to see and avoid. That said after seeing what happens on low level training routes I would never encourage a civilian to fly on one or spend any time on them at all, other than the bare minimum to cross.
How did you become one I'm currently applying for the Air Force academy. How did you get your slot rotc? Or a academy
>>28105505
I live in Virginia beach and all I have been hearing for 2 fucking days in a row is you're fucking planes going supersonic over the ocean
BOOM then quiet then again BOOM ITS SHAKES MY WHOLE FUCKING HOUSE GODDAMMIT STOP
![hqdefault[3].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/BaRpasj.jpg "hqdefault[3].jpg")
>>28107636
>shakes my house?
AND IT KEEPS SHAKING AND SHAKING AND SHAKING!!!
>>28107618
Step 1: Learn to read? OP answered already.
