Official Aviation Thread...

[Ral]

quick update-

I ended up going C-2's, just finished the RAG and checking into VRC-40. Ugliest airplane that's left the ground but I love it.

[FLYNAVY]

Are you flying with OBOGS?

What's the difference between the Hornet system and F-22? (ignoring the fact that Hornet works and F-22... well, doesn't..)

About 1/3 of our jets (the newer lot ones) have OBOGS, while the others are LOX. T-45 that I flew in flight school was also OBOGS only. No idea what/if there is a difference between ours and the Raptor. We've had a lot of problems with the system as well, but my personal guess is that when a 200+ million dollar aircraft crashes because of it, that gets attention a lot more quickly than a couple decades of random OBOGS related mishaps in our aircraft. Then again, there could very well be a significant difference that I'm just unaware of.

[cale]

I'm just a peon aircraft structures tech that keeps the aircraft serviceable for people such as yourselves :D. Loving the pictures though!

[hoveringuy]

Some of mine

[dcboy]

[QUOTE=hoveringuy;2817670]Some of mine



Funny, we autocross right there!

[thearkitekt]

[QUOTE=dcboy;2818176]

Some of mine



Funny, we autocross right there!

a c90! nice! used to fly one of these, it was a great ride, just slow as hell

[gkurey]

A Red Not!

Just kidding, VT-6/HT-18 here. Nice to see pictures of Whiting.

I flew SH-60Bs, SH-60Fs & HH-60 Hotels before going fixed-wing.

Having flown props, jets and helos I can say with authority that HELOS ROCK! (especially LAMPS).

Nothing like hoisting the Dutch Admiral down to his ship and seeing boobies on the O-4 level. Or flying into the crater of Mt. Vesuvius. Or blasting dead sheep in the Arabian Gulf with the M-60 because they bloat, float upside down and look like mines.

also, that's a Swamp Fox Romeo (HSL-44). My old squadron!

Way cool, glad to see you and several other Navy guys on here...had no idea I was in such good company (well...I knew of Ral). What'd you fly as far as jets go?

VT-3....are you guys flying the T-6 now, or still T-34C? I heard Whiting is nearly all T-6's now anyway. How soon you select?

I've personally been flying my ass off lately.....bagged my 10 day and 6 night traps last month in the Hornet on the Carl Vinson, and then have been finishing up my last few syllabus air-to-air flights since then. Should be done with the FRS next week, weather and maintenance permitting.......15 months later it's about damn time

FLYNAVY, we're all switched to the T-6B now...and same goes for VT-6. I think the last class of T-34 guys just started for VT-2 and they'll start switching shortly. I'm probably 2 months from selecting. VT-3 really pushes us through fast. I'm doing pretty well and looking to go tailhook, but I'm open to all options. How has the FRS been? Liking tailhook? You on legacy hornets or super's? I'm envious, haha!

Are you flying with OBOGS?

What's the difference between the Hornet system and F-22? (ignoring the fact that Hornet works and F-22... well, doesn't..)

Even our T-6 has OBOGS now...I know you didn't ask me, but the F-22 has some special considerations since it can and typically operates well above traditional tac aircraft (supercruise, etc). The pilots don't need to wear pressure suits, but the F-22 routinely goes over 60K so their OBOGS + pressurization are subject to more scrutiny due to well-being of the aviator. My $0.02, came from my old man; he's a retired F-15 driver.


Sweet pics, guys.

Ral, C-2 life is allegedly the shit...what do you think so far?

[gkurey]

Another side-note....no aircraft pictured, but I got my first military solo today!



Apparently I always give the thumbs-up in these pictures? Haha

[hoveringuy]

I flew the C-9B. It's a jet, but not a jet like you're thinking...

Having been on a bazillion ships including almost every carrier, amphibs, Burkes, Ticos, and Spruances (and submarines!) ; the only ships I didn't like was the carriers for many different reasons. I would take a Spruance over a Nimitz anytime.

[gkurey]

C-9's I hear are a good gig, too. A guy I'm in training with now was a load master up there in Whidbey before he got STA-21. Do you happen to know a guy by the last name of Dori who used to be up there?

[FLYNAVY]

Congrats on the solo brother....that is a good time! I'm a legacy dude, and damned happy to be honestly.....single seat is the way to go IMHO. Had my last dualed up flight about 4 months ago, and I don't think it gets much better than being alone. Actually 2/3's of our syllabus is solo so you get a lot of a/c commander time. You also mature a lot as an aviator really quickly doing it this way......either you do or you don't stay in the business very long anyway :) Downside is being behind the boat on a dark scary low vis night for the first time, and you are alone. That's my pitch for single seat anyway. The FRS is cool....it is a ton of studying, and the learning curve is pretty steep but you do some of the coolest stuff that you can possibly do in aircraft......300'/500 kts in LAT, dropping live MK82's, shooting the gun, crazy supersonic dynamic section/division maneuvering in air-to-air, CQ, CAS, in-flight refueling, BFM/DACT against F-5's, taking a single seat jet on a cross country, etc etc etc. It truly isn't for everyone, and I honestly wasn't sure about it for my first few months, but I love it now. What are you trying to select?

@ Hover, cool pics, I bet the C-9 gig is pretty sweet....I'd also love to be in Whidbey at some point being an OR guy by birth.

[hoveringuy]

Naval Aviation is a blast no matter what you do



.

[tg318is]

oh hai Tom Delonge

[hoveringuy]

oh hai Tom Delonge

Yep... "'I'm with the band".

We picked them in at Heathrow and took them to Bahrain. A bunch of the pictures on their last album were taken at our fuel stop in Greece. Tom sat up front with me for about an hour, talked about how bad he wanted to do a gig at Area 51.

[gkurey]

What are you trying to select?

Thanks man, I appreciate the congrats and the low-down on tailhook life. I'm trying to go tailhook out of primary with the long term goal of hornets, but like I said...I'll take anything that's gray and says Navy on the side. Grades are looking good so far, though....just gotta hope the slots are open in two months!