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Another nail in the coffin of Old-School Naval Avaition..

"He'll never be a true test pilot," said Billie Flynn, president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, who is now test-flying the F-35 fighter jet for Lockheed Martin Corp. "He can never boast that he's from the land of 'Right Stuff.' It's not his pink body that's being put at risk."

Damn, that's messed up. If he completed the school, he rates, despite his WoW Test Pilot skills.
 
From their website at http://www.setp.org/constitution/article-iii-membership.html

Article III Membership
Section 1. General

All persons who are engaged as pilots in the practice of experimental or developmental flight testing, production flight testing, or in other flying which contributes to the advancement of flight testing techniques, aeronautical development and pilot safety shall be eligible for consideration for membership in the Society. Consideration in grading is given to professional education and experience, publications, record of aeronautical achievements, and contributions to scientific knowledge.

Doesn't say anything about the pilot actually being in the aircraft but I bet it soon will.
 
Despite his initial disappointment, Helms grew to like coordinating sorties with troops on the ground.

"It's very rewarding to hear the guys you're helping," he said. "I don't think you can get the same experience flying fighters."
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Thank you for joining the rest of military aviation.
 
HueyHornet75 said:
"He'll never be a true test pilot," said Billie Flynn, president of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, who is now test-flying the F-35 fighter jet for Lockheed Martin Corp. "He can never boast that he's from the land of 'Right Stuff.' It's not his pink body that's being put at risk."

Damn, that's messed up. If he completed the school, he rates, despite his WoW Test Pilot skills.
Click to expand...

Exactly. With the way the Air Force works, pulling a lot of already-jet pilots to fly UAVs, if he has that experience plus he ACTUALLY flies the syllabus in Test Pilot School in the various aircraft, he sounds like a test pilot to me. So he won't be "testing" the drones he helps designs.... whatever. In this day and age, it's not NEARLY as dangerous as test-piloting was in military aviation's formative years, real aircraft or not.
 
There is something sad and disturbing about that article. It sounded like he was drinking the "Kool-Aid".
 
JM-I don't know if that's kool-aide or just him trying to keep positive. "Boy the mustard on this shit sandwich is great!"

He's doing one tour outside the conventional cockpit. Anyone know what the likelihood of his community getting him back? If worst comes to worst I'm sure a Guard unit would take him pretty quickly. (Unless he's a complete doucher)
 
For many years, the reality of test piloting hasn't matched what the popular perception is. If anything, it might be less dangerous than a lot of operational flying--how many operational flights are planned to the minute weeks in advance? Plus, no one wants to destroy one-of-a-kind high-dollar assets.

This guy is an extension of that trend. Test flights are in a lot of ways FCFs from hell. He's just doing them with model planes.

I am still jealous of how many different planes those guys get to fly in TPS, though!
 
Swanee said:
JM-I don't know if that's kool-aide or just him trying to keep positive. "Boy the mustard on this shit sandwich is great!"

He's doing one tour outside the conventional cockpit. Anyone know what the likelihood of his community getting him back? If worst comes to worst I'm sure a Guard unit would take him pretty quickly. (Unless he's a complete doucher)
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Probably low right now. The AF has stood up their non-rated UAV program (so guys NPQ, etc out of ROTC can still apply to "fly" something) which is reducing the number of non-vol selections out of pilot training. Getting pushed out after his first fighter tour happened to many new fighter wingmen in certain year groups because there weren't enough IPs/cockpits to upgrade them to flight lead/IP/etc. The longer they are out the harder it will be for them to get back in since requal slots are very limited as well. Guard units may not be able to take him since the AF will likely not release him from UAVs, and they are full of many current AD pilots trying to transfer to Guard/Reserve since they're sick of the active duty BS.
 
Sorry, late to the discussion - been on the the boat for a few weeks. The whole flight suit re-regs are a BAD idea, and out of phase with the message Big Navy is trying put out this year. We are trying really hard to align ourselves with the Air Force - And for what? So we can wear flight suits out in town? Who gives a shit about wearing a flight suit out in town? I would rather maintain the tradition and uniqueness that goes along with individual unit identities than be able to wear my bag into Starbucks. The brown bag rule is also ridiculous. Its an issued uniform item and has practical uses - flying in Yuma, El Centro, or Meridian in the dead of a dog-day August summer afternoon.

Sad story when during 100th anniversary of Naval Aviation we are trying really hard to align ourselves with the arcane, cumbersome, and ridiculous ways of our brothers in blue.

I'll put this in the category of "man, we must really be kicking ass if this is the kind of stuff we are RE-writing instructions and wasting man hours over..."
 
As to aligning ourselves with the Air Force's regs.... you conspiracy guys in the tinfoil hats might consider that the current Navy Air Boss is an Air Force Academy grad...

clicky

Just sayin'
 
Old R.O. said:
As to aligning ourselves with the Air Force's regs.... you conspiracy guys in the tinfoil hats might consider that the current Navy Air Boss is an Air Force Academy grad...

clicky

Just sayin'
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<------

No dog in this kerfuffle but as my avatar shows, I remain skeptical of the motives of the powers that be...:icon_tong
 
Old R.O. said:
As to aligning ourselves with the Air Force's regs.... you conspiracy guys in the tinfoil hats might consider that the current Navy Air Boss is an Air Force Academy grad...

clicky

Just sayin'
Click to expand...

I refuse to listen to any well reasoned, cogent thoughts on why life may suck and instead prefer to blame the air force, this just alows me to continue doing so.
 
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