Different platform cultures

[Highlander51]

One thing I've heard constantly when it comes to aviation is that each platform has its own culture within it. The main stereotypes are that fighter pilots are more arrogant than everyone else and helo pilots are a little more down to earth, the list goes on. Obviously, life is never that simple, so for those who have been there and done that, are there different cultures amongst different aircraft platforms and if so what are the main differences between the fixed-wing, rotary-wing, tiltrotor, etc.

 

[Gatordev]

Everyone makes fun of VP. Even VP.

 

[Mos]

Everyone makes fun of VP. Even VP.

This is true.

 

[FLGUY]

Everyone makes fun of VP. Even VP.

Facts

 

[Highlander51]

Everyone makes fun of VP. Even VP.

Forgive my ignorance, what's VP?

 

[Mos]

Forgive my ignorance, what's VP?

Maritime patrol aircraft, i.e., P-8 or P-3.

 

[Pags]

Every other community that's not yours is the worst at everything. The reasons vary but it's a known fact that those other guys suck. In some cases the other guys may suck because they're having more fun in which case they're obviously terrible because they're not serious professionals like your community.

 

[Renegade One]

Every other community that's not yours is the worst at everything. The reasons vary but it's a known fact that those other guys suck. In some cases the other guys may suck because they're having more fun in which case they're obviously terrible because they're not serious professionals like your community.

Well, my personal reason to think "VP guys suck" is that whenever CORAL SEA came into Cubi Point in 1973, there were no frigging BOQ rooms available because the "deployed" VP dudes and their wives and kids took them all. Yeah, right..."deployed" to the swimming pool, BOQ and Cubi O'Club. Ass hats.

But there was this one young blonde VP wife seen daily at the pool. Absolute heartbreaker...

 

[taxi1]

One of the joys of instructing in the VTs was the mix of communities in the wardroom. We even had quite a few VP and rotary in our Buckeye squadron. Made it fun.

 

[Griz882]

Well, my personal reason to think "VP guys suck" is that whenever CORAL SEA came into Cubi Point in 1973, there were no frigging BOQ rooms available because the "deployed" VP dudes and their wives and kids took them all. Yeah, right..."deployed" to the swimming pool, BOQ and Cubi O'Club. Ass hats.

But there was this one young blonde VP wife seen daily at the pool. Absolute heartbreaker...

I always thought of Cubi/Subic as a place you went to to meet loved ones, not bring your dependents.

 

[Pags]

I always thought of Cubi/Subic as a place you went to to meet loved ones, not bring your dependents.

for all the folks who pulled into Cubi there used to be a base full of folks there on PCS orders. I had an ROTC CO who had done a tour at Cubi as a VP guy. There used to be an A-4 squadron there and I think ships homeported there. When the volcano blew back in the early 90s I think that was one of the largest evacs of dependents ever.

As to meeting loved ones who happen to be someone else's dependents may I point you in the direction of the KOC.

 

[kunks]

That sounds like old info to me. When I enlisted in 99' I was told something along those lines and honestly I don't remember it being like that. Tomcat, Hornet, S3s, 60 it didn't matter everyone was always pretty cool to work with.

When I winged in 10' and went back out to the fleet I worked with every platform. I can't remember one time where I was like "oh man F those guys, they're Dbags." I worked with aviators all over the world, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and just about every platform from U2 to tankers. Everyone seemed to be normal people just keeping it real.

I remember getting hammered with MidnJac at some war game in VA when we were weapon schoolers and I don't think we talked about the fleet once. Just normal drunken shenanigans. This is coming from a VP guy so maybe I was just lucky ?‍♂️. From the inside looking out it seems like congressional budget bullshit and readiness pretty much put everyone in the same boat. But I left the fleet a couple years ago so maybe it's different now.

 

[AllYourBass]

R U HURT im JUNGLe?!1 a JeT flY BY DROp floweRs but HELO sAvE YOU. HOVERS iS DivINE. HANGAr FAcE is RIGHT THERE bY trap

–Helo Pilot

 

[Pags]

That sounds like old info to me. When I enlisted in 99' I was told something along those lines and honestly I don't remember it being like that. Tomcat, Hornet, S3s, 60 it didn't matter everyone was always pretty cool to work with.

When I winged in 10' and went back out to the fleet I worked with every platform. I can't remember one time where I was like "oh man F those guys, they're Dbags." I worked with aviators all over the world, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and just about every platform from U2 to tankers. Everyone seemed to be normal people just keeping it real.

I remember getting hammered with MidnJac at some war game in VA when we were weapon schoolers and I don't think we talked about the fleet once. Just normal drunken shenanigans. This is coming from a VP guy so maybe I was just lucky ?‍♂️. From the inside looking out it seems like congressional budget bullshit and readiness pretty much put everyone in the same boat. But I left the fleet a couple years ago so maybe it's different now.

That's the honest truth of it.

It's fun to bust on Brand X but most of the time it's just guys (and gals) trying to get a job done. I did a tour at a VX with HSX bubbas, MPRA, VAW, VQ, and NATO folks. All good times and good people. Same thing with the LHD: SWOs and aviators, green and blue, jets and RW. Lots of great Americans.

 

[Flash]

There used to be an A-4 squadron there and I think ships homeported there.

The A-4 squadron was VC-5 'Checkertails', VRC-50 'Foo Dogs' was also stationed there too until they moved to Guam after the volcano blew. We had a couple of Foo Dogs in Q-1 when I was there, they had quite a few interesting stories to say the least.