Lets keep it real here bro...if that dhow was a real threat, SWOs wouldn't be boarding it.
Develop a maintenance program that isn't a complete disaster and then we can talk.
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Huey (or Cobra) input wanted
- Thread starter rweakley
- Start date
Develop a maintenance program that isn't a complete disaster and then we can talk.
Agreed, which in a round-about way, is what I was hinting at.
Point. Made.
Since you'd rather go -18s, you might want to be sure you're aware that they don't exactly drop ordnance like it's going out of style either and not many of them have done no-shit air-to-air combat either. Not many places in this country left where that sort of thing is allowed and not too many people that would bother going up against us in the air.
It's all relative, I've never fast roped onto a pirate mother ship with k-bar clenched in my teeth.... But we did some pretty awesome shit, not to be discussed here, as part of TF 151, and yes, the LAMPS bubbas were a big help. That's just a small part of my job though, to be honest, coming along an oiler at night in a storm and leading the division to a win in a shitty inspection are just as challenging and rewarding. I wouldn't trade it for a million VERTREPS!
And to your point about maintenance, no argument here man. It's a wonder that some of those things are still floating.
Granted, but even when they're not shooting missiles, they fly supersonic and do barrel rolls... that's just pretty cool.
Different strokes, different folks.
I've stood the dog watch, conned alongside, and led shipboard divisions during numerous shitty inspections. I've fought with ATG and signed cycle boards. And I'd trade it all for a single vertrep.
There are plenty of mission areas that ships train to that aren't currently used due to the conflicts we've been engaged in, just like in aviation. Lots of ships waste a lot of time on AW, but no one has attacked a ship via air in years, to name one.
The last time I heard about anyone doing something cool with CTF 151, the LAMPS bubbas "helped" by getting kicked off their "boat" to chill out in the Big Boat to make room for "real pilots."
Their words, not mine.
That's pretty much exactly how a jet squadron is. If you're not blowing shit up, you're doing squirrel cages with a firewalled throttle. Of course that's when we're not playing beach volleyball.
Hell, we weren't F-18s, but back in the day... we dropped bombs while executing aerobatics, and culminated the maneuver escaping at 100' AGL, [near] the speed of sound. Not even the HORNET does that!
*Caveat: Of course in a real conflict, it was a one way "Kamikaze" trip...
BzB
I'd disagree about the air to ground ordnance part. We drop and shoot quite a bit, and you'd probably be surprised at how much live we actually need to individually drop during work ups. Throw in some good deal experience stuff like air-to-air missile shoot ex's, and getting to honk off some exotic ordnance as NCEA permits, and I've found no shortage of live or at least full scale inert expenditures. I'm sure mileage varies to some extent, but it is anything but rare.
I might be surprised. I would hope so. I was referring to dropping bombs in combat and actual air-to-air 'against the rooskies' so to speak. I wish we got to shoot as much as you guys do. It takes an act of congress to get us a hellfire shot. We get about 1/year per pilot. Maybe 2 if we're lucky. Our RR on the boat filled up pretty quickly when started showing the 20mm shoot footage. Apparently people didn't believe a helo could F- stuff up too.
And when we're not "hauling your mail" (Which BTW is fun helo flying), we're doing section approaches into LZs on goggles with the SEAL/DevGru guys and practicing all the crap "we never really do" (as you put it) which is pretty damn cool too. Helo flying is no joke despite what your SWO buddies might have told you. It takes some effort to make something that doesn't want to fly do exactly what you want it to. Oh yeah, we play beach volleyball and sing Righteous Brothers' songs at the bar too.
And btw, if you get a chance to go through flight school please take it. I'd like to see how it goes for you if you tell everyone "I'd rather DOR and be a FO than be a helo pilot". Pretty sure you'd be back to working at Wal-Mart pretty quickly. Comments like that have a real soothing effect on the guys sitting in the back after you just stalled the aircraft and almost went OCF on your checkride.
Yeah clearly those numbers are smaller now, or non-existant in the air to air realm. As for the Hellfire shoot, I guess the good news is that you guys are doing them.
As for the hellfire, I guess the good news is that you guys are doing them. Like any other weapon, I can't imagine that it is something you can just not do and then suddenly be proficient at. Surprised you are posting right now.....would have thought ya'll would be on the road by now just to get there by Friday
Surprised you are posting right now.....would have thought ya'll would be on the road by now just to get there by Friday
Some of the guys already left. I'm flying out Tomorrow. The helos flew out on Sunday and our first flights up there are on Wednesday or Thursday.